Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Brush Shampoo
PiMehMeh 2/1/2012 7:07:00 AM
I got this on whim since prior to using a designated brush cleaner I was using The Masters Brush Cleaner & Preserver, which is a soap intended for cleaning fine art brushes soaked in things as tough and as toxic as oil paints. I wasn't sure that was a good idea since it wasn't intended for makeup brushes, but it did the job better than this e.l.f. Brush Shampoo! I don't regret buying this brush shampoo but I probably wouldn't repurchase either because I've used products or mixtures that are more effective at cleansing and conditioning my brushes. This is definitely NOT a heavy duty brush cleanser; e.l.f. has a Daily Brush Cleaner, and well... this is practically their Weekly Brush Cleaner, because that's how often I used it. If my brushes weren't washed for a month (shame on me), this shampoo would not clean EVERYTHING—my powder brushes would need several repeated washes (we're talking 5+) before there was no more makeup draining into the sink. However if you're really good about cleaning your brushes, this is an alright brush cleanser as I can vouch for the weekly use. At the end of a week's worth of applications my brushes won't sustain too heavy of leftover product and this shampoo will remove it if you lather it through the bristles thoroughly. It takes a little bit of work on a weekly basis but it does work on somewhat dirty to moderately dirty brushes, but not on heavily dirty ones. If you don't wash your brushes often but use them all the time, don't bother with this; even if you used the whole bottle in a single sitting, you'll be wasting time and energy with repeated and inefficient washes. The packaging is a plastic squeeze bottle but there's a slight leak on the part of the cap that you push down on to open the bottle. It's not a huge problem but it can look icky and would need to be wiped regularly. I'll still use up my bottle to clean my eyeshadow brushes and occasionally my powder and blush brushes, but once it's done I'm resorting back to my fine art brush soaps.
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Palettes -Urban Decay - Urban Ammo Eye Palette
PiMehMeh 1/31/2012 4:09:00 AM
This was my first Urban Decay product and I loved it when I was using it. The colors are silky soft and easy to apply and blend, and the palette alone contains enough colors for all kinds of looks for day and night. I actually used the sponge applicators but I also use an eyeliner brush to double the use of this palette as colored eyeliner. It's pretty standard without primer, so primer is a must to maximize the intensity and duration of these eyeshadows—you might as well, for how much this retails for! The eyeshadows are all shimmery and Polyester Bride (white) has a little bit of glitter in it. This is great for those who love shimmery eyeshadows but I would have loved to have matte shadows (especially the darker ones) in this palette as well to create more dimensional looks and to pop the included colors out even more. This would have been an incredible palette especially on the go, if only the eyeshadows had some variety in finishes instead of a single finish. At first I loved the packaging of this palette; it's slim, sleek, has a foil and velvet design on the cover of the palette, includes a pretty large mirror, has a hidden magnetic closure, and I can appreciate the sponge tip applicators as well though many would prefer brushes or fingertips instead. However, the palette is difficult to keep clean over time because the eyeshadow is so soft. I see fall out in the palette over time, and have been lucky that despite having only a magnetic closure that the fallout doesn't escape the palette into my drawers! But the shadows do get all over the inside of the palette which is bad because it contaminates the color wells, especially the lighter ones. This isn't so much a problem of packaging design but more of a problem with the packing density of the eyeshadows—after all, they are very soft. Although the palette does last a long time (more than 2 years for me... is that bad?) even with regular use, I do feel that its retail price is a little too steep in comparison to other brands of eyeshadow palettes that contain more product of quality (and variety in finish!) for a fraction of the price. The product itself is great! But the price is the only reason I wouldn't buy it again, knowing I have more affordable options.
