Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express The Mega Plush
prncss 8/2/2012 5:10:00 PM
Paid $7 for this which was a great price IMO. I wasn't expecting much and thought that the marketing of the gel formula would be gimmicky. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The gel formula and brush builds length and volume fast on my sparse asian lashes. I get feathery lashes like I do with my beloved L'oreal Voluminous, except that the gel formula is wetter which means that the tube won't dry out as fast. Another good thing about the gel formula is that it seems lighter and doesn't weigh down my lashes, so it really holds a curl (I pair this with my loved Chanel eyelash curler)!! With 2-3 coats, I feel like I am close to wearing false lashes. I love this mascara!! Personally, I prefer to use a lengthening mascara first and use this to build up volume. This does clump a little but I like it nonetheless because the brush is a good size where it does not get smudged on the eyelids accidentally and the formula dries fast for multiple coats. This has great lasting power and even lasts until the next day without smudging. Will purchase a couple more tubes as this seems to be flying off the shelf.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
BB Cream -Maybelline - Dream Fresh 8-in-1 BB Cream
prncss 8/2/2012 5:00:00 PM
I paid $8 for this so the price is relatively cheap for a BB cream, since the Garnier version is around $15. I use shade medium deep for my NC 35 tanned asian skin. The medium deep is a warm yellow-toned color which is a great color match if you are in that range of tones because it blends really well. I have normal combination skin but I have to be careful applying this because it easily makes my skin look oily. I don't mind the dewey look but other people commented that I have oily skin when I wear this. I use this like a tinted moisturizer and rub a dime size amount between my fingers before applying it lightly with the ends of my fingers on my face (just like I were applying a lotion). The lasting power is great and lasts me until the evening. This has medium coverage which I love because I can skip concealer and this fixes skin discoloration around my nose and eyes. As others have said, this feels more like a tinted moisturizer than a bb cream. I suspect this may be clogging my pores though because I have developed tiny bumps since using this. In summary, this is easy and quick to apply for days when you do not have time to spare for makeup application. However, this does not replace regular cream/liquid foundation for me because of the oily finish.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lips -Guerlain - Baume Au Coeur High-Shine Soothing Lip Balm in Rose Venus
prncss 8/2/2012 4:47:00 PM
I got this for 1/2 price at the duty free shop but even then, this does not deliver for the price. The packaging is top quality with the glass tub and built-in mirror in the lid. However, the formula is sticky and tacky with little color pay off. I don't mind applying lip balm with my fingers (although I much prefer it in a stick form) but this formula feels sticky on my fingers and I need a tissue to wipe off the excess which is inconvenient. Furthermore, this does not moisturize my lips for very long. I need to re-apply this often. There are much better drugstore alternatives. At the moment, I'm addicted to Revlon Lip Butters for the lip care, finish, and color pay off. I will use the rest of the Guerlain Baume but would not buy this again even at the discounted price.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -New York Color - High Definition Volumizing Mascara
prncss 4/27/2012 8:18:00 PM
I bought this for $3 so I wasn't expecting much. This does nothing for volume, but it is great as a primer mascara for length. I typically use two mascaras (one for length and one for volume), and I liked the way that the brush separates and grabs my sparse asian lashes. The formula is a wetter formula which I like, and it only takes a couple swipes to get my lashes well defined. I love that this brush doesn't clump. This mascara reminds me a lot like the new Dior Show New Look, but I find myself reaching for the NYC way more. Overall, this is a great mascara to quickly get well defined lashes and lengthen without having to apply several coats. If you are looking for volume, however, you will be disappointed. I gave this 3 lippies because the brush is really hard and if you're not careful, you can poke yourself in the delicate eye area. For this reason, I prefer the Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -Chanel - Soleil Tan de Chanel - Terre Ambre
prncss 2/28/2012 1:22:00 PM
