Lipstick -Revlon - Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Precious
skandelouslala 11/6/2012 2:40:00 PM
I'm a wee bit obsessed with these balm stains. When they first came out I purchased several. Things I love in general about the product: Chubby twist up stick, no sharpening. Lovely mint scent and tingle, very refreshing. Feels extremely light on lips, not greasy or waxy. Moisturizes nicely. Fades evenly for the most part. Shade specific... Precious was one of the first I had to have, simply because it looked to be the perfect nude stain. Admittedly it is a little more...pasty than I would like. I was just hoping for the color to be a little more 'clean'. The biggest issue however is that it turns much more pink than I hoped for. I have noticed that almost ALL the balm stains either deepen or brighten in color from their original application and while this works for some shades, it is certainly problematic for others. Precious is such a gorgeous shade directly from the tube, it is so sad that the color doesn't translate as well on lips. I'm torn on rather or not the I would buy this again but I'm leaning towards no... simply for the fact that it is not what I wanted it to be and I think there are better options if I wanted the color it turned out to be.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Revlon - Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain - Charm
skandelouslala 11/6/2012 2:25:00 PM
I'm a wee bit obsessed with these balm stains. When they first came out I purchased several. Things I love in general about the product: Chubby twist up stick, no sharpening. Lovely mint scent and tingle, very refreshing. Feels extremely light on lips, not greasy or waxy. Moisturizes nicely. Fades evenly for the most part. Shade specific... Charm turns out to be nothing like it looks in the tube or upon initial application. It goes on this light, almost pastel peach color that is a wee bit on the pasty side. I really disliked it it initially and it seemed way way way too warm and orangey for my skintone however after a few minutes the color transforms to a corally/peachy pink type of shade. It is still a little more coral than I would hope for but at least it is wearable. I also think that this shade tends to 'stain' a little more than the others. The shade itself is probably not a repurchase for me, but at least it isn't a total dud like I initially thought it would be!
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Lipstick -Revlon - Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain - Honey
skandelouslala 11/6/2012 2:07:00 PM
I'm a wee bit obsessed with these balm stains. When they first came out I purchased several. Things I love in general about the product: Chubby twist up stick, no sharpening. Lovely mint scent and tingle, very refreshing. Feels extremely light on lips, not greasy or waxy. Moisturizes nicely. Fades evenly for the most part. Shade specific... Honey is a hard color to imagine if you haven't seen it. It's kind of a mauvey cool pink with a hint of berry attached to it. Honestly I was hoping the tube coloring was more indicative of the color but alas... no. It is deeper than that. On me it comes out as a slightly deeper MLBB type of shade. I love the product in general but this particular shade doesn't really do it for me. I don't have a problem using this while I own it, but I don't see this shade being a repurchase for me.
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Treatments -E.L.F. - Shine Eraser Blotting Sheets
skandelouslala 10/28/2012 10:21:00 PM
Target has a 3 pack of these out right now for the holidays, so I decided to give them a try finally. I have previously used Palladio blotting sheets and Biore. The Palladio ones are decent and the Biore doesn't seem to absorb oil the greatest. 2 issues off the bat with these sheets. They are small. Absolutely need 2 and could probably use 3 per blotting. And then the packaging is annoying, each sheet doesn't come out individually. It is easy to grab several when trying to get one out. Plus side.. super cheap. I don't like paying a lot for blotting papers.. I mean it's something you pat your face with and throw in the trash, come on! Also... does a great job of absorbing the oil. I'm always slightly fascinated and then slightly grossed out after blotting lol For a dollar, you can't go wrong. But I wouldn't pay anymore than that per pack.