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Eyeliner -Urban Decay - Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in Midnight Cowboy
PiMehMeh 1/31/2012 3:52:00 AM
The first product I bought from Urban Decay was one of their eyeshadow palettes, and I was so impressed I wanted to try their other products, such as Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner. When I was able to get my hands on Midnight Cowboy during a swap, I really wanted to love it but ended up really disappointed. From previous experiences with glitter liners I knew that the glitter was going to be sparsely distributed in the clear eyeliner gel and intended as as a layered accent over other makeup. But since this is higher-priced I was expecting more glitter content out of it, and was surprised that it seemed to be less glittery than lower-priced glitter liners like NYX Liquid Crystal Liner. I tried applying layers of glitter on top of itself to see if I could intensify it, but it only ended up wiping away the previous layer. The one thing I did like about this liner is that it didn't sting my eyelids on application. I am glad that I only received this in a swap and didn't have to pay the high retail price. I would have been much better off getting cosmetic-grade glitter and patting that onto to lip-gloss lined lids.
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Eyeliner -NYX - Studio Effect Liquid Liner (all colors)
PiMehMeh 1/31/2012 3:09:00 AM
This is the best colored liquid liner I've ever used for its price range. I have eyelids that get oily throughout the day so unless I use eye primer, my non-waterproof eyeliners either fade or smudge. I bought these in Extreme Plum Purple, Extreme Silver and Extreme Sapphire, and were instantly my favorites for summer wear when my lids are especially oily, because these eyeliners don't budge even with sweat. I'd have to wipe it off if I wanted to take it off for any reason, but this is a plus if you don't like the fuss of waterproof eye makeup remover, since it still does come off with water and a little friction. The color range for these eyeliners is decent but doesn't include a red or hot pink color, which I am surprised at since it seems to offer all the other basic colors of the rainbow. The finish of these liners also appears to be entirely metallic, so if you prefer matte eyeliner maybe you should pass on this. The pigmentation, however, is excellent even in a single stroke. The applicator is a small, tapering brush that I personally don't like because a change in pressure upon application changes the thickness of your line too easily. I would have much preferred a felt nib applicator like that of Maybelline Line Stiletto Precision Liquid Liner, which I felt has a sharper application than these NYX Liquid Liners. In addition to my issue with its brush applicator, I also notice that when the eyeliner is applied, throughout the day it may make my lids underneath the eyeliner "wrinkle" a little bit—I suspect this is only because when the liquid eyeliner dried after application, it pulled the skin along with it, but it does seem more accentuated throughout the day. Eye creams or moisturizing cleansers should fix this though. Overall, I love these eyeliners not so much for the packaging but for the product itself because the pigmentation is wonderful, and would recommend them for simple, summer day makeup or for sophisticated night time looks. A few months after I picked up my first three liners, I bought two more in Extreme Green and Extreme Gold, and I'm not giving these babies up!
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Eyeliner -NYX - Slim Eye Pencil
PiMehMeh 1/31/2012 2:56:00 AM
I love NYX products but of the ones I've tried, their Slim Eye Pencils are probably my least favorite. While they are very cheap and tempting to collect in every one of their colors, I think I prefer their creamier pencils including the Jumbo Eye Pencil and their Retractable Waterproof Pencil for the ease of application, since it hardly takes any effort at all to get some serious color pay-off. This isn't always the same for their Slim Eye Pencils. I have bought a range of colors including whites, purples, yellows and greens, and recently obtained a black one for the heck of it; I notice that there is a lot of inconsistency in formulation (some colors are far softer/more pigmented than others). It's a shame, because they have a huge range of colors compared to most affordable brands, but some of the formulas can be so stiff that they're not comfortable to apply without trying to poke your eye out. However, I have found a little work-around this in that warming the pencils somehow prior to applying seems to help with the stiffness/pigmentation problem I have had with these. Try leaving the pencils next to heating hair-styling tools, and then applying them.
