Lip Treatments -Clinique - Superbalm Tinted Lip Treatment in Mango
elaina 1/8/2004 8:24:00 PM
I love my regular Superbalm to bits (I've gone through two already), and so a tinted version was too good to pass up! Mango is very sheer, but it does tint the colour of my naturally pigmented lips to make them appear more "juicy". Sometimes I find clear glosses can appear a little *too* clear and they wash my lips out a bit, so this is perfect. One difference I noticed between this and the regular, untinted Superbalm is that this one is slightly less thick and "cushiony" on the lips; its consistency is more like a Juicy Tube and it's not as long-lasting. It's still great, however, and I will consider purchasing other shades in the future.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Herbacin - Glycerine Hand Cream
elaina 1/7/2004 8:49:00 PM
This is just okay. I like to buy the travel size tins to keep in my makeup bag because they're flat and don't take up a lot of room. It's slightly greasy upon application, but absorbs reasonably quickly. It's not deeply moisturizing (like my favourite, Crabtree & Evelyn Hand Therapy), but it'll do in a pinch. I don't especially like the herbal scent, and I don't find it fades quickly at all, but it's pretty inoffensive.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Sonia Kashuk - Blusher Brush
elaina 1/7/2004 8:42:00 PM
I agree with big_eder, this brush is a lot coarser than the powder brush, which I love. I've conditioned it lots and it's still scratchy. It also sheds fairly often. And I also agree with kthibo, it's not as dense as I'd like, and the shape is kind of non-existent. I prefer my Quo blush brush over this (though it's too large, heh...I'm picky), and I prefer my Paula's Choice Contour Brush (similar to MAC #168) even more. I'm a blush fanatic, though, so if you don't use it all that often, this is fine, especially for the price.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Sonia Kashuk - Powder Brush
elaina 1/7/2004 8:29:00 PM
I bought this a year and a half ago and it's still in great shape. Repeated washings with J&J Head-to-Toe Baby Wash have only made it softer; it's almost as soft as the Stila powder brush, like a gentle caress on a handle.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -MAC - Tinted Lip Conditioner - Soothing Beige
elaina 1/4/2004 10:35:00 PM
I agree with meToo: Soothing Beige is like Hug Me or Jubilee Lustre lipstick in balm form. It looks dark brown in the tub, but adds a slightly pinkish-nude tint to my lips and evens out their pigmentation for a perfect MLBB. I love how this stuff looks on--just the right amount of shine and colour. Inoffensive sweet smell. I applied it at around 3:00 this afternoon; it's 7:30 now and it's still on. Granted, I didn't eat or drink during that time, but my MAC Lustres don't wear as long as that. It's freezing and windy outside and my lips feel great. Yeah, the pots are a pain, but I'll deal. So glad that these are a permanent part of the line!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Quo - Cleaning Lady Brush Cleaner
elaina 1/4/2004 6:09:00 PM
I went to purchase this recently and learned that it is now discontinued, which makes my review pretty much moot. The discontinuation is probably for the best, though: the SDM cosmetician said that all it is is water and alcohol, with a bit of fragrance. And sure enough, those are the first two ingredients. I'm no expert, but I don't think alcohol is the best thing for cleaning brushes, especially not ones with natural bristles, as it would dry them out and make them brittle. I suppose it would be okay to use every so often if you needed to clean your brushes quickly in between uses, and the spray bottle is convenient, but I think I'll just stick to my Johnson's Head-to-Toe Baby Wash.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Bobbi Brown - Ultra Fine Eye Liner Brush - Travel Size
elaina 1/4/2004 5:46:00 PM
I believe this came as part of a Nordstrom's Anniversary set. I was very adamant that I did not need a special brush to use with my BB Gel Liners, and used my regular MAC and Quo angled liner brushes instead. A friend gave this to me as a gift *waves to ktm13* and now I believe! This travel sized brush, which measures about 3" in length, is so easy to use, I got a fine, precise line on the first try. I coat both flat sides of the brush in liner, wipe the excess on the edges of the pot, and apply light, feathery strokes close to the lashline, starting at the middle of the eye and working outwards, then inwards. I haven't used the full-sized version, so I can't compare the quality, but I actually like the compact size. This is definitely worth looking for, on eBay or elsewhere, especially if you're skeptical about buying a special brush for gel liners. There's just something about it that helps the gel liner to glide on effortlessly!
