Eye Shadow -Revlon - Make A Sheen Lustrous Shadow Trio - Espress'o Yourself
Nekura 8/3/2008 12:53:00 AM
I think this is a really nice change for Revlon. I personally have no problems with pigmentation for this. I actually like normal Revlon shadows which some find to be powdery (but I like frequent matte shades available). However Espress'o Yourself is very different from the typical Revlon shadow. The shades are near metallic however it has no glittery fall out but it stays on the lid very well even without a base. It's quite rare for metallic finish shadows from any brand to apply with such ease and not be all over your cheeks. At first I assumed these are sheer shadows due to the "Make A Sheen" name to them and yes they can be applied sheer (and look beautiful I might add) but easily build with an extra swipe on the brush. The staying powder for these are really nice. I'm confident enough to wear these without a base or primer and that's not often for me since I have oily lids but they can work very nicely by themselves which isn't something too often said for drugstore & oily eyelids combination. The colors aren't too neutral for me. It's more of a spiced chocolates type of look but really gorgeous and not gaudy at all. The lack of glitter but the glow these give on the eyes seem age appropriate for anyone even the more mature woman and the color is something that'll work for many. The package is gimmicky, I agree and it would be nice if there were equal and seperate pans for the shades. I particularly love the vanilla color the most that I don't mind it has the largest portion.. and the package is really beautiful that I can ignore the gimmick concept. My only complaint is a minor one that the lid is a bit hard to open at times otherwise definitely a 5 for me. It just requires a good brush, then application and blending felt effortless for me.
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Hair Color -Garnier - Nutrisse Permanent Creme Hair Color
Nekura 7/24/2008 4:12:00 PM
I think this product is just okay. It has its flaws but it's good points. For a permanent hair color, it's definitely not as damaging as many brands out there. It doesn't smell as bad, no drip formula, a fast wait, and covers pretty evenly. With that put aside, I give this a low rating for a few reasons. This is a hair dye that's very hard to colour manipulate from the brand's description. I've been processing hair for about 7 years and find this particular dye a bit stubborn and offput. Being lazy and wanting a quick/cheap job. I picked this up in Sangria which is a red brown. My hair was already colored red but fading, I was hoping to deepen it. Unfortunately this hair dye neutralized the red in my hair and left it in a near chocolate brown for which then washed out to a lighter brassier orange brown after a week. If I wanted to neutralize my hair color to begin with I would have picked some sort of ash tone hair dye, it wasn't what I was going for or near what the description is. To leave it at that, my hair drastically lightened to that brassier orange brown within a week. My hair was chemically processed to begin with, it should have "taken" hair dye a lot better than virgin hair.
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Eye Shadow -Revlon - Colorstay 12-Hour Eyeshadow -General
Nekura 7/22/2008 1:39:00 AM
I own 5 Revlon Colorstay quads. I actually really like these. Initially they never appealed to me because the shades are pretty bland and nothing overly special. I'm typically a funky type of person with crazy makeup but these days I have my moments where I want to be toned down whether due to how I feel, for the occasion, or work... yet I don't want to be bare face or look like I crawled out of bed. The Colorstay quads are pretty fool proof. The colour combos always work out and don't require a lot of pondering with how to pair each shade. Infact if you're really that lazy Revlon has instructions on the back lol. The shadows are usually satin or near matte colors. Occasionally mixed in with some frost/pearl shades. But it's almost never something over the top (except a few smokey quads which are still on the lighter side of drama) and many great neutral quads. I've had no problems with staying power but I always use a primer (no matter what shadow, high end/low end). The colors are true to the palette, blend easily, stay put, and also is within a professional/polished color spectrum. I started off with 2 palettes at first and slowly pick these up when they're on sale. My favs are "In the Buff" (true neutral/natural look) and "Coffee Bean" (great brown quad). I also own "Neutral Khaki" (nice smokey olive quad), "Berry Bloom" (a pink/purple one) and "Sultry Smoke" (a smokey blue quad). They're definitely not the most exciting or unique eyeshadows in the world but just nice to have at the palm of your hand and easy to work with (NC15-20 for ref).
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -New York Color - Eye Candy - Coney Island Beach (LE)
Nekura 7/21/2008 11:33:00 PM
"Coney Island Beach" is released for N.Y.C. Cosmetics and their Summer 2008 Limited Edition "Big Apple Bronzing" Collection.
It's one out of two of the eyeshadow quint-bricks for this collection called Eye Candy. I picked up "Coney Island Beach" solely for the name at first.. It's close to home and overall this collection is really cute for anyone from NYC. However to my surprise this actually is quite nice! This is the more neutral (as in not so warm) eyeshadow palette from the collection (the other one is really warm/bronze). Applied dry it's a bit sheer but still pigmented. Applied wet it's more intense and metallic. I prefer it over a cream base where the colors are more intense but not too gaudy.