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Tinted Moisturizer -Josie Maran Cosmetics - Tinted Moisturizer
PiMehMeh 1/31/2012 2:38:00 AM
During the summer I had issues with this tinted moisturizer feeling heavy on my face because of sweat and excess oil production from my combo/oily skin, in combination with sunscreen and argan oil sitting on top of it. I gave it a break for the rest of the season until my skin started to dry up and tighten as fall/winter approached, so I decided to give this tinted moisturizer another chance. I absolutely LOVED it for winter use! The texture of the tinted moisturizer is thicker than most typical lotions so this is difficult to spread for an even coverage and the thickness of it the formula can risk cakeyness. To counter this, I apply this in small amounts with my fingers by dotting it on my cheeks, chin, forehead, once under each eye, and whatever I have left is slicked on my T-zone where it's usually most oily. I then swirl the dots into each other thoroughly (you really need to blend), and am able to get evened-out skin. Although I had to blot my oil during the summer, during the winter I never had to blot and for the first winter in a long time, the skin on my face didn't feel tight and stayed moisturized throughout the day. I used the tinted moisturizer by itself—no primer, and no setting powder. The tinted moisturizer's lasting power isn't great as far as pigmentation, since it's sheer-to-medium coverage and it does fade eventually, but otherwise it is very emollient. Setting powder may help this last longer but again, you risk caking. I tried this tinted moisturizer in Linen (3) and Butter (2), and found Butter to be a better match for my skin tone (light/medium) and the great thing about it being sheer is that it this shade brightened my skin tone a little bit without looking like a mismatch. Unfortunately, the tinted moisturizers in this range may just work better for light to medium shades, but since they're sheer, I'm sure medium shades will work for deeper skin tones as a brightener as well. My only problem with this tinted moisturizer as far as packaging goes is that if product leaks outside of the opening of the tube (even if inside the cap), it does harden into a stiff gel that can be peeled off, but if it gets stuck right at the opening of the tube, squeezing the tube may not only pop out the dried moisturizer (what an oxymoron) but it would also squeeze out more excess product (or even oil, if it for any reason separates). Definitely has to be a daily-use product just to keep the tube from clogging! Other than that, I do recommend the formula for those with dry to normal skin all year long, and possibly for combination/oily skin for winter only. I would however stay away from it if you are acne prone, though, since it does contain an ingredient (wax) that can cause breakouts.
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Foundations -Bare Escentuals - bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation - Golden Medium
PiMehMeh 1/30/2012 8:38:00 PM
I have combination-oily skin with yellow undertones and occasionally break out in acne. I used to be a devotee to Clinique when I had severe acne, but when it finally cleared, I decided to try other foundation options, and was recommended bareMinerals by my best friend. I have been using bareMinerals foundation for the past 3–4 years and lost count how many jars I've been through. Full size jars contain 0.3oz/9g of product and when I used to apply this almost daily, each jar would last me about 6 months, and sometimes longer if used very sparingly, so it's not too bad for the price. Supposedly mineral makeup doesn't expire either so this could last you a REALLY long time. Before using bareMinerals foundation I was always using liquid makeup from Revlon or Clinique, so the powder mess was took a little time to get used to but thankfully it's minimized with the included jar sifter, with which the powder can be tapped back into if too much falls out. You only need a little bit of powder to cover your face, because I made the mistake of using too much powder during my first few tries and it does get cakey right away! Less is more! The coverage is sheer to medium, and it's buildable so I would use a tiny bit more on my acne scars to even them out with the rest of my skin tone. Moisturize and prime your face for the longest coverage--for me this was about 8 hours as opposed to 4–6 hours without moisturizer or primer. The finish for the original powder has a little bit of a sheen, dewy finish, but there is a matte line from bareMinerals as well that comes in the same shades as their original line for those who prefer the matte look. The original foundation is nice if you like healthy, radiant skin but for those who produce excess sebum might prefer the matte foundation instead. I have combo-oily, so this worked out fine for the most part. I am one of those people whose skin tones can be really light-skinned during the winter and shockingly baked during the summer, so I have used several different shades from bareMinerals foundation for the corresponding seasons. I love that bareMinerals has a pretty wide but well-edited range of shades to choose from, including a range of shades for gold/yellow undertones since these are a little difficult to find in drugstore foundations which tend to be either cool or too warm for my skin. I recommend getting a shade for winter and a shade for summer; during the winter, use the lighter shade as your primary foundation but your summer shade can be used as a bronzer or for facial contour during the winter as well.