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -MAC - 266 Thin Small Angle (Synthetic hair)
elaina 1/4/2004 5:33:00 PM
I don't know why I waited for so long on this. I tried to convince myself that my Quo angled brow/liner brush was just as good, but that one splays when used wet and isn't anywhere near as precise as the MAC #266. This is great for wedging shadow into the lashline or lining the inner rim--I even use it with my Bobbi Brown Gel Liner, on occasion. The only cons I can think of are that the bristles can be a bit prickly on the eyelids if you have sensitive skin, and that the handle is surprisingly short and lightweight--I was expecting something more weighted, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, it just surprised me. Overall, I'm very impressed and would definitely repurchase if I needed to, or just to have a backup on hand.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -Stila - double duty peach palette
elaina 1/4/2004 5:23:00 PM
I purchased this at a Double Duty event (even though I swore to myself I would get the makeover and run!). But I'm really quite happy with it and get a quite a bit of use out of it. Buff is the perfect base shade for me; less peachy than Bouquet, but not too ashy or white. Amber is a neutral taupe with slight shimmer that works well as a wash, Brick is a very warm terracotta that I use mostly in the crease, and Twig is my favourite shadow for lining with, a deep bronzey-brown with red-marroon tones. I'm not a huge fan of Stila blushes as I don't find them to be very easy to blend, but Persimmon (a light, true peach) and Tint (a darker rosy-peach) work well with the shadows for an earthy, glowing look that can easily go from subtle to more dramatic. I like the slim, portable size of the palette and the large mirror inside, though I don't think the coated cardboard packaging is terribly sturdy. I paid $75 CAD at Holt Renfrew--this item is sold only during Double Duty events.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Stila - Lip Glaze Palette-The Peaches
elaina 1/4/2004 5:12:00 PM
I love this palette! A wonderful MUA friend gave this to me as a RAOK *waves to peaches85* and I get a ton of use out of it. My favourite shades are the ginger (at 9 o'clock) and the peach glaze (at 6 o'clock). I also tried this on at the counter and the MA who put them on me knew immediately that those were the colours I'd like best, heh. But she also showed me that I can wear the brighter coral glaze (at 12 o'clock) and that the clear apriot glaze (at 3 o'clock) adds a bit of shimmer and depth when mixed with the other shades. Yup, they are very sheer, tending towards transparent, but the colours show on my pigmented lips. I love the texture (sticky, but not goopy or gummy) and the shine (subtle, with a slight shimmer) of these glazes, and the packaging is simply adorable. (Oh, and the lipbrush smells like mothballs, despite many washings, but I'll deal.)
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Stila - Peony Convertible Color
elaina 1/4/2004 5:03:00 PM
I'm not big on cream blushes, since I have oily skin and find powders last longer on me, but just had to give this a try. I use it only on top of liquid or cream foundations, and I apply it with a wedge sponge, which works better for me than my fingers. Peony is a warm peachy-brown with some rose tones on my pale, yellow-toned skin. I usually set it with translucent powder or another blush to improve its staying power, but I don't use CCs when I need long-lasting blush.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Stila - Convertible Color Lillium
elaina 1/4/2004 5:00:00 PM
I'm not big on cream blushes, since I have oily skin and find powders last longer on me, but just had to give this a try. I use it only on top of liquid or cream foundations, and I apply it with a wedge sponge, which works better for me than my fingers. Lillium is a pinky-beige with some peach tones, and it goes on fairly bright and slightly cool-toned on my pale, yellow-toned skin; it actually "warms up" on my skin after a few minutes and doesn't look as bright. I usually set it with translucent powder or another blush to improve its staying power, but I don't use CCs when I need long-lasting blush. It's overpriced, but the compact is cute and portable.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - Complex 15 Therapeutic Face Cream
elaina 1/4/2004 2:48:00 PM
This is a very average, almost boring moisturizer. I have combo to oily skin that breaks out occasionally, and I use this at night when my skin is feeling dry or flaky. I don't know about the pore-clogging ingredients others have mentioned, but I haven't experienced any breakouts with this. It's actually quite light and watery and so I wouldn't recommend it for very dry skin, but I like that it doesn't leave any sticky residue or a greasy feeling.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Stila - Delaunay Eye Shadow
elaina 1/4/2004 12:25:00 AM
Okay, so to recap: Kitten was the frostiest frost that ever frosted, and Starlight was too ashy for my warm PPP skintone. Launey is the closest to what I've been looking for (a neutral to warm peachy-champagne base shade) that I've found in the Stila line, but it's not perfect. It's a little warmer than I would like for a base shade, but it works well with other warm shades like Jezebel, Oasis, Twig, Summer, and Sun. Slight golden shimmer, not as highly pigmented as other Stila shadows--Launey's actually kind of boring, but it gets the job done.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Stila - Puppy Eyeshadow
elaina 1/4/2004 12:20:00 AM
Light, matte, neutral to warm brown, like everyone else has said. It's the same depth as Eden, and can be layered for intensity. I like to do Bouquet as a base, Eden in the crease, and Puppy in the outer V and smudged over a dark brown eyeliner, like Bobbi Brown Gel Liner in Sepia. Makes for a very natural yet polished, day look. Also good for filling in my dark brows in a pinch, though it's a touch too warm.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No