From top to bottom (Swatches/Pic Provided)
1) peachy nude frost shade with a golden sheen.
2) matte chocolate brown
3) neutral tone mauve with gold reflects glitter
4) neutral mauve pink (frost)
5) a beige frost highlight shade with a pink/red iridescent sheen
Overall with the 5 shades, it's easy to have a daytime neutral to something smokey and dramatic. The iridescent sheens to the 2 lightest shades really brightens up the eyes and the glittery taupe shade adds a nice sparkle for that summer's touch without anything too chunky. The package is OK. It's pretty basic but it seems sturdy enough. I'm not going to complain too much because in terms with NYC this is sturdy as I've seen it from the company.
0.25oz / 7g in product. Retails for approx $3.99.
Diameter of the pan is 2 inches.
15 out of 16 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -L'Oreal - High Intensity Pigment Bright Shadow Duo - Roaring 234
Nekura 7/20/2008 8:58:00 PM
Roaring is a pretty old couple of a duo. It has a taupe and a true royal blue. I was browsing though the HiP line for a few neutral shades but I kept glancing at this duo because of the blue side. Personally I don't have a pigmentation problem with either side from this duo. There are duos from HiP which I've tried that has the infamous issue of one nice colour and one worthless/difficult one but texture wise I find "Roaring" to be of the better duos I've come across.
The taupe is more of a satin finish in my opinion. It's close to matte but not quite because there is a bit of a sheen if you build on it. I don't find it chalky at all and infact it tends to apply much darker and a bit warmer than it appears. I think the common problem with the taupe side is that it might blend into darker skintones easily and not show up but for someone fairly pale as myself this is a really nice shade. The blue is a gorgeous metallic royal blue that isn't too common to come by. It can be used as a lighter royal blue watch or played up to a super funky intense blue.
I find this duo pretty easy to work with. The staying power is fine especially with a base or primer and the colour combo is unique but works very well together. You can have a more neutral look with a pop of colour to a smokey look down to something really fun.
I did a few swatches just because I wanted to show that this duo actually isn't as chalky (for me anyway). I'm a NC15/20 for reference.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Sally Hansen - Lacquer Shine - Orchid
Nekura 7/18/2008 6:25:00 PM
Sally Hansen Lacquer Shine for lips is a new gloss product released this summer of 2008. The glosses come in a not-so-standard gloss tube with a black cap and gold embellishments and a soft brush applicator. 13 oz / 3.6 grams.
When I first saw these and read lacquer I assumed it would be a high shine liquid lipstick. Orchid is a neutral-tone bubble gum fuchsia color with a pink/red pearl finish... however when applied it's ultra sheer. Instead of a bubble gum pink, it's more of a very natural lip color with a pretty non-frosty sheen due to the pink pearl finish. My lips aren't so pigmented these days so I assume for a lot of others, this gloss might be almost clear for them. The gloss however has a very high shine glassy finish and thick consistency. I don't find this gloss to be tacky (I'm pretty used to MAC lipglasses) but it's quite a thick gloss so it's definitely not everyone's cup of tea. It's lovely over lipsticks for that glassy look and keeping the lip color in place.
Due to the consistency of this gloss, it's impossible to build on the color by itself or it'll inevitably be goopy at some point. The brush applicator is pretty soft and not messy, provides a nice neat application which is a plus. It has a nice staying power thanks to how thick it is, it'll stay on longer than most glosses. The scent of the gloss kind of reminds me of Elizabeth Arden and Estee Lauder lip products, it's very similar to a potpourri floral/cinnamon scent but it's very faint with no aftertaste that I'm not particularly bothered by it.
