Lipstick -MAC - Lustre in Hug Me
xtinahb 9/17/2012 8:43:00 AM
A slightly cool nude pink on my light tan Asian C4/NC30 skin (I lean neutral). Very nice texture, smooth and moisturizing, with a subtle shimmer finish. With natural makeup, it can look a little too nude on my pigmented lips and wash me out, so I often put Bonne Bell Dr Pepper on top for a bit more color. At night, though, this is a perfect nude lippie for smokey eyes; it adds just enough pigment and shimmer to my lips.
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Concealers -NARS - Concealer Stick
xtinahb 8/16/2012 11:00:00 AM
Purchased in Custard for my NC30/C4/Barcelona (SG) light tan Asian complexion. It has a unique texture: dry to the touch, but creamy when you pat it on. It starts a little chalky, but then my skin soaks it in and looks dewy and natural in a couple hours. Nars foundations and concealers are the only skin bases that look better the longer I wear them throughout the day. The Concealer stick is great for redness, uneven areas, and blemishes. Not great under my eyes since it's a bit drier than I want in that area, but will use in a pinch. The Custard color is spot on for me when I wear with SG in Barcelona or the Nars TM in St. Moritz.
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Lipstick -MAC - Lustre in See Sheer
xtinahb 7/26/2012 2:21:00 PM
A really smooth, moisturizing semi-opaque natural peach with a hint of pink on my pigmented NC30 Asian lips. It's a really great Summer color and a good formula too, since it wears evenly with no gunky lip residue as it fades. It's a noticeable color, but still work-friendly and also first-date pretty. Just a nice, pinky peach color. Compliments Orgasm blush perfectly, FYI ;-)
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Pressed Powders -Unlisted Brand - Kett Sett Powder - compact
xtinahb 7/25/2012 10:28:00 AM
A truly matte, invisible, unchalky and silky soft finishing powder compact. I carry this with me always. Ideally I use a powder brush and press on my T-zone but if my purse is small, a flat powder puff gently rolled does the trick. Instantly mattifies without deadening the skin, feels soft and natural (not drying at all) and there is zero white coloring on my medium tan Asian NC30 skin. This is far better for my skin and combo complexion than MUFE HD powder. It also shoots beautifully and is going into my wedding day clutch. Love it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -NARS - Key Largo Duo
xtinahb 7/23/2012 3:03:00 PM
My first ever HG eye shadow. Not a big fan of shadows since I have creaseless monolids so I'm all about lashes! This bronze shimmer and matte pale peach duo changed me. The matte peach is a perfect base on my slightly pigmented NC30 Asian lids and the bronze is impossible to mess up. For day I sweep the bronze across my entire lid for a light wash of flattering warmth using a MAC 214 or 224 and finish with the peach again on my browbone or to blend out. Top with a black pencil on waterline and voila, it's an evening look. I love this duo.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -NARS - Gilda
xtinahb 7/23/2012 2:56:00 PM
Gilda is a pigmented deep coral with no shimmer. It’s more red than Orgasm, is stronger, and photographs well. It truly looks like I am blushing with this color and adds a lot of heat to my cheeks. Great color when I have a tan. I find it easy to overapply on my NC30 Asian complexion and this formula is slightly drier than other Nars blushes and can be a little patchy, so I use a lighthand and only my Nars Yachiyo brush for the most diffused color. The wear is fantastic; at least 6 hours with no fading during a NYC heat wave which is a solid performance on my combo skin.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -NARS - Casablanca
xtinahb 7/23/2012 2:50:00 PM
A deep peach lipstick with rust and orange undertones on my pigmented NC30 Asian lips. By itself, it is just as another user perfectly described: a terra cotta burnt orange. Not my color on its own, but it is a great peach base to layer other colors since has enough pigment to blot out my lips natural color. I like to layer Nars' Bolero velvet matte lip pencil on top for a perfect peachy pink color. Formula is a bit drying, but it wears very evenly, which is a plus.