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Blush -TopShop - Cream Blush - All
PiMehMeh 1/27/2012 12:47:00 AM
This is the first Topshop product I've used and I received it in a swap. I'm usually not fond of cream-based products because I have combination-oily skin and can be acne-prone, but this product along with other liquid- and cream-based products were my go-to products during the winter when my skin was very dry. Being that this is the first cream blush I've used as opposed to all my powder blushes, I was a little scared how I my skin would react to this blush. I used it almost everyday during the 3 months of winter... no reaction! The color I had is Neon Rose, which is a little brighter orange than Flush in this review. I thought it was going to be too bright for my light-medium skintone but it was perfect when it was blended out, and it wasn't shimmery or oily like I thought it would be. It had a faintly satin finish after blending it out. It has much better lasting power compared to my powder blushes, probably owing to its cream base. And despite its cream base, I had no excess oil to blot off throughout the day. Not as lightweight as powder blushes but during the winter, the extra moisture in the blush is tolerable! I love the packaging; it's a small, modern-style, durable compact that includes a mirror, which is great because the blush is super portable and convenient for when I'm traveling. I'm not a morning person and usually end up rushing out the door, so I tend to do my makeup during morning train rides and this is one of the things I bring along. I'm not so sure that I would continue to use this when spring and summer come around when my skin is much oilier, but it's definitely my winter blush staple until I try a better cream blush for a better price!
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BB Cream -MISSHA - M Perfect Cover BB Cream
PiMehMeh 1/27/2012 12:23:00 AM
First off, I have combination/oily skin and I am light-medium with a golden undertone. I occasionally break out in acne and the scars seem to stay for a long time. I've never used MAC products but I was matched to NC25–NC35, and am perfectly matched to Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Foundation in Golden Medium. I am reviewing both No.21 and No.23 shades. I originally bought this in No.21 in the 50ml tube with the pump dispenser. This was my first BB cream and I really had to learn to love it. My first impression of it when I first dispensed it was that it had a rather overwhelming floral-powdery fragrance to it, so definitely not a good BB cream if you are sensitive to cosmetics with fragrances in it! (Try their Signature Real Complete BB cream instead, if you have sensitive skin.) Luckily my skin is not sensitive, but I can't help noticing the scent on my face for hours after applying it (lasting power is pretty good, 8 hours WITHOUT the companion primer, B.B. Boomer!). I applied the BB cream sparingly, after reading reviews that a little went a long way and to be careful with the pump dispenser, since it can dispense more than you need in a single pump. I only needed about half a pump to cover my face. The consistency is definitely creamy, maybe even thicker than your typical lotion. I have used Josie Maran Argan Tinted Moisturizer, which has a really thick consistency, and Urban Decay Tinted Moisturizer, which is light and easy to spread. MISSHA M Perfect Cover BB cream has a consistency in-between. The BB cream can be a little difficult to spread over your face because it's a little thick, so dotting it around your face and then spreading from there is the best way to cover every inch especially to take advantage of its high SPF protection. Despite the high SPF, the BB cream has a fairly matte finish and decent oil control. I've never had to blot my face as I've had to with tinted moisturizers. No.21 is the 2nd lightest shade offered by MISSHA for this line of BB creams, and in my opinion it was too light for me, and it may possibly be because it has a gray cast that supposedly whitens the look of your skin as it oxidizes. While it does change color after a few minutes like it claims, it didn't change color close enough to my natural skin tone, and my face still looked too pale compared to the rest of my body. I tried No.23 next, this time in a smaller squeeze-tube so as not to waste any product, and this shade worked out so much better for me! While it still has a grayish cast, at least the color was not as deathly-looking as No.21 was. I definitely recommend No.23 for NC25-NC35 skin tones. The packaging of the squeeze-tube is also much better than the pump dispenser of the larger 50ml tube, because it's easier to control how much product you want to use, so there's less waste. I used the 20ml squeeze tube for 3 months, and had used a little less than half the product so a 20ml tube can last about 6 months with regular use. That's a long time! The 50ml tube could last a whole year, but if you change colors dramatically with the seasons (and I do), the 20ml tube is more than enough. I love that MISSHA's M Perfect Cover BB creams come in a large range of shades to accommodate more skin tones and types, but most of the lighter shades are too gray and most of their darker shades are too warm/orange. If you can sample the BB cream before buying, do it because it's hard to tell by photo swatches if a shade is right for you, because they oxidize in 5 to 30 minutes depending on air/temperature/weather conditions. If you aren't able to sample before buying and you bought a BB cream that doesn't match you well enough, you can always use the BB cream as a primer for your foundation. And if you don't like the thick consistency of this BB cream, try mixing it with another light moisturizer; I've mixed it with Urban Decay Tinted Moisturizer in Bodyguard which warmed the color while making it easier to spread. BB creams claim to also have age-defying properties like reversing wrinkles and supposedly whiten acne scars. Although I've used this BB cream for 3 months consistently, I'm not so sure that it gets rid of acne scars better than simply daily exfoliation. It's definitely opaque enough to hide them while it's applied though! And I don't have facial wrinkles so I'm not sure that it is also reverses aging. But as far as standard foundations go, this is a great product if you don't mind the fragrance and are able to find a matching shade, and it's cheaper than most good foundations and tinted moisturizers in the market. 20ml tubes go for $7 to $13 depending where you look, and 50 ml tubes go for $15-$30.