I own many of the cult favorite bronzers including Nars Laguna, Too Faced Chocolate Soleil, Too Faced Sun Bunny, Benefit Hoola but the one I reach for most on my counter is the Chanel Soleil Tan. I was surprised I liked this that much considering the other ones are so popular. I am NC 30-35 and this gives me a very naturally looking tan without looking too muddy. I like that it has a slight natural shimmer because I am not a fan of the ultra matte look. This makes my face glow when natural light hits my face. The Terre Ambre shade is gorgeous and so flattering on my skintone. I also love the high quality compact that it comes in and the mirror is so big that you can see your whole face. It is definitely the most pretty packaging as well amongst all of the bronzers that I own. This is definitely recommended. I would repurchase if I used up this bronzer.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Too Faced - LashGasm
prncss 2/27/2012 6:47:00 PM
I got a trial size of this in the Sephora Last Stash set. At first, I loved the brush because the little rubber bristles on the brush do a good job of separating and coating my sparse lashes. I like the size of the brush because it can get into the tiny corners of my eyes and the formula is nice and wet, so it coats lashes easily. However, once the formula dried, I had spidery lashes. My lashes were also crusty to the touch, and this flaked all over my eyes throughout the day. Overall, the brush is great but the formula flakes. Would not repurchase.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -Sephora - Moonshadow Baked Palette In The Nude
prncss 2/27/2012 6:35:00 PM
I wanted this palette forever and finally decided to pick it up. I like sparkly eyeshadows and when I swatched this on my hand in the store, the eyeshadows were really shimmery. I was a little disappointed when I got home though because the shadows are not as pigmented and shimmery as I'd like, even with primer (unlike the Urban Decay shadows). Through the advice of other reviews, I wet the brush and applied these shadows wet, and the color is much more vibrant. The staying power, when applied wet, is amazing. It does not crease after all day wear. I also like that all of these colors are wearable everyday, for both day and nighttime use. Often times, there are colors in a palette that I would never use but I would wear all of those colors. I could see them applying to a variety of skintones from fair to medium. My favorite color is plum, which is a warm toned purple shimmer. The colors in this palette are all warm toned. I will keep definitely keep this. At $36 CAD for 10 shadows, it is a good buy considering that comparable palettes are $45-50. Since all of the colors are usable for daily use, it is worth the buy.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -BeneFit Cosmetics - They're Real
prncss 2/23/2012 7:08:00 PM
I got a free sample of this as a VIB gift from Sephora. I really like this mascara because the brush instantly fans out lashes and gives them a feathery look. It coats all of my lashes in just one swipe. I generally apply 2 coats to get a more feathery look which reminds me of the effect of L'oreal's Voluminous mascara. The Benefit formula is great for coating lashes instantly, unlike other formulas which may be dry. The brush is also great at separating lashes and does not clump at all. I have small eyes so I feel that the brush is a tad bit long for me. However, this stays on all day and does not smudge. It comes off easily with my L'oreal eye makeup remover. My only gripe about this mascara is that it lacks in the volumizing department. It does not give me thick lashes, so I use this as a primer for lengthening and pair it with Rimmel's Day2Night mascara to get my desired volume. Given the price of this mascara, I'm sure there would be a cheaper drug store alternative with a similar brush. For that reason, I would not purchase this.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -L'Oreal - Telescopic Explosion
prncss 2/23/2012 3:57:00 PM
If you are looking for a great brush that grabs all those tiny lashes, try Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes. This was a great disappointment. I find that the formula of this mascara is on the dry side, so it does not coat the lashes on the first swipe. I have to apply 3x in order to see any coating on my lashes. Furthermore, this brush does not coat my lashes evenly and gets clumpy. This barely lengthens and the brush is awkward to use. If you are not careful, the mascara can smudge during application due to the awkward shape. I feel I have to be really careful with the brush to avoid poking myself in the eye. Would not repurchase.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - Great Lash Lots of Lashes
prncss 2/20/2012 12:08:00 AM
