Blush -FLOWER Beauty - Ready Set Glow! Blush/Bronzer duo - Sunkissed & Single
uraznbabygurl 2/8/2013 11:49:00 AM
I'm very impressed with this blush/bronzer duo, especially at its price point. I noticed that NYX and ELF have blush/bronzer duos all in similar shade combos. I own one of the ELF combos and played with a couple of the NYX ones. I think the Flower one blows them both out of the water in terms of pigmentation and texture, although the NYX ones are good themselves. So, I'd say to save the few extra $$ for the Flower ones! When I decided to get one of these duos, I figured I should get something other than that typical peachy-pink/golden bronze duo. The other two combos were way too cool-toned for my skin, so I got Sunkissed & Single. This duo contains a tawny rose blush and a medium golden brown bronzer. It's a nice change to the bright, shimmery blushes that I gravitate towards. I like to call this my "grown-up" blush/bronzer duo. Both have a tiny bit of shimmer to them, but they show up mostly matte on my skin. I am not kidding when I say these blushes are VERY pigmented. A slight tap of the brush is enough for one cheek. I found both shades to be easily blendable despite its heavy pigmentation. As with most of the Flower products I've tried, this duo is exceptional in quality. In my opinion, it is a standout product from the line. I definitely recommend it!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
BB Cream -FLOWER Beauty - BB Cream
uraznbabygurl 2/7/2013 7:16:00 PM
Since this product doesn't have SPF or claims of skincare benefits, I think it's misleading to call this a BB cream. The good news is that the texture and coverage is definitely like your traditional BB cream. So no, it is not just a fancied-uptinted moisturizer (shout out to Maybelline and L'Oreal!). For technical accuracy, I would call this a medium coverage foundation. The texture is quite thick, but it doesn't feel or look that way on your skin. It yields a slightly dewy finish that I think is really beautiful. Overall, it's a nice product. I won't be buying it again because I prefer the About Face foundation in the same line, which is a little bit lighter in coverage and lasts longer on my oily skin than this. For reference, I'm about NC25/NARS Fiji and the shade BB2 is a good match.
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -FLOWER Beauty - About Face Foundation
uraznbabygurl 2/7/2013 7:15:00 PM
I've used this for the past 3 days and I really do like it. It's a light coverage foundation with a natural finish. It veers a tiiiiiny bit on the dewy side, and I think it looks SO nice on my oily skin. I think it has that perfect finish in between NARS Sheer Glow and Sheer Matte, and it feels much lighter than those two. I think this foundation does come with some sort of primer infused in it. I have oily skin, and this lasted a good 8 hour shift for me. I like to pump out a small amount of foundation on my hand and buff it with Sephora's #45 brush (which is a long-handled kabuki with a small, dense head). That way, I still achieve a light, yet flawless finish. I wear Fiji in the NARS foundations. I am guessing I'm around NC25 right now. LP4 is a great match for me. I actually bought shades LP2-LP6 to see which would be my match. LP2 and LP3 have neutral-yellow undertones. LP4 is golden-yellow. LP5 is neutral-pink. LP6 is golden-olive. FYI, the photo swatches on the display are a little wonky. LP4 looked pink in the swatch. I promise you it is anything but pink! UPDATE: I've used this foundation for almost 2 weeks now. I'm still very much in love with it and I have not broken out at all. I'm SO excited that my HG foundation is from the drugstore!
12 out of 12 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Clothes -Victoria's Secret - VS PINK Wear Everywhere Push Up Bra
uraznbabygurl 1/12/2013 2:27:00 AM
I got 2 of these bras for $21 each during this year's Semi Annual Sale. There is another bra in VS's regular line, the Sexy Tee push up, that I find similar in performance and cut. I thought it would be helpful to compare the two because there are some key differences. The STPU (Shut the P**** Up. JK, Sexy Tee Push Up) is made of a softer material all around, virtually seamless on the interior, several dollars more expensive, and doesn't come in a lot of "fun" colors like the WEPU (Wear Everywhere Push Up. Couldn't come up with something clever for this one, ha). Although the STPU has higher "lift" rating as per the VS site, I didn't think that it lifted my boobs up any more than the WEPU. I do think that both bras were made well. Although the STPU is more comfortable to wear, it isn't to say that the WEPU isn't. As of right now, the STPU is being sold for 2/$49.50. Of course, I would recommend to invest in the STPU if you have the extra bit of cash. The selling point for me, however, is the fit of the band. I'm a true 30D. It's a hard size to find, especially with push-up bras. Thankfully, VS has some bras that do run tighter in the band. The WEPU in a 32C fits like a 30D, whereas the STPU fits in between a 30 and 32 band. Thus, the WEPU is a wiser investment for me. So, about the WEPU itself. I'm very satisfied with my purchase. It gives me natural looking cleavage and feels nice when worn. I haven't experienced any digging, riding up, etc. What more can I really ask for? I'm hoping that these bras will go on sale again. I will definitely stock up next time!