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Palettes -Sephora - Color Play 5 in 1
PiMehMeh 1/26/2012 11:48:00 PM
I received this as a gift and was a little hesitant to use it at first because eyeshadow palettes tend to have less pigmentation than their single counterparts, but the pigmentation of most of the colors in this palette are actually pretty good. The ease of use though varies for some of the colors though; some are silkier than others, some are really chalky, and some are so sheer it can be a little disappointing unless you love sheer coloration. There's a good mix of matte and shimmer shadows included and each of the 5 palettes has a good range of light to dark shades, great for creating depth! The eyeshadows don't have much lasting power on their own, so I definitely recommend an eyeshadow primer underneath them. I use Victoria's Secret Lasting FX Eyeshadow Primer and it works well underneath these, without feeling heavy. In each of the 5 pop-out palettes there is also a white or off-white that's very similar to each other that some people would think they're just dupes, but if you travel often and pop the palettes into the included travel case, the included highlighter shadow in each of the 5 palettes is actually a great idea for those who take these palettes on the go. I know I do! I don't have great things to say about the lip glosses/colors included in this palette; most of the glosses don't stay glossy very long to begin with, and they're pretty sticky. During storage, the lip pots tend to catch eyeshadow fallout too and it's not fun cleaning it out, so I don't even bother! The only lip colors I use that are actually pretty good are the reds; they're not drying, and they're very opaque! Perhaps my favorite thing about this palette is the blushes; there are enough colors to create not just a single blush look for each palette, but to use all of them to contour the face. They're silky with either the finger or the brush, you pick up just enough to lightly layer it on your face. And the blush shade variation is a good range, for whether you want a dramatic contour or a light pop of color. My least favorite thing about this palette is the quality of the packaging. I love that it's a 5-in-1 palette and that you can pop any one palette into a portable palette for when you're on the go, so in fact the packaging design is very ergonomic. But the security of the latches is very poor! For one, the large palette casing doesn't close properly because the snap closure itself, SNAPPED. Likewise, all of the 5 palettes also have a plastic nib that's supposed to secure it to the larger case; all 5 of their nibs snapped, so while they can all sit in their wells in the larger case, they're not secured and can fall out if I don't handle the palette carefully. The only piece of this palette of which the hinge hasn't snapped is the travel case. Fortunately, it's the one reason why I still use this palette. It's still a great travel piece despite the poor packaging quality.
