Blush -BeneFit Cosmetics - Bella Bamba
Abrial 2/9/2013 8:55:00 PM
I absolutely LOVE this blush for my extremely pale skin. It is incredibly pigmented and I need the smallest amount to get pink cheeks. Bella Bamba is the perfect color for my skin tone, being both bright and glowy. I have a gripe with all Benefit blushes however...who in the world came up with this packaging? Yes it looks all cute and adorable as all Benefit products do, but you travel with this once (even taking good care of it) and it looks like its been through a war. There is always the price factor too. As far as blushes go, this is on the pricier side. Whether it is worth it or not is completely dependent on if you take it anywhere with you. I honestly would not repurchase this until they have more sturdy packaging, but I will love it while I have it, no matter how battered it looks.
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Lip Gloss -BeneFit Cosmetics - Ultra Plush Lip Gloss
Abrial 2/9/2013 8:49:00 PM
What is the point of a product like this really??? It looks pretty in the tube, absolutely gorgeous, however it is so incredibly sheer. What it looks like in the tube is pretty much impossible to get on you lips no matter how much you put on. The lasting power of this is absolutely pathetic, you lick or nibble your lips once and it is completely 100% gone. Not worth the price.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -BeneFit Cosmetics - "Hello Flawless!" Oxygen Wow
Abrial 2/9/2013 8:44:00 PM
When I was tan in the past I was capable of wearing this foundation, however at this moment it is just too dark. However even if they had my shade...I wouldn't wear it. I now know why they call it "Oxygen Wow", more like Wow it Oxidizes like crazy. This foundation darkens like no other. This foundation can look absolutely when applying it to a person's face, however an hour after the makeup is done it does not look like it matches what so ever. Then there is the texture...I don't know why but it never seems like this foundation fully dries because of this slightly waxy texture. All in all not something I would even try again, better drugstore foundations than this expensive worthless item.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Crème -BeneFit Cosmetics - Some Kind-A Gorgeous
Abrial 2/9/2013 8:37:00 PM
This is a foundation that only looks good on a few...and just does not react with some people's skin types very well. Most especially for those that have dry skin like myself, now I am too pale for this product, the color selection for this product...not so good. Despite this looking bad on dry skin (shows off any dry patches) it also tends to break down quite quickly on the skin for those that are oily. The compact is pretty cute, but cute packaging isn't worthy of buying a product. For me this is completely a fail.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -BeneFit Cosmetics - Ooh la lift!
Abrial 2/9/2013 8:30:00 PM
This product really doesn't do anything. It blends to the point that it is nonexistent but maybe that is because of my extremely pale skin. As much as I would like to use this to correct it just isn't pigmented enough compared to my beloved Bobbi Brown corrector. It is moisturizing, but even when I work for Benefit freelance I still cannot manage to explain what it is exactly useful forever...and neither can the managers. Go figure.
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Masks -LUSH - Catastrophe Cosmetic
Abrial 3/19/2012 12:38:00 AM
This was a good face mask...how ever at least for me, it is definitely not LUSH's best. Normally I use Oatafix face mask, which smells like Oatmeal cookies on your skin. I like that one because it is very hydrating, but due to the fact that they were out at my LUSH this was the next best thing. The smell how ever was something that I could barely tolerate, it was very perfumy in the scent of roses and blueberries. I put this on my face and walked by my roommate and she said "Eww that smells so strong". One fantastic thing about LUSH face masks are the amount that you get. It doesn't seem like a lot, and I've known some people to get disappointed at how much is there, but a little goes a very long way. I actually ended up wasting almost a quarter of it, because I couldn't use it fast enough, I will definitely freeze half next time. With sensitive acne prone skin, I don't think this mask did me any favors. Instead of soothing my skin, it seems more red and angry than it did previously, at first I thought it was just pulling everything to the surface, but this mask didn't seem to impart any lasting benefits to my skin. So in the end...it did not break me out, but it did not make my skin any better. I just look for AMAZING when it comes to face masks and this is not it, I think I will stick to the oatafix mask.
