Lipstick -Neutrogena - MoistureShine Lip Stick in Just A Whisper (210)
HunterGray 2/1/2012 1:25:00 PM
I picked this up at Big Lots for a couple of bucks, because I was looking for a good nude color. Now I'm kind of upset that I did, because this is the PERFECT nude color on me, but good luck trying to find it ever again. Sigh. Such is life. The only downside to this lipstick is that it isn't incredibly long wearing, but I think it's a fair trade off for not being drying whatsoever.
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Foundations -Maybelline - Dream Nude Airfoam Foundation
HunterGray 1/28/2012 4:00:00 PM
I think this is definitely one of those "love it or hate it" products. Personally, I love it. For me and my skin type, it works very well. I have normal to dry skin, so the "wet" formulation seems to work well with my skin. I have applied it both with my fingers and a stippling brush, and found that both gave a good finish. I don't have a whole lot to cover, so the light to medium coverage is good for me. It also feels very light on the skin, which is appreciated. I set mine with MAC MSFN, and the look is quite natural. I took off one lippie for lasting power. I find that it lasts decently well, but if I'm wearing it during a long shift, I can definitely see some wear by the end of work. I have other foundations that last better, but they don't feel/look as natural. I consider it a fair trade, and will repurchase.
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Eye Shadow -Maybelline - Color Tattoo 24hr Cream Gel Shadow in Tough as Taupe
HunterGray 1/28/2012 3:51:00 PM
This productis extremely cool toned, and not something I'd usually go for. But since purchasing, I've fallen in love. Not only is the color surprisingly pretty on my eyes (both as a base for other shadows, and all on its own), but I've found it to be very versatile. I recently dyed my hair a medium cool brown color, and was looking for something that would work in my brows, and this was perfect for me. I also used it as a contour color on my face (albeit for a very theatrical look) and it was extremely easy to blend. Staying power is good, although I've never worn it on its own, I always use an eye primer. I'm definitely interested in trying more colors in this line, although this is the only matte one.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -Bare Escentuals - The Truth
HunterGray 1/28/2012 3:43:00 PM
This is a beautiful quad that is excellent for every day wear, but also has enough depth to create a more dramatic eye look. The shadows are almost creamy to the touch, and have a beautiful satin finish. The four colors included are Serendipitious, Magnetism, Fate, and Apropos. Serendipitous- a light pinky-cream color. It works wonderfully as a highlight color on the brow bone and inner corner of the eye, or as an all over wash of color for a more subdued look. Magnetism- a medium toned taupey brown. This looks amazing against blue eyes. It's light enough to be worn over the entire lid, or can be blended into the crease with Serendipitous on the lid for a nice daytime look. Fate- slightly deeper than Magnetism, it pulls a little bronzey on the skin, but is not over the top warm. It is a great crease color. Apropos- a very deep brown, different from the other three because it is not a satin finish, but matte with very fine sparkles. Don't worry though, it's still very wearable. I usually use this as a liner, but it also works for smoking out the eye. These shadows are very easy to work with. They are incredibly soft and pigmented, so a little really goes a long way. They blend very easily, and last all day without creasing or fading. I also have duos from this line in The Top Shelf and The Scenic Route, and these shadows are consistently excellent. The packaging is very sturdy and well constructed, the few times I have traveled with this quad, I haven't had to worry about the well being of my shadows. The case itself feels a lot like NARS, kind of rubbery, and prone to getting dirty. I think that overall, the quality of these shadows far exceed the price, and I will continue to repurchase.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -E.L.F. - Studio Conditioning Lip Balm SPF 15
HunterGray 1/28/2012 1:35:00 PM
I had this in mellow melon, and the color was pretty, but it made my.lips burn. I ended up giving it to my mom, and she hasn't had any issues with it. It was uncomfortable enough on my lips to stop me from wanting to try any moreof them.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -E.L.F. - Glossy Gloss in Ballet Slippers
HunterGray 1/24/2012 7:40:00 PM
My absolute favorite "every day" color, gloss-wise. I ordered it nonlinear and thought I was getting something much lighter, but was actually pleasantly surprised when I put it on. It's the perfect My Lips But Better shade, not quite nude, just my lip color, enhanced. It's not sticky at all, which was a huge shock for me. It's very comparable to NYX Mega Shine Lipglosses in consistency, which is great. Very smooth, and like I said, not sticky. It has a very light sweet scent, kind of fruity, but nothing too powerful. As far as I can tell, it has no flavor. Wear-wise, it's average. I have to reapply after a few hours, or after eating, but that's generally what happens when a gloss isn't sticky. To me, that's a fair trade off. Super sticky glosses might be more long wearing, but they make me feel gross. I will definitely repurchase this shade when I run out, and I'd like to look into other colors as well.
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Moisturizers -Aveeno - Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer spf15
HunterGray 1/24/2012 7:32:00 PM
I loved the way that this smelled, and the way it made my skin feel when I initially put it on. It was heavy enough to feel like it was actually doing something to my combo/dry skin without feeling greasy. But soon after I started using it, I broke out really badly all over my face, in places I don't usually get pimples. Nasty whiteheads all over, and a few deeper, painful ones in my cheeks. I didn't know if it was this moisturizer, or some other factor, but when I stopped using it, the breakouts went away. I had moved on to another moisturizer, but one day I realized I was out of it, so I reached for this one again. And wouldn't you know it, within a day my skin hated me. Lesson learned. I tossed it.