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Polishes -Kleancolor - Nail Lacquer - ALL
PiMehMeh 1/26/2012 11:24:00 PM
I love Kleancolor polishes! There are over 230 colors, including solids, sheers, metallics, glitters and holos as well as a matte sealer and nail treatments such as hardener and calcium. And the best thing about these is their value—they're actually pretty good quality for only $1 each; at some places I find them, they're even cheaper! These are great polishes if you love to do your own nail art, because you can buy several colors for so cheap, and many of these colors are made for layering, like the sheers, glitters, and holos. Their solids don't need more than 2 coats to look completely opaque. They can also take a little while to dry, depending on the number of coats. Like most nail polish bottles, Kleancolor packaging is pretty standard. However, sometimes the plastic cap will detach from the brush applicator, in which case I usually screw the cap back on really tightly and then unscrew.. usually that reattaches it. Some Kleancolor polishes are prone to color separation if left sitting around; the separation happens seemingly faster than higher quality polishes. But shaking the bottle should fix this problem as well, or pouring some out of the bottle and mixing it on a sheet of paper or a plastic palette to even the color again. Some people complain about the smell of Kleancolor polishes... but honestly, EVERY BRAND OF NAIL POLISH I'VE EVER TRIED SMELLED LIKE CHEMICALS. End of story! Another problem some may find when searching for colors from Kleancolor is that many of the colors tend to be on the classic and brighter side of the rainbow; you won't find very many of the trendy neutral colors of some of the higher-end polishes. However, this color selection issue can be easily remedied if you're daring enough to mix their existing colors; they have essential neutrals like browns and their Concrete Gray, which you can mix with any of their brighter colors to tone them down, creating your own custom polish. It's a little more work, but mixing two Kleancolor polishes for $2 is much cheaper than buying a ready-made bottle from China Glaze or OPI for $6-8 a piece! I have repeatedly bought Kleancolor polishes for the past two years and have a collection totaling almost 50 of their polishes. They're constantly adding more colors (mostly holos and glitters), and they recently came out with nail art bottles and cracking polishes (stay away from the cracking ones, there are better brands out there). Again, Kleancolor polishes are the most affordable, quality polishes a nail aficionado could want.
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Eye Makeup Remover -Neutrogena - Oil Free eye makeup remover
PiMehMeh 1/23/2012 6:18:00 AM
First off, I have combo-oily skin and occasionally break out in acne. I've used makeup-removing towelettes as well as Maybelline's Waterproof Makeup Remover, but if I were to continue buying a commercial makeup remover this is the one I would recommend for those who have oily skin and want a good waterproof makeup remover that doesn't contain oil. I've also used the Equate version (Wal-mart generic) and it does the same thing. Give the bottle a good shake, hold a cotton ball to the opening of the bottle, press against your eyes for 10-15 seconds so it dissolves your most stubborn waterproof makeup, and wipe gently. It does leave an oily-like residue after removing the makeup (despite being oil-free), but this is hardly as bad as the Maybelline waterproof makeup remover, which is heavily oily! So go about your usual cleansing routine afterward to get rid of the oily feeling and you're good! For those who don't see oil as a problem another healthier, a more natural and inexpensive alternative is to mix 4 parts water or aloe water and 1 part olive oil, and repeat the paragraph above. As far as packaging goes, the hole in the bottle is just big enough for you to fit a cotton ball onto it so generally it's not very messy, but it can be a pain cleaning the bottle if you spill, since the remover can also cause the plastic label to peel off the bottle.
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Polishes -Kleancolor - Crack Nail Polish - Black
PiMehMeh 1/16/2012 8:10:00 PM
I normally love Kleancolor nail polishes since they have such a huge range including holos, so when they came out with Crack nail polish I was a little excited since they are no more than $2 where I find them. They were the first cracking nail polishes I've tried so I didn't know what to expect from them. I've used them on top of nail polishes from Kleancolor and China Glaze, and as far as aesthetics go, they're okay. The kind of cracking you get will look almost like reptilian scales; they're small shapes of color and the cracks are fine, just like the cracks shown on the cap applicator on the bottles. This is ok if you like a more animal-like pattern—they have 6 colors for you to play with. But if you prefer the more mainstream cracking polishes like those demonstrated by brands like OPI, I'd stay away from this. There is another brand called Cherimoya which produces a cracking polish called 2012 that comes in matte, glossy, and metallic finishes and in a wider range of colors for about the same price as Kleancolor Crack nail polishes, but crack very similarly to OPI and China Glaze cracking polishes. Kleancolor Crack polishes also take a while to crack compared to most cracking polishes I've tried, but the most off-putting issue I have with Kleancolor Crack polishes is that they do flake very quickly! These NEED to have a top coat on top, but you would have to reapply top coat every few days just to keep it from flaking even after applying it. And removing it is the worst! This may not be as true for other colors but I had the black polish, and I panicked after soaking it in acetone for several minutes that it was still very difficult to remove. The original black nail polish from Kleancolor was easier to remove than their black Crack nail polish. I tried Cherimoya 2012 and China Glaze cracking polishes shortly after this one, and they are far easier to manage.