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Clothes -Victoria's Secret - Miraculous bra
uraznbabygurl 1/12/2013 1:54:00 AM
Maybe it's unfair for me to give a low rating on a bra that really isn't my style. I'm a very small-framed girl with small arms, legs, butt ... you name it. Having a bra that can make my body resemble a reverse Kim K isn't going to fool anyone into thinking that it's all real. On the other hand, I do have a wide-set cleavage. I'd be impressed with ANYTHING that can make my cleavage tight like the models in the VS catalogs. So, I did try on this bra because I was curious about its effects. Yes, it did make my boobs a lot bigger than any other bra I've had or tried. Yes, it did narrow the canyon between my boobs. Why the low rating if it did what it claimed? It did those all at the expense of an improper fit and discomfort. I'm not sure how this bra can lay flat on your ribcage with all that padding. I tried different sizes, but every single one of them had this problem. Also, the padding was rather painful for a bra. I just felt that my boobs were being smashed and hiked up to high heaven. I guess this may be a good bra if you are going out at night for a few hours and want to look ubersexy. Some people swear by this bra, so maybe I just don't have the right boobs for this. In my opinion, VS does better push up bras that are more comfortable and provide a more realistic boost. This one was just unwearable for me. That's too bad, because the bra itself looked as sexy as it performed.
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Eyeliner -Revlon - ColorStay Liquid Eye Pen
uraznbabygurl 11/25/2012 2:05:00 PM
I bought this in case if their other liquid liner didn't work out for me (see my review for that). When I used liquid liners in the past, I preferred the felt tip pens because I have no brush skills. Anyway, I've had a horrid experience with this product. It is not pigmented at all, and it's such a dry formula that it doesn't glide on smoothly. So, I couldn't layer the color even if I wanted to. If Revlon had a fail product, this would be it.
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Eyeliner -Revlon - ColorStay Liquid Liner
uraznbabygurl 11/24/2012 3:34:00 PM
I can honestly say that this is my new favorite liner! I've been using pencils for quite some time. Now, I've been having a preference for sharper lines on my upper lashline, and pencils don't always make that easy. I've never been a huge fan of liquid liners because I'm not very skilled with brushes. This applicator makes it SO easy, though. It's not too flexible that it offers no control, nor is it too stiff that it drags across your lash line. Best of all, it doesn't smudge or flake when I put this on top of UDPP. It's definitely a steal for less than $5!
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Liquid -NARS - Sheer Glow Foundation
uraznbabygurl 11/2/2012 3:38:00 AM
I seem to experience what everyone else does not experience, especially with the Sheer Matte vs Sheer Glow comparisons. I have read many reviews and watched a lot of YouTube videos on the comparisons. Pretty much, Sheer Glow seemed to be the unanimous winner of the two. While I think that it is a very nice foundation, I'll be sticking to my Sheer Matte. What Sheer Glow has over the Sheer Matte is its blendability. This foundation is one that you can just use your fingers and blend away. Sheer Matte, IMO, takes a little bit more work. Also, I do NOT find their finishes similar. If I were to rate the finish on a scale, (1 = extremely matte, 5 = natural, 10 = extremely dewy) Sheer Glow comes at a 6-7 and Sheer Glow would be at a 3-4. Sheer Glow's finish is really beautiful. It gives that hint of radiance and really mimics young, fresh skin. Unfortunately, it gives *me* that uncomfortable, tacky feeling on my skin no matter how I apply it. It also doesn't last very long on my very oily skin. I'd recommend this to anyone who has dry to slightly oily skin. I've also heard that Maybelline Fit Me and Neutrogena Healthy Liquid foundations are dupes to Sheer Glow. I have tried both, and I will say that they are *not*. Both are thinner and oilier than Sheer Glow. They also do not have as great of a shade range as Sheer Glow (although I match 210 in Maybelline Fit Me products). If you're looking for a better match in Sheer Glow, it's definitely worth the splurge. Sheer Matte and Sheer Glow's shades ran similarly, in my experience. I wear Fiji in Sheer Matte & the same for Sheer Glow. I'm NC27ish with yellow undertones, for reference.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -NARS - Orgasm Blush
uraznbabygurl 10/29/2012 5:46:00 PM
Without a doubt, NARS Orgasm is one of the most hyped products in makeup history. I've owned various dupes of this color (from NYX, Flirt, Wet n Wild) and I never found the particular shade to have much of an effect on my face. I was prepared to hate NARS Orgasm when I first tried it. Honestly, I don't hate it. That isn't to say that I like it THAT much, either. I know that this shade has been touted as "universally flattering." I don't think there is a such thing as a one-shade-fits-all product. However, I would recommend everyone to at least try it (obviously, unless if you do not like shimmer at all). It's a safe color, and I think it WOULD flatter many people regardless of skin color. Does it flatter my skin? Sure, it looks fine. But is it the kind of color I'm looking for? No, not really. Since it's such a safe color, I just feel "meh" about it. I prefer Deep Throat to Orgasm, by miles (I will explain in a bit). I will say that the texture of the blush is lovely, as with other NARS blushes I've tried. The dupes I've tried don't compare to the NARS, so this is worth the splurge if you can afford it. I've seen many comparisons between Orgasm and Deep Throat. For whatever reason, I experienced the opposite of what many other bloggers did when comparing these two shades. Orgasm pulls more pink than peach on me (I'm NC27/NARS Fiji, for reference). I'm thinking MAYBE the gold sheen is what's making it seem more peach. Still, its base color is a neutral-warm pink. It's nowhere near orange enough for me to call it a coral. Deep Throat is a light pink-coral (with a little bit less sheen) on me. It's brighter than Orgasm and seems to enliven my face much more. For what it's worth, Orgasm is not reminiscent of those times that I said "OMG, that was amazing!" It's way too innocent for that ;)
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Powder -NARS - Powder Foundation SPF 12 - Fiji
uraznbabygurl 10/28/2012 3:10:00 PM
I'm not sure how I should rate this. This powder foundation has a nice texture, keeps my face matte for a good 7 hours, and gives light-medium coverage. However, this shade is way too orange for me and oxidizes throughout the day. I was just surprised since I wear Fiji in the Sheer Matte & Sheer Glow foundations; this seems to be more orange than yellow. Deauville was too pink, and the next two shades were too pale for me. It's too bad. I would have thoroughly enjoyed this product if it weren't for the lack of shade match.
