Blush -Cover Girl - TruBlend Naturally Luminous Blush - Shimmering Sands 
LindsAllie 9/9/2007 1:48:00 PM
Ok so I have to admit -- one reason why I quite like this product is because I'm really bad at blush. Always have been. For some reason, I end up either looking like a doll with two red cheek dots or a showgirl. I love the look of countour/pigment/highlight (in ascending order) but I just can't do it. Enter this light, slightly colored skin brightener. Yes it's kind of sheer, but for my pale skin, this stuff imparts plenty of pigment. It gives me color without giving me racing stripes, which I really appreciate. The down side it that the shimmery pigments really are a bit large and definitely noticable in sunlight, and tend to draw attention to blemishes rather than detract from them. Perhaps best for nighttime wear or for when skin is behaving nicely. Overall, a ton of good product for a fair price.
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Treatments -Alpha Hydrox - AHA Souffle 12 percent Glycolic AHA
LindsAllie 9/6/2007 6:25:00 PM
Well I really wanted to like this product, but unfortunately, my skin didn't. For one, I think my skin is just too sensitive for it. My skin responded to this the same way it does to benzyl peroxide -- increased 'bad' oil production and in turn made me break out. Those with similar (sensitive) skin tendencies be wary!
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Liquid -Maybelline - Pure Makeup [DISCONTINUED]
LindsAllie 8/28/2007 9:52:00 AM
So I used this product for my last year of college and my first two years of grad school. During that time, my skin was definitely problematic, but I didn't think too much of it, as it's been acting up for years. After persistent cystic acne failed to improve -- in fact, got worse -- and as I approached my mid-twenties, I decided it was time to troubleshoot my beauty routine. I saw significant improvement by altering my skincare routine; however, I couldn't seem to kick some of the same skin problems I'd been having for years. So finally, I gave the poor, innocent-looking "Pure" makeup the boot. It took about two weeks to get what was under my skin to the surface, but after that, I have yet to have one serious zit. I still have the occasional surface zit caused by hormones, humidity, etc, but NOTHING like I'd had for the past couple years. I am so glad to finally be rid of this stuff -- I can't believe my foundation was causing my bad skin for two years and I didn't even know it! I loved Maybelline's old Shine Free liquid foundation and since this was meant to replace it I didn't suspect that it might be causing problems. Particularly for those with my skin type (sensitive skin that tends to get oily when irritated): Be wary of this one!
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Cleansers -Burt's Bees - Deep Cleansing Cream with Soap Bark and Chamomile
LindsAllie 8/28/2007 9:41:00 AM
Gee I am so glad I bought this before reading MUA -- I usually agree with the consensus within .5 of the overall rating, but not so with this one! I absolutely love this cleanser! Maybe it was reformulated recently or something, but I don't find it to sting or burn or even bother my eyes at all, and my skin is rather sensitive. After just several days of using this, my acne-prone skin has cleared up almost completely, and not even that -- after I wash my face with this cleanser I don't want to put on foundation because my skin looks so good on its own. This is quite a new experience for me because I'm usually obsessed with even skin tone!! It doesn't strip my skin of moisture, yet doesn't leave it feeling greasy either. That being said, after using this cleanser I do always follow up with a quick rinse off with Purpose cleanser; it's probably unnecessary to do so, but because this product has oil in it I want to be sure it isn't hanging out on my face all day. This stuff is amazing -- give it a try!
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Styling Products -Jonathan - Silky Dirt
LindsAllie 8/27/2007 1:32:00 PM
As one other reviewer said, I agree that this stuff makes my first day hair look like second-day hair, which for me means it is still thick-looking yet shiny and smooth. And this is great for times when I really need my freshly showered hair to behave. Further, unlike many of the reviewers I rather liked the smell and I didn't find it to be greasy or to weigh my (long, thick, slightly frizzy) hair down. My main gripe with it is that it makes my second-day hair look like first-day hair! Day two after using this, I wake up to slightly frizzy, dull hair, which is a bit of a bummer. I think this happens because Antin's Silky Dirt leaves behind a fair amount of build up -- I can feel it when I run my fingers through my hair. That said, though, I've found the problem of second-day dull, frizziness is nothing Paul Mitchell's Super Skinny Serum can't fix; not sure about the ideological soundness of solving product buildup with more product, but in my experience, a nice, thorough wash can absolve a world of hair sins. It should also be noted that my issues with this product are not big enough to stop me from using or buying it again, because there are times when I really need the service it provides -- for instance, right now I just got out of the shower and I NEED my hair to look decent in a few hours and can't afford to wait for it to fix itself my tomorrow morning, in which case, Silky Dirt really does the trick.