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Eyeliner -Maybelline - Line Stiletto liquid eyeliner
PiMehMeh 1/16/2012 7:55:00 PM
My favorite liquid liner. I have been using pen eyeliners from Sephora and Victoria's Secret and I've tried NYX studio liquid liners but every single time I come back to Maybelline's Line Stiletto. I am on my 3rd or 4th tube! I have combo-oily skin and my lids can get oily throughout the day, but this liquid liner somehow sticks through it, with or without eye primer. By the end of the day, the most that comes off is at the outer corner because of laughing or crying when I might tear up a little. The finish is matte, and the application is very easy because the applicator is a really soft felt nib and not a brush, so I never have to worry about uneven product application and almost never have to relayer the eyeliner because it's so opaque, as opposed to NYX eyeliners which have comparable staying power but not so great opacity. I would say that this is the best of both worlds between your typical brush-tip liquid liner and a felt pen eyeliner! My eyeliner is always very sharp and crisp, most likely because of the tapered nib of the applicator, so I recommend this as a great eyeliner for winged and double-winged cat eyes and as a strong accent to smoking eyes, but probably not great if you like smoldering eyeliners because it's hard if not impossible to blend it once it's dry, and it dries quickly. The tube sounds like it has a little ball inside which is nice, since as you're running out of product all you have to do is shake the tube a little to run the product onto the nib. I wear this almost every day, and it lasts me about 6 months before I need another tube.
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Shampoo -Aveeno - Aveeno Nourish + Shine Shampoo
PiMehMeh 1/16/2012 7:42:00 PM
I've always had problems with hair products and the changing conditions of my hair make it difficult to settle on any product. As a kid I had long, silky and very straight hair—normal hair and shampooing was never a problem until my hair suddenly became coarse, frizzy, and the oil production of my scalp would fluctuate, as with the oil in my hair. I've tried shampoos from Head & Shoulders for when I had dry scalp, Pantene and Garnier that really dried out my hair and have learned to stay away from, and Dove and TRESemmé, which didn't affect my hair as badly as the others but still didn't do much to help my hair as it became frizzier, duller, and harder to manage. Aveeno was a tiny bit pricier than what I'm normally used to paying for for shampoos, but I love most of their other skin care products so I decided to give their hair care line a try in 2010 and have been repurchasing them ever since, along with the accompanying Nourish+Shine Conditioner. At the time of my first purchase, my hair was very dry, dull, coarse, brittle, and I had dry ends to a point where it was beyond split ends—it was so dry that my hair was changing colors from black to brown at the tips. After the third day of using both Aveeno Nourish+Shine shampoo and conditioner, my hair finally wore shine for the first time in years, and my hair strands have never been brittle ever since. I used to use hair detanglers, frizz control, and shine serum products all the time that were hit-and-miss with my hair, and now I no longer need to. My hair was very soft and it was a lot straighter, and for once my hair didn't look like a broom on my head! I love this shampoo to death after so many trials with other shampoos that I'm afraid to try any other brand of shampoo, but this does have its drawbacks. The shine is wonderful, but my hair does get oil build up if I go a day without shampooing. I personally am not fond of the smell too even though it does remind me of the smell of other Aveeno products, which for some reason I don't mind, so maybe the smell of the shampoos is just stronger than their other products. Lastly, the shampoo (or the conditioner, I'm not actually sure) can leave residue on my scalp and in turn causes minor itching, but I find that thorough rinsing gets rid of that problem. I have been repurchasing since 2010 and am currently on my 4th set of Nourish+Shine shampoo and conditioner. They are the only 2 hair products I now use on a daily basis as opposed to the 6–8 daily hair products, and my hair straightener, which I used to use 3 days a week, I now only use once every few months.
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