Lipstick -Cover Girl - Lip Perfection
12catcrazy 3/12/2012 5:04:00 PM
I bought this lipstick in #295 Rich. Beautiful color, applies nicely, but I've found it to be a bit on the drying side (I use lip balm underneath). Packaging is okay for a drugstore lipstick - I like that you can see the color on the bottom, and the square-shaped case is attractive and easy to grab (and doesn't roll away). My major complaint about this lipstick is the smell, and worst, the taste. This lippie smells like something chemical - almost like plastic, and tastes like an unpleasantly scented soap (yes! it's THAT vile). I had to laugh when I saw "Proctor & Gamble" on the case - sorry Cover Girl/P & G - looks as if the soap dept got mixed up with the makeup - try again! Honestly, as much as I like the color of this lippie, I would not purchase again because of the taste. With all of the flavorings out there (how about MINT?), I can't believe they couldn't have made this lipstick taste less vile.
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Mascara -L'Oreal - Telescopic Explosion in Blackest Black
12catcrazy 12/16/2011 3:54:00 PM
One of the worst mascaras that I've ever tried! I was intriqued by the different style applicator (as others have described it, like a "Medieval Ball " i.e. a Mace), and I've seen some postive reviews, so why not give it a try? First off, the "Mace" applicator takes a bit of getting used to - I've found it best to start at the very base of your lashes and go up vertically. Do NOT use this in a horizon back and forth motion (talk about clump city). Applying it vertically (and making sure the applicator didn't have excess product on it) gave me nice lenght without clumping. Applying more than one coat risks getting clumps, so if you want to add coats, have an eyelash comb or clean spoolie handy. While the "Mace" worked great for my upper lashes, I found applying the mascara to my lower lashes difficult to do without making a mess, which is a minus. And speaking of "a mess", I found that this mascara both flaked AND smudged something awful. The flaking seems to start within 4 hours of application, and the more coats, the worse the flaking (but it even flaked with one coat). And within 6 hours, I had the dreaded black smudges under my eyes. Yuck! Sorry, L'Oreal, you scrwed up big time with this mascara!
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Mascara -Longcils Boncza - Cake Mascara in Black 
12catcrazy 11/29/2011 5:44:00 PM
I'm old enough to remember when cake mascara was a cheap, drugstore staple. My first mascara was my mother's Maybelline cake mascara which came in a small, red plastic box circa 1971, so nostalgia, and very sensitive eyes compelled me to try this pricey French mascara. First off, the packaging is beautiful, and very well made, although sort of a waste of space. The mascara cake itself is only about 1" diameter, so most of the compact is really made to fit the too-large brush. There is a learning curve when using cake mascara. If you decide to try this, do yourself a favor and get yourself another brush. A clean mascara wand, a disposable "spoolie" or best yet, one of those little interdent teeth cleaners will work better than the included brush. Moisten the brush of choice with just a bit of water - you don't want the mascara too wet - paste-like is what you're aiming for here. Then apply to your lashes. This stuff can go from very natural-looking to a little bit dramatic (for more drama, use a lash primer first). You have to play with it, and it isn't going to be as fast as using a tube mascara. I need to curl my lashes before using any mascara, and I find the curl holds well with this mascara. My sensitive eyes like it (no burning like I get with so many tube mascaras), and I don't have problems with either flaking or smudging. This is also more waterproof than what you'd think, but it won't hold up to a rainstorm or a flood of tears (but then again, most regular mascaras won't either). Is it worth the price? I think it is, as the cake will last a long time, and the packaging is beautiful. I've also tried La Femme cake mascara (which sells for under 10 bucks), and I like this one better as I get some eye stinging with the La Femme. If your eyes aren't as sensitive as mine, the La Femme would be worth a try. I'm giving Loncils Bonzca an overall rating of 4 because I feel that a smaller, more user-friendly brush should be included. The compact is also on the large size to be lugging around in a purse. All in all, a nice product, which I will buy again.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Unlisted Brand - Monave Mineral Foundation
12catcrazy 10/3/2011 5:25:00 PM