I give this a 3 because I'm not really impressed by it. I've been wow-ed by a lot of Sally Hansen lip products but their line has done much better. Don't get me wrong, it's a really nice super glassy thick gloss from a drugstore but for $6-$7, I rather invest in something else.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Milani - Sheer Color Lipstick in Bella-Tini
Nekura 7/16/2008 6:47:00 PM
I was really surprised by Bella-tini. I assumed it was just a normal mauve lipstick but it has a very beautiful golden sheen to it which warms up the shade a lot. The Milani Sheer formula seems to be a dupe of MAC lustre finish lipsticks, from the slight glossy finish to the sheer color and all the way down to the scent (they smell nearly identical with a light vanilla scent). This shade reminds me a lot of the Milani gloss, Summer's Baby which is known to be a dupe of Nymphette but in lipstick form. A lot more toned down, still glossy but not high shine. I prefer this more because I'm a lipstick gal at heart (that gloss is gorgeous though). For under $5, it's a steal. I would prefer if the packaging was like the other Milani lipsticks because the sheer cap with these kind of makes it look cheap but it's easy to spot in the aisle which are the "sheer" formulas.. and the cap stays in place fine so it's okay.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Bonne Bell - Dr. Pepper lipsmackers
Nekura 7/15/2008 11:05:00 PM
I've actually never used this back in my teen years because I actually dislike Dr. Pepper therefore never wanting to try it. But with so many good reviews for this here on MUA, it's a cult fave. Being less than 2 bucks, how can I not try it? Surprisingly I really like this. It's great for those low key days giving a hint of sheer red with no shimmer, just a hint of glossy shine. I don't mind the scent either. It just seems like typical cherry candy, which is alright. There's no taste to it which is nice in my opinion. The staying power is average like all lip smackers, it's a basic balm but the tint of red is a plus.. Add that with the cheap price, it deserves a 5. Oh the packaging is really cute and funky.
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Concealers -Maybelline - Mineral Power Natural Perfecting Concealer
Nekura 7/14/2008 10:36:00 PM
I like liquid concealers like these best. I have combination skin so cream concealer only works best on some areas but easily cakes on me or enhances dry pathces. I love most things I've tried from the Mineral Power line so I was very excited to try these. The consistency very nice, not thick but not too watery. Light-medium coverage and easy to build. I don't mind the package of it, it's similar to a lipgloss with a doe foot applicator. I basically just dab at trouble areas and then blend out with a brush or my fingers. I find it's best to work with this in layers. Becuse it's not super watery it can be a bit dry under the eyes (I recommend using a moisturizer if you're using this on dark circles) but the sheer quality of this concealer makes it a very natural coverage. As for staying power it's moderate... it'll start to wear down after 5+ hours but still provide coverage. It doesn't clog pores or make blemishes worst.. Easily available and a pretty decent price for the quality. I use Maybelline Mineral Power liquid foundation in Light 0.. but I seem to be able to use this concealer in Light 0-1, 2-3, and 4-5. Light 2-3 is actually the lightest of the bunch, then it's 0-1 which is more beige and 4-5 is the closest match for me.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Bonne Bell - Lip Smackers
Nekura 7/14/2008 6:03:00 AM
The big hype with these is that it's a very nostalgic product but still a lip balm we can use no matter what age because hey a balm is a balm. I've had a love/hate relationship with Lip Smackers even as a kid. I was particularly picky with scents when I was younger and couldn't handle anything too artificial.. there are some Lip Smacker scents I hate (most of the strange berry kinds)... While I grew up I grew out of the Bonne Bell phase and tossed a lot of these out. Then one day for some reason my mum gave me a Strawberry Lipsmacker and it bought back SO many memories. I find I like the more old school original scents the most (Strawberry, Vanilla, Pink Lemonade, etc). The balm itself is basic standard balm. Not the best but definitely does its job... kind of like Chapstick. It's cheap, affordable, found almost anywhere, fun, and a tube full of memories.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Black Radiance - Illusion Lip Gloss in Diva Delux
Nekura 7/7/2008 9:32:00 PM
Wow. That's my initial reaction for this gloss. From the striking iridescence gleam from the tube, it's actually a bit frightening but irresistable. From the tube it's a garnet red reflecting bronze and gold from every angle but when applied it's this natural berry with a very multidemensional shine however not over the top. It gives that extra *something* without being garish. I wouldn't have mind if this applied as it looks from the tube but it's very beautiful nevertheless. The formula is really moisturizing and slick. The pigment doesn't settle within the line of the lips and it's unbelievable this is a drugstore line! A bit similar to WnW Diamond Brilliance due to the irridescence except 10x better, no funky scent and much better staying power. The packaging is great... similar to Revlon Super Lustrous Glosses in a square tube but with gold accents instead. I believe the Illusion Lip Gloss line only has 4 glosses so far but I'm definitely picking up the rest! Screw the WnW Diamond Brilliance, I'm sticking with these! I'm normally a NC15 and avoid Black Radiance pretty often but when I do buy something from this line I'm always amazed! =)