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Pressed Powders -E.L.F. - Clarifying Pressed Powder
HunterGray 1/24/2012 7:20:00 PM
I bought this because I was looking for something with a bit of coverage that I could toss in my purse, without fear of it breaking and me being out a large chunk of money. This fits the bill. It's a dollar, and I was actually surprised by the coverage. I have the shade ivory, which actually runs pretty yellow. But on my neutral skin, it actually works really well to counteract my redness. The puff it comes with is pretty much useless, other than to absorb some of the shock and possibly keep the powder intact a little longer. Overall, it works better than I expected. It touches up my face where my foundation is wearing off, and I wont be heartbroken if it shatters on me. Win/win.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Pressed Powders -Bare Escentuals - READY SPF 15 Touch Up Veil
HunterGray 1/24/2012 7:11:00 PM
I have one of these in my makeup bag in my purse at all times. BE's original mineral veil has a slight shimmer to it, but this is completely matte, and absorbs oil very well without adding any cakiness to the face. It's translucent, so it doesn't give any coverage, but it makes your makeup blend beautifully when applied over foundation/blush, and makes your skin look so smooth. I like to use this after my foundation and setting powder just for an extra layer of oil control. I also like how sturdy the packaging is, it can really take a beating, so I dont worry about taking it along with me in my purse, ir when I travel. I comes with a sponge which is handy for on the go touch ups, but I like to dust it over the face with a fluffy powder brush. It does have a light scent of tea tree oil, which to me just smells really clean. It doesn't linger on your face after you apply it, and it hasn't caused my sensitive skin to react negatively. I do plan on repurchasing (I'm just about to hit pan now), and I'll probably pick up the tinted version for the summer months.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Revlon - Siren
HunterGray 1/21/2012 6:00:00 PM
Nc15ish, and I tend to like unusual and bright colors, so of course this caught my attention. It shows true to color on my lips, very orange, which is great, but it is also possible to sheer it out with lip balm for a more wearable look. I also like that the end of the tube is clear, so you can easily find what you're looking for in your makeup stash.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Pressed Powders -MAC - Mineralize Skinfinish Natural - Light Plus
HunterGray 1/21/2012 5:53:00 PM
I'm loving this. It matches my ~NC20 skin perfectly. My skin is combo, leaning more towards dry, so I like that this gives a satin, almost dewy finish. It looks great on its own, which is really nice for those days when I'm looking for a quick fix to even everything out. Coverage is light to medium, but very buildable. It works well for me as a setting powder too, buffed in with a kabuki brush, it really blends all of your makeup together nicely. I like to lightly dust MUFE's HD powder on top of that, and my makeup looks picture perfect all day. I'm not a very oily person, so I'm not sure how well it would work for someone with that skin type. I've been using it for a few weeks now, and it hasn't broken me out. I will repurchase.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Bare Escentuals - Buxom Lips Lip Gloss - ALL
HunterGray 1/5/2012 8:56:00 PM
I own several of these. The color is gorgeous, and they are very long-wearing. They are pretty sticky, which isn't pleasant for me, but it's worth it because they last so long on the lip. The minty tingle is ok, I'm not a huge fan of it though. Even after I take the gloss off, the feeling stays for a while and my boyfriend won't kiss me. Haha. Overall, these are nice glosses, but to me, they're not worth the price.
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Crème -Maybelline - Dream Smooth Mousse
HunterGray 1/2/2012 10:47:00 AM
I got a color that ended up being a little bit too pink for me, which is pretty easy to do because the packaging doesn't give you a great idea of what is inside. It was easy to work with, and the finish was nice, though. I put it on with a stippling brush, and it looked really natural. Unfortunately, about 4 hours after putting it on, it was starting to look cakey around my nose. I probably could have played around with different primers and powders to get it to last longer, but since the color was off, I didn't bother. Didn;t hate it, didn't love it. The search for an HG DS foundation continues.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -E.L.F. - Zit Zapper
HunterGray 1/2/2012 10:43:00 AM
I haven't had a deep cystic breakout in a while, but I almost always have an annoying whitehead just waiting to bubble up somewhere on my face. This does a great job at drying them up. I think it smells kind of nice too. I think the packaging is convenient, I haven't had any problems with it, and it is great for traveling. I don't think it would do much for deeper pimples, but nothing I've ever tried has. I'll repurchase3 this, it's super easy to just dab it on at night. 4/5 times, the next morning, the pimple is almost gone.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Equate - Ultra-Gentle Facial Moisturizer (Oil Free)
HunterGray 12/22/2011 10:46:00 AM
I had been using Bare Escentuals moisturizer for a while, and I loved how gentle it was, but was not in love with the price. A lot of products break me out, so I'm always wary of trying new things. This was, as it says on the bottle, incredibly gentle on my skin. It really doesn't have any scent at all, which is wonderful. Spf in my moisturizers give me deep, painful pimples, so the fact that this doesn't have sunscreen is for me, a plus. (My foundation/powder have spf, so I'm covered). I tend to have slightly dry skin, and this provides plenty of moisture, but doesn't feel greasy. I was looking for something that felt as lightweight and greaseless as BE's moisturizer, and I've found it. I will repurchase this over and over.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No