I've been wearing Monave Mineral Foundation for at least the past 6 years, and it's my HG foundation. I've tried many other mineral foundations, and always keep coming back to Monave. I have light skin with rosacea and lots of small broken veins on my face (think of a road map of New Jersey). I use a mixture of Monave regular foundation and concealer foundation, and that gives me good coverage without being too heavy. I apply the makeup with a taklon flat-top brush, which also helps with coverage. My skin has alot of "color" in it - peachy/pink, and a mixture of Ashlie and Amy matches my skin perfectly. In the summer, I can wear straight Amy, and if I need to be a bit darker, I can mix Tan Girl with Amy, and still have the perfect shade. One of the things that I love about this foundation is that it doesn't look as if I'm wearing makeup, and people have commented to me about my "nice' (HA!) skin. I've worn this makeup on 100 degree plus days in the humidity, combined with hot flashes, and it stays on my face! I've also turned 4 other people on to this foundation, and they love it almost as much as I do. I will say that if you have very oily skin, I'd also suggest getting some seracite powder to try with this foundation (Monave also sells it)as excess oil will make even this foundation "move". If you're thinking of trying this makeup, I'd suggest emailing the company and getting color recomendations. Monave seems to have alot of shades for women of color as well as pale ladies like me, but it's important to get the right tone for your skin (it will make a BIG difference in how this foundation looks on your skin). Finally, pricing is very good, and a little of this stuff goes a long way! Monave shadows and blushes are also nice, and I like their lippies as well.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Primer -Urban Decay - Eyeshadow Primer Potion - Original (UDPP)
12catcrazy 3/9/2006 9:28:00 PM
I can see why other reviewers have said that this stuff is like crack - I just started using it last week and never want to be without it again! I wear mostly loose mineral eyeshadows, and while creasing isn't a major big deal, I wanted to find something to help the mineral shadows really stick to my eyelids, and UD PP does the trick and then some. The color stays bright and true, no creasing at all, and 8 hours after I've applied my makeup, it still looks fresh. This is a HG product for sure - if Urban Decay stops making this stuff, I can imagine women every where declaring war and storming company headquarters to bring it back!
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Mascara -L'Oreal - Volume Shocking Mascara [DISCONTINUED]
12catcrazy 10/22/2005 10:44:00 AM
I've gotta say that I cracked up reading some of the reviews on this product - this board is more entertaining than most tv shows! Anyway, time to add my 2 cents worth about this product. I am a mascara junkie, but refuse to pay 20 bucks plus for dept store brands. I love the L'oreal Double Extend, so I thought that this was going to be very exciting - it is, but only if you like excess. This mascara made me think of something I once read about the makeup tricks of 1930s actresses and showgirls. They used to melt some kind of wax to use as a mascara which would give them the effect of burnt matchsticks on their eyelashes. Well this stuff is burnt matchsticks and then some! Think 1960s Dolly Bird, Think Disco Era Excess, Think Tammy Faye - this is THE LOOK! This stuff reminds me of the Yardley Gel mascara I used to use in the 70s to get thoese Glued On Spider Legs eyelashes I craved in thoese days! I can't imagine getting this stuff to look natural. The primer goes on nicely, but the brush is scary - don't apply if in a hurry. And use a hand mirror if your eyesight isn't the greatest, because the primer will make your lashes look invisable. I used about 3 coats of the primer - doesn't go on as thickly as the Double Extend white primer. As others have mentioned, the mascara applies with a comb (I remember using a comb masacara back in the early 80s - no new revelation here). The mascara is very wet and sticks together big time. I don't know if "clumping" is the right term for what it does, but it will turn your lashes into spikes. I quickly took an eyebrow brush and tried to seperate them - it worked but you can't wait. I also put on a 2nd coat of the mascara but mainly on the end of the lashes to give them a bit more lift. I have long, but sparse, stick straight lashes and this did give them some uplift and curl. I wore this mascara for a good 8 hours with no smudging or flaking; after about 12 hours it did start to flake a little tiny bit, which isn't bad! I don't understand where a few people had trouble removing the mascara - all you need is a little warm water and its gone! It's so water soluable, that I wouldn't recommend wearing it out in the rain or to a wedding or anywhere else that you're going to cry, because its going to be running right down your face. All in all, for ME, it was an okay mascara. I don't mind looking like an aging drag queen at times, and I wear glasses, so extra-heavy duty spider lashes can be a good thing. I wouldn't recommend this mascara for most women though. If you want the Twiggy/Tammy Faye look, go for it, if not, pass this on by, 'cause you'll probably