Eye Shadow -NYX - Vanilla Sky
jootje 5/24/2010 11:05:00 AM
This color is absolutely gorgeous. It's more golden than I thought it would be (ordered it online), but I love it nonetheless. It really is vanilla with a golden shimmer to it. The pigmentation and texture are GREAT aswell. It is really buttery and soft and it applies like a dream. I would definitely repurchase this.
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Eye Shadow -NYX - Eyeshadow *ES18 Sahara
jootje 5/24/2010 10:53:00 AM
Gorgeous as natural highlight color. This brand isn't for sale where I live (Netherlands) but I heard a lot of good things about it so I was delighted to find a Dutch webshop selling this. The pigmentation and texture are GREAT. I was very impressed when I swatched these and I can see why these eyeshadows aregetting so many good reviews. I will definitely be buying more.
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Cleansers -LUSH - Dark Angels
jootje 5/21/2010 11:03:00 AM
This scrub exfoliates really well and it always gives me a spa-like feeling while using it, probably because of the mud. It's a little more messy than regular scrub because it's black. I find it a bit harsh on the skin. It also leaves a film, so I always have to follow up with cleanser. I probably won't buy this again as I find it a bit too harsh and too much of a hassle, while the results aren't any better than with other scrubs.
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Masks -LUSH - Love Lettuce Mask
jootje 5/15/2010 7:16:00 PM
This is a nice mask. It cleanses well, functions as a scrub and leaves your face clean yet moisturized. It is not my favourite Lush mask though, but it still is a really nice mask.
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Kruidvat Young Face Sebum Control Cream
jootje 5/15/2010 6:54:00 PM
This is a really nice cream. It contains salicylic acid and niaminicide. The texture is really lightweight and it sinks right in when applied. It just disappears never to be seen again and it leaves my face really smooth. It doesn't have any moisturizing properties but I don't care, this is so lightweight that it can be used under my moisturizer without the feeling of an extra layer. Sometimes I use it all over my face, sometimes just on my t-zone or individual blemishes. It doesn't interfere with make-up at all and it doesn't make my skin more greasy. I also can't say that it controls all my oiliness but it does help and it definitely helps with blemishes like only salicylic acid can. It also works great after shaving to prevent red bumps.I always have a tube of this at home. The fact that it's super cheap is a really nice bonus. Also, I realize this product is only for sale in the Netherlands and Belgium. But I've been frustrated so many times by all the great reviews of products that are not for sale over here and by all the times that I couldn't find reviews of products that are, that I decided to do something about it myself and make MUA a bit more internationally friendly. It also might be usefull for people who go on vacation to the Netherlands or Belgium. Hope others will follow (not only for NL or belgium of course!).
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Makeup Brushes -Bourjois - Kabuki Brush
jootje 5/15/2010 4:20:00 PM
Edit: Since I now have more Kabuki's and am able to compare, I'm changing this review to 3 lippies. Positive about this brush is that it picks up a good amount of product and distributes it evently. At first it is also very soft but after a while, when the (real) hairs start to split, it becomes kind of scratchy. It's still usuable but I only use it for blush now, not my whole face. Also, my TBS synthetic hair kabuki is 10x softer. I would not buy this again.
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Eye Shadow -Bourjois - Ombre a paupieres
jootje 5/14/2010 6:20:00 PM
I'm torn on this one. I have this in two colors and one is fine, the other is not. The bad one is '72 violet absolu'. The color looks pretty and shimmery in the pan, but the pigmentation is below average. I have to press rather hard with my finger/brush to get any color. The shimmer doesn't show up at all, it looks matte on my eyelid. Texture is too dry, doesn't apply nicely. The color is also a bit too much of a cold purple for me but that's personal so I'm not taking any lippies of for that. The other one is better. It's '70 kaki ettonant'. In the pan it looks like a gorgeous shimmery brown/green color, depends on the way you look at it. The pigmentation on this one isn't groundbreaking, but it is better than the other one. It is acceptable, but it's not as pretty on the lid as it is in the pan. The texture is fine. Packaging on all the Ombre's is really cute. I also love that they have a mirror inside. Overall these -can- be nice, but I would test each color on pigmentation before you buy. Also, I think that even the one that is fine is way overpriced for average pigmentation you're getting. Wet 'n Wild or NYX give me way better pigmentation for half the price. I will not be buying any of these anymore. Edit: I recently discovered that you're supposed to use these wet. I think that's a lame excuse to make up for poor pigmentation. I don't want to have to use them wet (can't blend well?!) and especially not for that price.