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Lip Gloss -E.L.F. - Pout Perfecter in Glow
skandelouslala 10/28/2012 10:01:00 PM
I was skeptical about this gloss product, not sure why... probably just because for the price I expected something oily feeling with a short life on lips. I should know better b/c the ELF Studio line is generally awesome. This gloss caught my eye because it looks foil nail polish does... with the shimmer essentially being the color. Comes in a long square tube with a brush applicator instead of sponge, always a plus. This gloss is actually thick and feels creamy, more like a liquid lipstick than a gloss. It's got enough tackiness to it that it lasts on lips. I didn't realize until after buying this and going to the ELF website because I was wondering if there were more colors, that this is a product that stands alone. ELF suggests it for adding over other lip colors to give them some pop. So maybe attempting to wear it as a full on gloss is a bit overkill but it still can work for that purpose if you want some foil-y lips. It's actually not terrible as a stand alone gloss if you put on a bit and let it kind of melt into lips before going about your day/night. It will definitely make your lips glow lol Great way though to boost any lip color that is a little blah... it is mostly colorless except for adding that pretty foil shimmer. This product makes a lot more sense if you know it isn't just a stand alone gloss right off the bat. Although I really dig the creamy thick formula and wish ELF would make a line of Pout Perfecter glosses like this in varying shades.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Wet 'n' Wild - Mega Last Lipstick in Don't Blink Pink
skandelouslala 1/21/2012 8:18:00 AM
Don't Blink Pink is a new shade for 2012 from Wet N Wild's Mega Last lipstick line up. The other new shades are equally bright and neon, which is actually quite nice because pretty much all the shades from the Mega Last lipstick line up are either 1) dark or 2) normal average colors you find every day in every drugstore line in the country. I already own a few shades of Mega Last lipsticks from Wet N Wild. They're matte and they are highly pigmented and they are super cheap ($2-ish). All pluses in my book. These colors and finishes work best with a matte or satin finish balm underneath (EOS is my fave brand for this purpose) to prevent the matte finish from showing every flaw on lips imaginable. You could also top with gloss but when it comes to shades such as Don't Blink Pink, I find gloss + the loud color is just too much. But bright ass bordering on neon lips? Looooove. There is something young and fresh about them and this shade is not for everyone and certainly not for every occasion. It demands attention. Neon pink ya'll. You can dab it on for a bit more understated look, a pop of fresh color which is nice, but even then, it is still quite attention grabbing. It is fun, funky, and fresh and I am totally feeling this shade. I'm sick of drugstore makeup lines always playing it safe when it comes to shades. Finally Wet N Wild took some initiative and gave us something totally loud and obnoxious. Very refreshing.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Wet 'n' Wild - Megashield Lip Color SPF 15
skandelouslala 1/21/2012 8:11:00 AM
These are part of Wet N Wild's new for 2012 products. Black bottom, clear lid so you can clearly see the colors. None of the shades seemed that unique but I really wanted to try these so I ended up choosing the shade called Within These Adobe Walls. Dumb name but great color, it is a creamy shimmer-less peachy pink that isn't too warm or orangey despite having Adobe in the name and I tend to associate that with orangey tones. This shade makes me think of Spring. The texture is so creamy! I was so surprised by how creamy and soft the formula is. Kind of like a balm/lipstick hybrid. Feels really good on lips, applies smoothly. Full coverage, great pigment. And... around $3. Great deal. I am totally going to look at the other shades again to see if anymore call out to me because for 3 bucks, this is a great lipstick.