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Powder -Amazing Cosmetics - Velvet Mineral
LindsAllie 8/27/2007 1:12:00 PM
After giving BE a try, I liked the concept of mineral makeup but found my skin doesn't like bismuth oxychloride, so off I went on a search for a comparable (but less irritating) mineral makeup. When I first put this one on, I loved it: gives a nice, smooth finish -- not shiny but not deathly matte. Another plus is that it never broke me out. So imagine my disappointment when I look in a mirror less than two hours later and *poof* all of it is gone! With no face-rubbing, excessive wind, etc, I truly don't know where it went! While I think this a downside of powder forms of mineral makeup in general, this was by far the worst of all I've tried. And for those wondering: I do use a primer before applying, so that ain't it either. Maybe not everyone will have the experience I did with the Amazing (Disappearing) Cosmetics, but mine went back to Ulta after a week and a half. Have since started using the Urban Decay mineral makeup and would recommend it to those in the market for a good mineral makeup that's not BE.
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Foundations -Urban Decay - Surreal Skin Mineral Makeup
LindsAllie 8/27/2007 1:02:00 PM
Perhaps I should start by saying that I'm not a fan of wearing (any) mineral powder foundation as my primary foundation; after all-day wear, each that I've tried (including this one) winds up wearing off significantly, leaving me blotchy and uneven. Though I don't need a lot of coverage, I do like the 'even' look foundation provides and am not in favor of ceding mine to the elements midday. So I tend to use a liquid foundation as primary and use mineral makeup to set it and *where possible* provide that somewhat airbrushed look. And for my purposes, this mineral makeup works quite well. It provides good coverage and gives me a nice matte finish -- my only quibble with it is that it looks a bit 'flat' for my taste. True, BE overdoes it with all that pearlescent sheen, but this one could stand to provide a bit more glow. (Caveat: While I somewhat admire the pearly glow of BE, the large amount of bismuth oxychloride in it that causes said glow makes me break out; this one only has a tiny bit of bis. ox. in it and has yet to cause me any damage). That being said, though, this is my favorite mineral makeup of all the ones I've tried. I have sensitive skin and this doesn't irritate it in the slightest. For those disappointed by mineral makeups in the past, I really think this one won't disappoint: give it a try!
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Liquid -Make Up For Ever - Mat Velvet PLUS Matifying Foundation
LindsAllie 8/27/2007 12:47:00 PM
I really like this stuff -- with Make Up For Ever's Shine On (compact version) over this, my skin looks soo pretty. I have recently actually been getting compliments on it, which for me is unheard of. My skin type is such that, when not irritated, it is not oily; however, the strong majority of foundations that I've tried have, after several hours of wear, wound up either irritating my skin and causing it to get oily or containing some nasty ingredient that causes me to break out (case in point: BE and its infamous star ingredient, bismuth oxychloride). This foundation manages to do neither. Particularly when used in conjunction with some sort of setting or oil-control powder, I wind up staying matte for several hours and when I do need a blot, I am happy to find I only need a quick dab (as opposed to those foundations that make you fly through a whole pack of blotters in one week). Adding MUFE's blotting powder on top, I've found, really sets it and enhances the foundation's mattifying properties. Additionally, I've found the coverage to be lovely and, if necessary, buildable. It has yet to cause my skin to break out. For those let down by my many foundations in the past, give this one a try before succumbing to foundation atheism! EDIT: knocking this one down two lippies after wearing it several months. it does give great coverage and looks pretty on, but after not wearing it for about three weeks, I've realized it made my sensitive skin oily and clogged my pores with continual use. I now much prefer Everyday Minerals, which is much lighter on and doesn't clog my pores at ALL.
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Cleansers -Purpose - Gentle Cleansing Wash
LindsAllie 8/27/2007 12:29:00 PM
For me, face wash needs to a) get my makeup off, b) manage not to irritate my erratic skin and kick the 'bad' oil into overdrive, c) not leave any sort of film and d) not for any reason cause me to break out. For those who say that Purpose is basic and as such not miracle-working, I would have to disagree, because for me a 'basic' face wash that manages a, b, c and d is something I haven't found in the drugstore or otherwise. I have tried nearly every drugstore cleanser and a generous selection of the seriously pricey stuff and nothing has worked so well as this. I do tend to need a tiny bit of moisturizer to avoid slight dryness, but even without it the dryness is just that: slight. I have seen quite an improvement in my skin after using this. Particularly for those whose skin can tend to get oily due to product sensetivity, I say this is a must!
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