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Eye Shadow -Bourjois - Ombre a paupieres - 72 Violet Absolu
jootje 5/14/2010 6:06:00 PM
This product was a little disappointing. The color is pretty and it has a nice shimmer in the pan, but the pigmentation is below average. I have to press rather hard with my finger/brush before any color comes of and the shimmer doesn't show up at all. It looks matte on my eyelid. The texture is also a bit dry-ish, don't like it. I think that it's just this color though, because I have this in another color and that one is much better. The packaging of these shadows is lovely as always. It's cute and comes with an applicator and a mirror (love that). The cute packaging got this a second lippie, but it doesn't make up for the below average product. I will not be repurchasing in this product, in fact I never even use this one.
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Eye Shadow -Unlisted Brand - Collistar - Silk Effect Eye Shadow in 21 Marrone Dorato
jootje 5/8/2010 5:56:00 AM
This is my all time favourite single eyeshadow. It has a silky/buttery texture that applies very easily. It just glides on and it blends like a DREAM. It is absolutely not chalky and there is no fall-out whatsoever. I also love that it contains UV protection and hyaluronic acid. The colour is a gorgeous warm brown/copper color with golden shimmer in it. It's great for both day and night time. The staying power and pigmentation are great, it lasts me all day without primer. It comes in a cute little box which also has an applicator inside. I use this shadow a lot, so much that the pan is almost empty (something that has never happened to me before with eyeshadow!). When I run out of this I will definately repurchase. Update: ran out & repurchased. Also in different colors. These shadows rock.
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Eyeliner -Bourjois - Effet Smoky
jootje 5/8/2010 5:18:00 AM
I really love this product. The eyeliner goes on -really- smoothly, which I LOVE. I hate it when I have to press really hard in order to get any color. It's also really easy to smudge, perfect for indeed, smokey eyes. I also love that it has a brush on the back to blend it with, which makes this really easy, quick to use and travel friendly. It works great for creating smoky eyes but it also works great as just a liner for daytime if you apply and blend less. Staying power is fine. Besides black I also have this in dark purple, which makes my green eyes pop. Love both. Will buy again.
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Mascara -Christian Dior - DiorShow Mascara Waterproof
jootje 5/5/2010 7:50:00 AM
I'm a big mascara fan and as such I of course had to try the hyped out Dior Show mascara. Since I was going on vacation soon I thought I'd get the waterproof version. I was unimpressed by this product. It is good mascara, I won't deny that. It applies nicely (although I must say I'm not a fan of the huge wand) and it doesn't clump. BUT it's no better than many of the drugstore brands I've tried. I don't think it deserves the hype and it sure doesn't justify the price. I must say that my lashes are pretty long and easy to work with so maybe it's different for people who have been less blessed in the lash department, but for me my max factor mascara can deliver the same result for half the price. Won't buy again.
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Treatments -Garnier - Synergie Pure - SOS Anti-Blemish Pen
jootje 5/2/2010 12:04:00 PM
This has been one of my staple products for years and it has become so standard that I completely forgot to write a review about it. I always have one of these lying around. I do not have acne (anymore) and I must say that when I still did I was less impressed with this. I guess because this is a spot treatment, something that will make blemishes that are already there go away faster, but will not get you clear skin if you have acne. You need something to -prevent- blemishes from appearing for that. Now that my skin is pretty much clear for the majority of the time I appreciate it a lot more. When I use this on an occasional blemish (usually around that time of the month) it definitely makes it go away faster, especially ones that I've popped. Sometimes when I feel a blemish coming up and I put this stuff on, it doesn't even show up. For cystic acne (which I had moderately for a while a long time ago) this works aswell but not as good as for normal blemishes. Although I've yet to find anything that works great for that. Overall this is a good product if you have occasional blemishes. But don't expect it to be a life saver if you have full blown acne. I took one lippy off because it's kind of sticky so I can only use it at night, I don't like how it looks/feels under make-up. Update: still like this product, but I've found out that paula's choice 2% bha works better as a spot treatment for me.
