Powder -MAC - Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation
Parisa909 2/1/2013 10:47:00 AM
As a stand-alone powder foundation, it's terrible. Cakey finish, not enough coverage, and doesn't keep oily skin at bay for long. I've used it on top of my other foundations, tapping my powder brush in it and applying all over my face for a sheer-medium even coverage. It doesn’t photograph well in my opinion, I’ve noticed you get that dreaded ‘ghost-face’ which I suspect is because of the SPF15? Won't repurchase.
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Lotions/ Creams -Palmers - Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E Skin Smoothing Lotion with Alpha / Beta Hydroxy & Shea Butter
Parisa909 2/1/2013 10:41:00 AM
use my Braun Silk-Épil epilator often, and whilst I love how smooth and fuzz free it leaves my body, I really dislike the ingrown hairs I get on occasion. Exfoliating helps with this quite well, but this body lotion has really helped to diminish my ingrown hairs. I think it must be due to the inclusion of Alpha and Beta Hydroxy acids, because I have noticed my skin to be much smoother and softer than ever, and I hardly get ingrown hairs on my legs and bikini line, or the horrid little red bumps either. The consistency is thinner than the original cocoa butter, which is good because it spreads more evenly with less product. The only drawback is that the scent is more medicinal than the original cocoa butter, but I have been using this for quite a while now so it hardly bothers me.
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Treatments -Boots - Conditioning Nail Polish Remover
Parisa909 2/1/2013 10:39:00 AM
I paint my nails so incredibly often (at least every 3 days) so I have to use a good nail polish remover that not only easily removes the previous nail polish, but also conditions my nails. Luckily this one from Boots ticks all the boxes. It easily eradicates any nail polish in one swipe, but unlike other nail polish removers that leave the nails feeling dry and parched, it keeps my nails well moisturised. It also has this pleasant apricot scent that leaves nails smelling fresh.
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Makeup Brushes -Ecotools - Powder Brush
Parisa909 2/1/2013 8:41:00 AM
I’ve sometimes use this powder brush to set my Ben Nye Neutral Set powder after foundation. It’s quite a dense brush, yet it still has a lot of firmness to it considering it’s so soft. I’ve found that it does such a great job of picking up the right amount of loose powder and applies it evenly on my face, using either a quick swiping or a ‘patting’ motion. I never 'upsets' or ruins the foundation on underneath, sometimes the wrong brush can do that. The best aspect of the powder brush is that it is almost impossible to cake on the powder, compared to my natural bristled MAC powder brush that used to eat up a lot of powder, it means I only use what I really need. It can also be used for application of bronzer, and I think it would work incredibly well for super-pigmented blushes when you just want a quick sheer wash of colour.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Sigma - Dry'n Shape System
Parisa909 2/1/2013 8:29:00 AM
Does what it says. I've owned mine for over a year and a half and use it every time I wash my brushes. I stick them in the correct slot filling, put the roll upside down and in around 6-8 hours my brushes are totally dry. I love that it shapes the brushes too, another task crossed off my (neverending!) list.
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Makeup Brushes -Sigma - F84 Angled Top Synthetic Kabuki
Parisa909 2/1/2013 8:26:00 AM
As much as I dislike Sigma's normal line of brushes, I have to say that the Sigmax line is brilliant. One of my favourite ever bronzers is the Soleil Tan De Chanel and the F84 applies it to my cheeks like a dream. The angled head is great to contour with and the bristles pick up plenty of colour and apply the bronzer exactly where I want it to be. Because I only use it to apply my Chanel bronzer it's very easy to clean.
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Makeup Brushes -Sigma - F82 Round Top Synthetic Kabuki
Parisa909 2/1/2013 8:21:00 AM
Before I discovered the delights of the Cosmo Sponge and the Beauty Blender, I used to religiously use the Sigma F82 for foundation application. It's a great round-headed dense brush that gave that nice, flawless finish look to my foundation, and I loved that the round head fitted perfectly under my eyes and around my nose. I've also used it for powders, it really buffs it in, and the bristles don't feel scratchy on the skin. I'd say if you were debating getting the F80 or the F82, the F82 is the better option. I don't think I'll ever go back to using a brush for foundation application, but it's a useful brush to have.
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Misc Beauty Tools -Unlisted Brand - Daiso Sponge detergent
Parisa909 2/1/2013 8:05:00 AM
I honestly say that this is the BEST brush cleaner I have ever used. Not only does it remove every scrap of blush, foundation, powder and eyes shadow from my brushes, it also sanitises them and restores my white make up brushes back to their pristine condition! I love the packaging – a sturdy plastic bottle with a secure flip-top lip. I’m very impressed also with the size of the dispensing hole, because it means I can control exactly how much product I want to be squeezed out.The actual formula of the detergent has a runny, gel-like consistency that spreads evenly. Now, to best utilise it for maximum effectiveness, it is best to dilute with water, as using it on it’s own with the natural-haired brushes can cause the bristles to become dry and limp. So, what I do is pour a tiny amount of the detergent, we are talking less than a 10p sized amount here into a plastic bowl, and then fill up with water. I would say I use 10% detergent to 90% water. When you mix the two together, it becomes very foamy and even though I am loath to use this phrase, a little really does go a very long way! The first time I used this on all of my brushes, I was absolutely astounded at not only how well it cleaned my Sigmax brushes, but also how well it managed to totally eradicate the staining on my white brushes, like the MAC 239, MAC 217 E35 and the Sigma F40! Not even the washing up liquid and olive oil method managed to get totally get rid of the staining so I was ecstatic! Before, I would spend around 20 minutes thoroughly deep cleaning each brush, and now… 5-10 minutes max! It’s so easy to clean my brushes quickly with Daiso – I just pick up my dirty brush, dip it in the mixture, swirl it round a few times, rinse thoroughly with cold water, and that’s it. It is fantastic equally on both synthetic and natural bristled brushes. I don’t use the washing up liquid and olive oil method anymore, I use Daiso to clean all of my brushes now, and love how quick it is to clean every single brush! There’s only two downsides; firstly, it cannot remove gel liner from eye brushes effectively, so if you do use gel liner you may not want to buy this, and secondly, it is not readily available to purchase in the UK – luckily it is available on eBay from Hong Kong. Alongside my brushes, I have also been using it to clean my Body Shop Facial Buffer and my shower puffs, and they look and feel so clean afterwards, so I can say that it is a very multi-purpose product! I really believe this is the brush cleaner to beat them all!