hate it. The packaging is big and bulky and I found the handles very awkward to hold. It looks as if they based the package design on thoese "white out" tape dispensers - its about the same size and shape - bleh. And as others have suggested, if you feel like giving this a try, buy only from a store with a good cosmetics returns policy and keep the receipt, just in case. Edited this because after using this product for a year, it's become my HG masacara. I've found that the trick is using a dry spoolie or clean mascara wand to seperate your lashes after the mascara application. Yeah, it takes a minute or two longer, but for me its worth it! Dramatic lashes that last the day and then some! It doesn't irritate my eyes or make them sting, which is great, because so many mascaras DO. Plus it gives my lashes curl without using the dreaded eyelash curler. Again, this isn't a product for everyone (esp if you are looking for "natural" looking lashes) but if you want a dramatic look and don't mind taking an extra bit of time to do it right, you won't be disappointed.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Aromaleigh - Glissade mineral foundation powder [DISCONTINUED]
12catcrazy 1/18/2005 6:51:00 PM
I am 47, and have rosacea, lots of tiny broken veins on my face, an oily t-zone, and fine lines, so I need a product which offers good coverage without looking heavy or cakey, and which won't make my skin worse. Here is the good news about Glissade - it is a very nice product that can be applied either wet or dry, with a brush, flocked sponge, or even your fingers for easily customized, buildable coverage. The finish is matte, but NOT ultra-matte, and looks very natural. I applied it wet with a flocked sponge, and when it dried, I went over it with some more dry product applied with a taklon foundation brush and got very good, but not heavy-looking coverage. Finding your color might be a bit tricky - the product comes in something like 30 plus shades and most people have to blend to get their exact match. Its good if you don't mind "tweaking" and if you want a perfect color match. Its a pain if you're not into making the effort. Aromaleigh has a forum on site, and the ladies there are very helpful in helping newbies pick their colors. AL also offers inexpensive samples and you can buy as many as you want - take advantage of this! Here is the bad news - 3 days of using Glissade undid all of the good that 3 months of using AL skincare did for my skin. I had a major breakout which included some weird cyst-like things which still haven't totally healed. My skin doesn't always like heavily silicone laden products, so I knew that I was taking a chance. If you get reactions from either silicones or parabens, use this stuff at your own risk! For the rest of you, this might wind up being a HG product - I'm very disappointed that I didn't have good luck with it!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Aromaleigh - Acne Spot Treatment [DISCONTINUED]
12catcrazy 12/4/2004 8:05:00 PM
I was skeptical about this product, but decided to give it a try. I'm 47 and have had rosacea since I've been a teenager. Nothing seems to really help it other than antibiotics - didn't even have much luck with metrogel - until I tried this stuff! I've been using it for almost a month, and my skin is looking almost as good as the last time I was on zithromax! I wash my face with one of the AR face washes, then spritz with the AR hydrolate toner for sensitive skin. I then spritz twice in my palm and add a couple of drops of AR Nuture serum and a drop of AST and pat over my face. At night, I repeat, except most of the time use 2 drops of the AST only, and pat over my face. Most of the time, any zits I've got developing the night before, are gone in the morning, and with no irritation. This stuff may not work for everyone, but it works great for ME!
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Lip Gloss -Lancome - Juicy Tubes in Sun Bronze
12catcrazy 9/16/2004 8:55:00 PM
I got a small size of this in a GWP and loved it so much that I ran out and bought the full size tube! I am fair complected, and on me the color is a pinkish/brownish/mauvish shade. A perfect neutral when I don't want screaming red lips! My only complaint is the smell and taste. I wish that Lancome would make unscented/unflavored lip glosses!
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Lotions/ Creams -Neutrogena - Norwegian Formula Hand Cream
12catcrazy 4/13/2004 9:43:00 PM
I've been using this product since 1982, and I haven't found anything as good for my hands. I used to work in a stained glass studio and had to wash my hands as many as 10 times a day. They became cracked and sore and my boss recommended this cream to me. Within a few days my hands were soft and healing. The texture is kind of like an ointment, and if you use more than a very small amount, it can be greasy, but small annoyances for a wonderful product!
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