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Tinted Moisturizer -Physicians Formula - Organic Wear
Nekura 7/4/2008 2:48:00 AM
I have a few problems with this product. I bought this in the lightest shade (Fair to Light) and it's actually a bit dark on me and too pink. The scent is OK, I could do without. It's a pretty overpowering botanical lavendar scent... It lingers on the skin for quite a while. The TM is really runny and it takes a long time to settle in so you deal with a sticky face unless you set with a powder. My main problem with the Organic Wear TM is that it contains a lot of alcohol in it which is really shocking. If you read the ingredient list, the alcohol content in this is quite a bit. With this being said... my skin and this TM just aren't friends. I've tried to use this on and off especially since I'm running out of my old TM and it's currently summer. However the alcohol in this dries my skin out really bad it also itches. My last attempt to test this out, my face turned patchy red and I was getting bumps all over my face.. and it was just very uncomfortable/itchy. I'm more than certain I'm allergic to it. I'm not one to have sensitive skin, I can use most foundations and even mineral makeup (including PF's). This doesn't happen often so it was really surprising I was reacting so badly to an claimed Organic product. The only d/s TM I've had luck with is the CoverGirl Advance Radiance.. Organic or not at least when using that I never felt like I was trying to slowly burn my face off. Stay away from this if you have sensitive skin or just don't want a tube of alcohol rubbed on your face.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Sally Hansen - Lipnotic Gem Gloss
Nekura 7/2/2008 6:12:00 PM
I was really beyond surprised that Sally Hansen made these. It caught my eye immediately at a drugstore and looked like an obvious drugstore hybrid dupe of Shu Uemura Unlimited Lipgloss mixed with MAC Dazzleglass. It's an almost gel-like slick gloss in with multi-coloured reflects. Not gritty at all nor is it super glittery but provides a nice dimensional shine with a hint of shimmer. Very pretty. The gloss is nicely packaged in similar style like the Shu and MAC ones, incased in a thick round glass-like style tube except the Sally Hansen Gem Glosses have added a nice frosty embellished metal cap. Very nice packaging. The brush is very soft and a big improvement from Sally Hansen's old glosses. These have a slight floral fragrant smell to it, very faint (and might I add very similar to the scent of a Shu Uemura gloss.. could have fooled me!!). As for volume, it's true its a lot less than standard glosses but for whatever reason these reflect gel glosses always are less than typical glosses in volume no matter what brand. At $6-$7 a piece and such a good d/s knock off... absolute 5 lippies. If you like MAC dazzlegass, Shu Unlimited, super slick glosses and miss those old Sally Hansen Diamond Glosses... definitely pick one of these gems up :) I'd like to mention these are very sheer so I don't suggest it for anyone looking for ultra pigmentation. The darkest one Glitz which looks like a deep wine in the tube only applies like a sheer berry on my medium pigmented lips.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Sally Hansen - Natural Butter Lip Shine
Nekura 7/2/2008 6:02:00 PM
The Sally Hansen Natural Beauty line is pretty controversial when it comes to the ingredients. However I'm just a cosmetic junkie not too picky overall but if you're a very specific type of cosmetic user looking for natural products, I'd double check the ingredient list. That being put aside. I really like this gloss. I've had good experiences with previous SH glosses so I had a decent idea of what to expect. The gloss is a slick gloss that's slightly tacky so it has a decent staying power. It's available in more natural and for once many non-frosty/shimmer shades. A definite plus for me, it's difficult to find good d/s cream glosses. It comes with a brush applicator that's a big improvement from SH Diamond glosses because this applicator is a lot softer. The scent is a fruity strawberry scent that might be a bit strong for some but it doesn't smell too plastic (reminds me a lot of Too Faced Lip Injection scent), just really fruity candy. I have bought cheaper glosses with a similar scent but those usually have a plastic weird scent along with it whereas this doesn't and is more strictly candy-like. Overall it's a great gloss and SH did a good job. I'm giving it a 4 because of the parabens and the stupid paper cap which is bound to look awful if I keep it in my purse often. Thankfully the paper cap is over a plastic one but I still dislike it.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Unlisted Brand - Skin Milk Facial Moisturizer
Nekura 6/29/2008 4:18:00 AM
I feel like this is more suited for night time on average, at least for me. The lotion is a bit on the thicker side (more like a cream) and takes a while to settle into the skin... But when it does your skin will feel baby soft. I've had similar effects with other lotions but the best thing about skin milk is that it's oil free and actually is a thick moisturizer that helps A LOT with dry and combo skin and most importantly NOT break me out. While it's a cheap moisturizer, it does an amazing job and leaves my skin at peace. During mornings if I'm not in a rush I like to use this too because it just smoothens my face out to make foundation application easier. I love the dried down scent, like the rest of the Skinmilk line a soft non-offensive vanilla bean type scent. Not to sweet but very pleasant. The bottle is a bit stiff but as long as you shake the bottle before using, it's not too hard to squeeze. Will repurchase.
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