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Blush -NARS - Deep Throat
uraznbabygurl 10/24/2012 8:21:00 PM
This blush is kind of a no-brainer in the sense that this goes with anything that I decide to wear. I especially like to wear it when I do darker eye makeup. It isn't my favorite blush shade by any means. I prefer my blush to be warm and vibrant; this is warm and subtle. In other words, it's a safe but nice color. A lot of people say Orgasm is similar and that DT is a shade to try if you didn't like O. I agree and disagree. It really depends on what you're looking for. Deep Throat looks like a coral-pink on me, whereas O looks like a neutral-warm pink (thus more neutral than DT). DT also has less shimmer. NARS blushes have a really nice formula that is hard to beat, IMO. This one isn't an exception.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Tarte - Amazonian Clay Blush in Blissful
uraznbabygurl 10/17/2012 12:10:00 AM
To be honest, I don't see why this particular brand of blush gets a lot of love. I'm glad that I tried it before buying. Swatches of this blush looked pretty damn gorgeous. I was fooled. Okay, well ... the pigmentation is definitely present with this blush. This shade is described as a "warm peach." I call it more of a peach-coral. It's definitely pretty, but pulled a little bit rosy on my NARS Fiji/NC27ish skin. I'm hesitant to call it a peachy rose since others don't seem to be experiencing this. BUT this is where the positives end for me. My biggest gripe is the powdery/chalky texture. Because of this, it's hard to blend and it just ends up looking messy on me. Lastly, this does not last long for my oily skin. I never expect my blush to last 12 hours, though I do expect it to last more than 3 : IMHO, this is one of those overrated products that I wanted to like. I suggest trying on these blushes first because formula is everything (as I learned on MUB) :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -NARS - Torrid
uraznbabygurl 10/15/2012 9:26:00 PM
This is my first ever NARS blush purchase, and I am very happy with it. I was trying to decide among Deep Throat, Amour, and Torrid. I ruled out Deep Throat for now (I'll probably purchase sometime later), since I wanted something more unique in my collection. Torrid and Amour look like they'd be in similar color families. While they both have that warm pink theme going on, they looked quite differently on my skin. Amour kind of looked drab as it pulled more brown/rose on my NC27/NARS Fiji skin. Torrid, however, worked its voodoo and brightened my complexion like I've never seen. NARS' description of this shade is fairly accurate. I'd call it a medium pink-coral with orange undertones. It's a shade that I recommend for warm toned people if you're looking for something that's more than just a "safe" color. As with most NARS blushes, this one is very pigmented. A couple light taps with my MAC 187 is enough for one cheek and enough to last all day. I finally see the hype surrounding NARS blushes and I will buy more shades.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Lancome - Le Curler
uraznbabygurl 10/13/2012 12:08:00 AM
I needed a replacement for my 8 year old Shu Uemura curler stat (RIP). I was told by a Sephora sales associate that Lancome bought out Shu Uemura and had the rights to the original curler's design. I will say right now that this & the Shu curler are NOT shaped exactly the same. I feel that Le Curler is rounder. Oddly enough, it fit my right eye but pinched my left. This is just a warning to be sure to keep your receipt!
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Concealers -NARS - Concealer Stick
uraznbabygurl 10/5/2012 6:16:00 PM
I think this concealer's selling point (at least, for me) is its unique texture. It's not waxy/greasy like all the cream concealers I've tried. It's actually quite dry to the touch, but it applies very smoothly without dragging. I expected this to dry very matte. Surprisingly, it kind of 'melds' into a semi-matte finish that does not look cakey at all. I would say that this gives medium coverage initially. It can definitely be built to full coverage, though. For reference, I wear NARS Sheer Matte/Glow in Fiji. I use Honey to brighten my under-eye area and Custard for blemishes. I do wish that the concealer duos came in these two colors, though!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No