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Conditioner -Dove - Damage Therapy Conditioner Intensive Repair
skandelouslala 1/21/2012 7:47:00 AM
I've been buying $20 conditioners and go figure, it has been Dove that has made a conditioner that really does something for my hair. It all started with a sample packet I got in the mail.... that I didn't bother using for months. Then I used it. It convinced me to buy a bottle. I now have bought several bottle and I have expensive conditioner just sitting in my shower that only gets used on occasion to switch it up a little. This conditioner is thick.... it coats my hair, seems to really penetrate. It may leave a little coating behind but that actually works when you have really dry damaged hair. It seals it off and prevents split ends from showing and a lot of frizz from happening. I even have quite fine hair and I still love this conditioner even if it is on the heavier side. My hair has looked a lot healthier since I started using this. I never thought I would say that again about a drugstore conditioner. I've gone through a couple bottles and will continue to repurchase. And I looooove that I can get a big old bottle for like 5 bucks.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Softsoap - Body Butter Strawberry Smoother
skandelouslala 1/21/2012 7:42:00 AM
What the hell MUA? Why you hate everything I love? Well the last three reviewers all had allergic reactions and that sucks! I have crazy sensitive skin though and haven't had any issues so go figure! Goes to show how random reactions to things can be. This has been one of my favorite body washes for months now. It has this great strawberry scent that isn't quite fresh strawberries but isn't that gross fake strawberry candy smell either. It reminds me of strawberry koolaid or strawberry jello. I have loved using it in winter when I really need a nice sunshiney summery feeling. The scrubby bits do nothing, as with most body washes. But this lathers really well and feels quite moisturizing which is nice. But for the most part, I just buy this for the scent.
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Lip Treatments -eos - Lip Balm
skandelouslala 1/21/2012 7:37:00 AM
I recently tried this balm for the first time, only I have one of the sphere ones... I would much prefer it in a tube, but whatever. I got a strawberry one...which the girly part of me really loves the little pink sphere...so cute! Applying it is weird though... just rubbing a sphere of lip balm on your lips....strange. But, that aside.... great balm. LOVE it for use under lipsticks because the finish is almost matte. I love balms that aren't all slick and greasy and yet manage to feel moisturizing...they are few and far between. The last kind I had like that was a little too thick and heavy feeling on lips but this is perfect, feels very light. And because it isn't just filled with petroleum I doesn't travel to the edges of my lips and cause them to feel itchy (perhaps a weird problem that only I have with some balms, but whatever... this doesn't do that and that makes me happy. I think I might have a slight petroleum sensitivity or something.)
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Lipstick -E.L.F. - Studio Matte Lip Color
skandelouslala 1/21/2012 7:32:00 AM
These are new to me, b/c I don't order ELF online and a store around here recently started carrying them. I like matte shades, but they are hard to pull off in some cases because they show.every.damn.imperfection.imaginable. Lips must be perfectly moisturized at all times. Which gets difficult if you're wearing matte to begin with. As much as I want to do completely matte... I always end up balming or glossing these out a bit. Either putting balm underneath or gloss on top. Just something to smooth it out. The good news is a balm with a mostly matte finish itself works really really really well under these (I like EOS, lubes up the lips but doesn't leave behind a greasy finish). So that is what I do, and the color is spreadable, blendable and doesn't look dry and gross. The packaging of these sort of irk me a bit... I mean why a fat stick? Could we have least gotten a slim line lipstick? I got Nearly Nude and it is quite nude. It's kind of on the warm side but applied sheerly with the pink of my lips, it all balances out to an indeed nearly nude skin tone shade. Applied too heavily it can look a little bit porn starish nude... hence... lots-o-balm underneath. I want to try more shades, I like color without a lot of sheen from time to time. Plus, these are only 3 bucks. ETA: I recently purchased another one of these, in Rich Red. It is RED. I was hoping for something a little darker but it goes on a bright cherry red. The formula of these have really grown on me, they are so light feeling for a matte finish and don't feel drying.