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Blush -Milani - Baked Blush - Coralina
xtinahb 7/13/2012 11:55:00 PM
Sadly, I found this blush gritty with obvious, large glitter fragments. I really love my Milani Luminoso, but this shade had inconsistent pigmentation, the powder seemed drier, and the glitter was much more obvious than in other Milani Baked Blushes. The color itself was a bright pink on my NC30 light asian skin (use a light hand due to the uneven pigmentation!) and when blended (and blended and blended), looks bright and healthy, but the texture was disappointing and I have not used it since my first two attempts.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -L'Oreal - Youth Code Day Lotion Spf 30
xtinahb 7/13/2012 11:49:00 PM
Received as a generous sample with a Bluefly.com order and while it was random, it was a pleasant surprise! It applies smoothly and dries to a supple moisturized finish. It was an AMAZING base for my foundation and acted as a moisturizer, sunscreen, and primer (I used Nars HG and MUFE F&B over several different days). It really elongated the wear of my foundation and I experienced no shine until 8 hours later on my combination Asian skin in humid NYC weather. The one star is off is due to two small whiteheads that appeared on my chin, but I am not sure if the moisturizer is to blame or the humidity? I am waiting to reuse this when the weather cools down but was very happy with it overall. Felt luxurious and moisturizing.
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Makeup Brushes -MAC - #217 Blending
xtinahb 7/13/2012 11:41:00 PM
One of my HG multi-use brushes. For my creaseless Asian eyes, this brush is stiff enough to pick up color but soft enough to blend all over the lid. For my complexion, I use it to blend concealers over blemishes and redness and dark circles. It has a great head size that is small enough for my monolids, but big enough to cover pigmentation around my chin and nose or anywhere on my face, really. It is such versatile all-rounder brush and essential for me. I own two and need more. One star off only for high-ish price and very slight scratchyness.
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Makeup Brushes -MAC - #190 Foundation Brush
xtinahb 7/2/2012 11:40:00 AM
Great foundation brush for liquid and waterbased formulas. When using 2 pea sized blobs of foundation and this brush, I get a great, everyday medium coverage. I dip the brush in the blobs and literally paint my face in smooth, fast short strokes, starting around my nose and brushing outwards towards ears and below jawline. I pat with the brush or a damp sponge all over my face afterwards since the brush will leave slight streaks. Other than that, it's fuss free and easy.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - Great Lash Mascara Waterproof
xtinahb 6/20/2012 9:39:00 AM
Smudge city on my short, straight, skimpy Asian lashes against my creaseless lids. The pigmentation and effect was nice; Blackest Black is very black, lashes were soft with natural definition, moderate plumping, and decent curl hold! It’s BIG drawback were smudges on my cheeks and lids after less than 2 hours, even with setting powder on my lids and undereye area. Smudging = unusable to me. What a bummer. It is a very nice formula otherwise.
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Mascara -L'Oreal - Double Extend Mascara with Lash Boosting Serum
xtinahb 6/6/2012 11:05:00 AM
My wimpy Asian straight short lashes did not like this formula, nor did my eyes. The serum provided a decent base which thickened my lashes, the Blackest Black color delivered on pigment and the lengthening was fine, but overall not a dramatic mascara whatsoever. The 1 rating is because I had an allergic reaction to the serum (or the mascara, can't be sure), that led to very tingly lids and itchy eyes the 3 days I tried this mascara. Even without the reaction, it was just ok, but beacuse of it (my first allergic cosmetic reaction ever), I give it a 1 and tossed it.
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Lipstick -Estee Lauder - Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in Tiramisu
xtinahb 5/11/2012 10:43:00 AM
Tiramisu works on my pigmented lips and NC30/C4 light tan Asian complexion for every look. It’s weird. Brown blushes, pink blushes, smoky eyes, natural, bronzed, whatever. Tiramisu always compliments. It is a sheer, lightly frosted (in a glossy way, not an 80s way) light peachy pink that leaves my lips smooth, and healthy and a touch pink. I reapply every 2 hours since it’s a sheer formula, but I don’t mind since this lippie is the best. I love love love.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Milani - Baked Blush in Luminoso
xtinahb 5/11/2012 9:42:00 AM
Gives me glowy cheeks with a beautiful finish, excellent pigmentation, and lasts all day. It is such an amazing blush with insane value. I also have Orgasm and this shade is peachier and more flattering on me.I am light tan Asian NC30/C4 and this blush is peachy gold in the pan and shows up a soft healthy peachy pink on my skin. This has replaced my Shiseido Satin Face Color in Petal as my HG powder blush (and saves me $20, too!).
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No