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Palettes -Unlisted Brand - Z Palette-Small
Parisa909 1/30/2013 12:47:00 PM
I've bought a lot of MAC eyeshadows in pan form but then had the problem of having nowhere to store them. This small z-palette has completely solved that problem. It's very sturdy, and made from cardboard which I think has less of a volatile impact than tin/metal. I do love that the lid is clear, I can instantly see what eyeshadows I have. I can fit 9 MAC shadows in the pan, luckily most of them were already magnetized, but the ones that weren't I had to buy adhesive magnets. This palette is a great way to streamline my storage.
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Lipstick -MAC - Costa Chic
Parisa909 1/30/2013 12:38:00 PM
Costa Chic is a warm-toned coral-peach lipstick. I love how clean and bright it is, every time I wear it, I look much more ‘tanned’ and my complexion looks brighter! I think this is due to the fact it’s more of a peachy coral with a tinge of orange than the traditional red-tone, which often clashes with my skintone. It’s also my first Frost finish lipstick from MAC, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. What I can say is that is that the frost gives it this shimmer that catches the light – it looks very flattering! The frost is also very subtle, but definitely gives Costa Chic a juicy twist! I must say though that the frost highlighted lines in my lips, even when I used chapstick beforehand, but luckily I found a solution by using a nude lipliner underneath which in turn makes the colour much more vibrant and long-lasting! Most of you will find this a colour to be worn during the warmer Summer months, but I have been wearing in our current weather too, and it looks great, as well as cheering me up!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Crosswires Cremesheen
Parisa909 1/30/2013 12:34:00 PM
It’s a bright coral-pink with a golden sheen, but definitely not as bright as Impassioned and Show Orchid. It has just enough brightness though to make a statement. The creemsheen formula glides effortlessly on my lips and feels very moisturising. It brightens up my face and looks lovely and natural, not ‘in your face’ in the slightest.
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Self Tanners -Unlisted Brand - XEN-TAN
Parisa909 1/30/2013 12:28:00 PM
I'm reviewing the Xen -Tan Dark Lotion. Ok so I have pale skin, my skintone is NC25, with yellowy-olive undertones. With tan, either real or false, I then go up to NC40-45. I have never used a sunbed. So, after 2 years of reading glowing reviews of the Dark Lotion, I decided to purchase it. Now, I'm more accustomed to mousse formulations, so I didn't know how well I'd fare with this tan. I went through my pre-tan prep, shaving, exfoliating and then applying cocoa butter. The lotion is a dark brown, and smells exactly like cherry bakewells! I love that you can see exactly where you've applied it, and I applied the lotion with a tanning mitt. I left it on overnight, then woke up the next day and showered to remove the guide colour. I was left with a beautiful, DEEP dark tan, which looked very natural! The lotion has olive undertones, which is why it looks so real, you can apply layer after layer and never go orange. The best aspect of the lotion is that it fades so elegantly, not that horrible scaly, patchy mess that other tans go like that resembles a skin disease! It's more or less fool-proof to apply, has a gorgeous deep colour and smells great, will keep repurchasing.
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Fragrances -Dolce & Gabbana - Light Blue
Parisa909 1/30/2013 9:06:00 AM
I have been using Light Blue as a summer perfume since I was 14! It is one of my absolute favourite fragrances ever – I adore the fresh citrus scent. It is so crisp, clean and refreshing, plus it always reminds me of the sea, fresh air and sunshine. It has decent lasting power for an eau de toilette, but I do find myself reapplying once or twice throughout the day.
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Fragrances -Elizabeth Arden - Midnight Fantasy Britney Spears
Parisa909 1/30/2013 9:02:00 AM
Say what you like about Ms. Spears, she, or rather her perfume team certainly know how to create a gorgeous fragrance! The original ‘Fantasy’ I have purchased around 4 times in my life, it’s the most sugary sweet yet feminine fragrance that is so distinctive! Midnight Fantasy is just divine, it’s a mix of black cherries, plum, orchid, freesia, musk and amber. It’s really sweet and fruity, but definitely not as sweet as the original Fantasy. I love how succulent it is, it’s dark and sophisticated and I can really smell the berry notes.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Hugo Boss - Deep Red
Parisa909 1/30/2013 9:02:00 AM
An all-time favourite, I first bought Deep Red when I was 16, I’m 22 now and always re-purchase when I run out! It’s dark and sexy, I would describe it as a ‘fruity-floral’ with some woody tones. Again it’s a really strong, long-lasting fragrance, on me it smells sweet and musky, with a hint of spice. It’s meant to be more of an evening fragrance, but I really enjoy 1-2 spritz of it on my skin in the mornings, such a feminine and sensual fragrance.
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