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Treatments (Eye) -L'Oreal - Lash Boosting Serum
jootje 4/26/2010 6:08:00 AM
I've waited quite a while before reviewing this product so I would be sure of the results. My lashes are quite long already, but when I bought this product I figured more (volume) would be even better. I've applied this every evening for a couple of weeks and I then came to the conclusion that it did make a slight difference. In the morning (after rinsing off, interferes with mascara) my mascara went on smoother and my lashes felt stronger. I also grew about 2 extra hairs just a little above my normal lash line for a while, but they've disappeared now. The lashes already there didn't grow, or at least not noticably. Either way, I then completely forgot this product for a couple of weeks and I didn't miss it at all. I've now started using it again but I'm forgetting it half of the time and I don't see any results. So basically this only works if you use it everyday. Bottom line is, I guess this stuff does do at least something so therefore it gets lippies, but the results are too minimal and the price too high for me to buy this again. Update: I've noticed that this sometimes makes my eyelashes fall out. Not all the time, just sometimes. It's very odd. Either way, not using this anymore. Castor oil does a much better job for a fraction of the cost.
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Toners -Unlisted Brand - Vinegar Toner
jootje 4/19/2010 3:16:00 PM
I love love love this. I've been using it daily ever since I found out about it around 6 months ago. I noticed that what I (don't) eat and drink makes a big difference on the way my skin looks and I didn't think that anything external would make a difference on my skin, but this did. My skin has become a lot more smooth and toned (so toned!). It even toned up the skull-deep scars I got from an accident 3 years ago (!). It also made my skin more clear. The little impurities I had have diminished. I now only have the occasional hormonal break-out. When I first opened the bottle I was certain that this stuff would burn my skin off (because of the strong smell), but I was surprised that it didn't sting at all. It only stings on damaged skin (such as pimples that you've picked at). It does smell so strong that it makes my eyes sometimes tear up while using it though. I really don't care about that since it works wonders on my skin. I started off with 25% ACV and 75% water. Now I've switched to 50/50 and I've replaced the water with rosewater. That makes a HUGE difference in the awful smell - it's bearable now. I only use this at night as I don't like the idea that people might smell it. I don't smell it anymore when it dries but my boyfriend still does. Also I shower in the morning and I find that when I use this when my skin is sensitive from the warm water, my face turns red. It might be a bit too harsh for me then. I store this in a cute glass bottle in my bathroom cabinet. I'm too lazy to put it in the fridge and since I don't put any fresh ingredients in it that is not necessary. Update: I loved this toner but the smell finally got the best of me. Well, actually of my boyfriend. He wouldn't even give me a goodnightskiss anymore when I had this on. ): So now I use Paula's Choice 8% AHA Gel (ACV is also mainly AHAs). This has no smell and it works even better.
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Sunscreen -Clarins - (New Formula) UV Plus Day Screen SPF 40 High Protection with E3P
jootje 4/19/2010 2:50:00 PM
The formula is very lightweight. I have combination skin and this doesn't make my skin (more) greasy. It doesn't leave a white residue and it doesn't interfere with my make-up, not even around my eyes. It just doesn't feel like I've applied an extra layer, which is very important to me because I hate layers on my face. At first it looks kind of shiny but after around 30 seconds it has disappeared completely. For the people who find this too drying I would suggest getting a tester of Lancome (DNA guard face fluid) or Chanel facial sunscreens. I've tried those too and they are a bit richer, but still leave no grease/white residue. Edit: a lot of people are saying this doesn't protect against UVA rays but my bottle clearly states on the front that it does. Edit2: I won't be repurchasing this as I got a heavy sunburn while wearing this. The sun exposure wasn't even that long/intentse (I'm sure I wouldn't have burned with my lancome).
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