I love this mascara. I have sparse asian lashes and the size of this brush is perfect for coating all the tiny lashes at the corners of my eyes. It is perfect for getting into tight spaces without creating a mess or smudging. In a couple of swipes, this manages to coat all of my lashes perfectly and evenly without clumping. This is great for lengthening but it does not volumize which is why I only gave this 4 lippies. I like to use this as a primer for lengthening and use the Rimmel mascara in the pink tube for volumizing. Would definitely purchase again! This lasts all day without smudging and the price is so affordable at $5 a tube. This brush is better than most high end mascaras I've tried. Definitely better than the original brush.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Sally Hansen - Natural Beauty Inspired by Carmindy- Forever Stay Eye Pencil
prncss 1/5/2012 3:05:00 AM
After reading the reviews on here, I rushed out to get this and had high expectations. As the 2nd reviewer below said, this eyeliner is hyped. It is mediocre in quality. Ive tried numerous eyeliners from drugstore (such as L'oreal, Covergirl, Maybelline, Wet n' Wild) up to high end brands (Bobbi Brown, Urban Decay, Makeup Forever, Nars, Chanel, Dior). Like others have said, this is creamy and goes on smoothly, just like the Urban Decay 24/7 liners. In terms of creaminess and ease of application, this is high quality for a drugstore liner and compares to high end brands. It does not snag or tug on the eye during application and glides easily. However, this only has mediocre staying power and does not last all day on my eyes. After 4 or 5 hours, this begins to smudge. Furthermore, if you are looking for a very dark pigmented black, you will be disappointed because this is soft black in color. I prefer the Prestige Total Intensity liner to this. I will use this as a back up but my favorite is the new NARS Larger than life liner for pigment and staying power.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Fusion Beauty - LipFusion Conditioning Stick
prncss 12/24/2011 10:41:00 PM
This is the nicest packaging I have ever seen for a lip balm, which comes in a silver metal twist tube. The packaging design is great as the lid does not fall out in the purse. In contrast to the lip fusion glosses, which are my HG lip glosses, this does not plump my lips at all. I have been using this for 6 months and I find this does not moisturize my lips for long. It only lasts a couple hours and needs re-application often. After that, my lips become even more dry. Would not recommend this, considering the high price and non long lasting effects and lack of plumping.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -BeneFit Cosmetics - Play Sticks
prncss 12/24/2011 12:54:00 PM
I purchased this to replace my MAC stick foundation which was discontinued. This is my HG foundation and it has replaced liquid and loose mineral powder foundation. This is so easy to use and non-messy! I don't have to worry about it spilling or breaking. Before putting this on, I moisturize my face and apply to my eyes, undereye circles, nose, forehead, and chin in short strokes. Then I blend gently with a sponge. It literally takes me a minute to apply and blend, and it blends so seamlessly. The best part of the play stick is that it looks so natural and yet it has such good coverage to even out my skin tone and makes my skin look flawless when its actually not. I get compliments on my skin all the time thanks to this product. This has very good staying powder and lasts all day. Only con is that this is expensive but considering that this has lasted me 6 months, it is worth the money. Highly recommended!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Unlisted Brand - K-Palette - 24 Hr Real Lasting Eyeliner
prncss 7/27/2011 8:06:00 AM
I bought this at Sasa Cosmetics in Hong Kong for $12 CAD. This comes in two versions: one with black packaging, and a limited edition with pink packaging in jet black tone. Like others have said, this has great lasting power. I have oily eyelids and even in hot humid weather, this stays put and does not rub away. I wore this on the plane and even after 20 hours of wear, this eyeliner still stay put. I also love the compact size of this. It is the width of a ballpoint pen and does not take up much room in the makeup bag. This comes with a fine tip brush that dispenses the "ink" easily onto the eye. It also dries fast. However, I gave this 3 lippies because the color is a very soft black and even after building up the color, I cannot get a carbon black line. I wished I would've gotten the jet black version.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Revlon - Primrose
prncss 3/1/2011 11:50:00 PM
I bought this because reviewers said that it was a dupe for MAC Cream Cup which is my HG and this was cheaper. The shade is not an exact match but it is close. Cream Cup is more pink while Primrose is more lavender. In regards to the formula, the MAC version is creamier and has way more lasting power. While Primrose glides on easily and has good pigment, it has virtually no lasting power and I am constantly re-applying every hour. I rated this 4 lippies because the shade is beautiful but I will not purchase again.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No