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Fragrances -The Body Shop - Midnight Bakula
skandelouslala 1/21/2012 7:17:00 AM
I bought this after Christmas at half off. That probably means it's going bye bye and part of me almost wants another bottle if that is the case. $12ish a bottle I can most definitely do. I don't think I would have been willing to pay the full $25. I sampled this in the store before I bought it. I sprayed it on, immediately sniffed it (although that NEVER works in knowing how a fragrance will actually smell and I KNOW this) and kind of found it to be too pungent. Initially there was something very sharp about the fragrance. A couple years back I bought my husband some Jean Paul Gaultier Gaultier 2, which reminded me of a lot of scent combos that I like but there was this pungent sharp nature to it that made the scent more masculine so I thought it would smell nice on him (and it does).... and I initially smelled it again, but less intense in Midnight Bakula. That is what made me shy away. So after doing some more shopping I gave my wrist another whiff just to see what the scent had dried down to. I immediately started wondering if I should go back and purchase a bottle. The dry down was so much better and totally a "me" scent. I am drawn to warm sweet scents and this is totally it. It in fact smelled like a longer lasting slightly warmer version of my beloved Ici (yes, good old drugstore Ici, I have loved it since I smelled it when I was like 6 years old lol). Ici is definitely warm and sweet but it has this bubbly effervescence about it. Midnight Bakula doesn't really have effervescent sparkliness to it, it wraps itself a little tighter and makes for a warmer sweeter scent. There is a tad bit of earthiness to this scent as well, but nothing hippy-ish. It's not really a 'green' earthy scent... but more of a warm mother nature is gonna wrap your ass up in her arms earthiness. I love it. If I was gonna make a completely feminine version of Gaultier 2 this would be it I think. And the last power is out of this world. I can spray it on in the morning and it is still there in the evening. It has dried down, it is sweeter and it is just one of those smells that I want to smell like...completely. It's definitely in my signature scent family...warm, sweet, comfy, cozy. I live for winter just to really get the most out of scents like these. Maybe I should go see if they have anymore bottles left....considering how much I just raved.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -The Body Shop - Strawberry Body Butter
skandelouslala 1/21/2012 7:00:00 AM
I never bought any of The Body Shop's body butters ever in my life until this December because I always found them to be way overpriced. Then I wondered in while Christmas shopping, was given a coupon thingy for BOGO free anything in the store and being a cheap ass, only bought 2 of the mini trial/travel/whatever versions of this. But then... I was hooked. It smells so good! Like a real authentic strawberry scent. None of that gross strawberry candy scent that most strawberry scents are. I like the texture of this stuff too... and it absorbs fast. The scent doesn't linger around for a super long time which might be good or bad depending on your preference of smelling like a strawberry. But at any rate the experience of putting it on is yummy and happy. After using up the minis I headed back and ended up buying a strawberry gift set. I can see myself converting to buying full sized versions of the strawberry body butter now. Damn you Body Shop and your BOGO coupon. The only real downside I can find... is this crap is too darn expensive.
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Foundations -Rimmel - Clean Finish
skandelouslala 1/21/2012 6:53:00 AM
If it has less than a 70% approval rating on MUA, I love it lmao. NO SILICONES. NO SILICONES. NO SILICONES! !!!!!! I could shout it from every roof top when I actually discover a drugstore foundation whose top 3 ingredients are not silicones. I can't use foundations with 'cones and during a time when it was getting next to impossible to find a drugstore one without one, Rimmel swoops in and introduces Clean Finish. I will be so sad if this ever gets discontinued (and let's face it, it will. Because everything I love gets discontinued.) It doesn't break me out, it doesn't make me look greasy, it covers well... can be sheered out or built up, has this nice little applicator so you aren't pounding a bottle against your hands to get any product out, and has a wide color selection of warmer, cooler and neutral shades. Oh annnnnnnd it's like $4-5 bucks a bottle. How can you beat it? You can't. I feel like yelling when talking about this foundation, that's how happy it makes me.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Unlisted Brand - I and Love and Blue
skandelouslala 1/21/2012 6:46:00 AM
You are likely to see this polish clearanced at your local Ulta. If you do, I highly suggest you walk on by and don't be taken in my it's duochrome looking nature. I have a few Piggy Polish (crap, forgot to put Piggy Polish in the name) polishes that are duochrome and they are all lovely. So I had high hopes for this. The problem with this particular shade is it is so sheer. So so sheer. It is so sheer that it loses some of its duochrome nature. Not just some, most. And who wants just a sheer blue polish? Boring. The formula is really nice... fast drying and applies smoothly. Perhaps I can try some layering with this, but by itself it might just be one of the most boring Piggy Polishes I have had the (dis)pleasure to try.
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