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Top/Base Coats -China Glaze - Fast Forward Top Coat
Abrial 12/24/2011 6:48:00 PM
This bottle of nail top coat did me well for quite a while. But noticeably when I started getting half way through it just did not work the same. It did extend the lifetime of my manicures, but once it did chip, it was extremely easy to just peel the rest of the nail polish right off. I found that if I was not careful, a whole nail or toe nail of polish would actually just flake off in a whole piece. It does dry relatively quick at first, but once you get farther down in the bottle. That time is extended from 2 minutes to about 10. Even then I can still notice marks on my nails if I go to bed with them 2 hours after painting them. Yes it works absolutely fantastic at first, but the farther you get into the bottle the worse it is. Its not the worst top coat out there, it just isn't the best especially for the price. I will continue my search for the perfect top coat, because this isn't it.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Colorburst Lip Butter
Abrial 12/17/2011 12:56:00 AM
Are the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters really worth all of the hype that they are getting through YouTube? I'm not so sure. Is it a great lipstick? Yes it is! They are a nice creamy formula that I absolutely love, and it kind of reminds me of Benefit's Silky Finish Lipsticks, which are my all time favorite. The only thing that isn't quite up to par to its Benefit counterpart is the Revlon does not last quite as long. Because of that I can imagine that I will probably go through these lippies quite quickly, so in the end it actually might be more cost efficient to get the higher end lipstick that you need less of. The colors, out of the four that I have are fantastic. They are quite pigmented and have a great color range. Although I have to admit it is extremely hard to find in stores, and could only be found in one Target out of 4 and they shelves were bare at 3 CVS. So I'm pretty sure all of those empty shelves are testament to how great this product is. The only reason I am giving this 4 lippies instead of 5 is because I've found something better. But in the drugstore range, this is the absolute best that I have tried.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -MAC - Studio Sculpt SPF 15 Foundation
Abrial 12/16/2011 10:56:00 PM
At first I must admit I was very skeptical about this product, mainly because I have heard so many mixed reviews. I however absolutely love it. I am a firm believer that it is rare to actually break out from a foundation if you take the proper steps to cleanse your face after using it (or if your allergic to ingredients which is another story). I have been breaking out a bit lately, but that is more because of a botched attempt at using another facial cleanser. This is commonly suggested for those of normal to dry skin since it tends to be more on the moisturizing side. I can imagine that it would exacerbate any oily areas, and chances are would make your skin very dewy. My sahara desert dry skin absolutely loves this foundation. One bad thing is that it tends to absorb it up, using a bit more product than I would like to use. I've tried many different brushes, sponges, and yet my preferred application method is to use my fingers to apply the foundation. Once it is set a little I take a little Fix + or water, spray my face lightly, and buff it in a little with a flat top brush. It feels like a tinted moisturizer on the skin being so light weight, but with the medium to buildable coverage of a normal foundation. The thing I like most about this is you don't look like you have a foundation on. It looks like skin! Flawless skin. Now one thing that I was iffy on was my color. I am one of those people who is extremely pale. I always thought I was an NW15 and that usually matched me perfectly. This time however I was matched to NC15. When I set the new foundation against the an NW concealer they were almost identical save for the fact that the NC version was a little more neutral, and actually neutralized some of the pinkiness on my face. Despite it not being a perfect color match, it actually suits me better...so really do get color matched for each foundation, because despite MAC being one cohesive line, the foundations do differ slightly.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Garnier - Anti-Dark-Circle Eye Roller
Abrial 11/21/2011 12:15:00 AM
I absolutely adore this products, and it is one that I shall never live without again. But I wish it came in more colors. I have crazy dark eye circles thanks to swim goggles tightly against my face for many hours every day for years. It is basically impossible for the most opaque of concealers to cover my dark circles. This is an added layer that helps counter the purple under my eyes. If I didn't have such dark circles I can imagine this alone would be very effective at covering them. But after I let this sink in for a few minutes and lightly blend I put on top a concealer. It is a light and bright champagne yellow color that is very brightening. Occasionally I will use this alone if I am feeling lazy and don't want to bother putting on makeup. I've found this makes me look so much more awake, and it kind of gives my eyes a glowy effect. One real downside to this product is that it only comes in one color, this would definitely not work for those who have dark or tanned skin. Right now it is fantastic because it is winter and I am pale, but I can imagine that during the summer this would not work for my skin tone.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair Removal -eos - Shave Cream Ultra Moisturizing Pomegranate Raspberry
Abrial 11/20/2011 11:32:00 PM
I'm honestly surprised that this has such bad ratings. Yes it doesn't foam...does it claim to foam? Not from what I can see. Its up to personal preference on where you would like your shave gel to foam. I mainly use this when it comes to shaving dry. Often I don't have time or energy when I'm showering at night to shave my legs too. It smells nice, keeps my legs extremely moisturized even after I shave and wash off my legs. It is a fresh clean Raspberry scent, that is not overpowering. Is it the best shave gel ever? No. Is it good enough to buy it again? Definitely.
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Fragrances -Elizabeth Arden - With Love by Hilary Duff
Abrial 11/2/2011 8:51:00 PM
This is a very deep and complex scent, something I never really expected from Hilary Duff. The scent is something I would only wear during the winter because it is very heavy and potent. When I say heavy I mean it, I sprayed a little on my arm from a long distance away mainly to figure out the notes running through. After washing my arm 4 times, I can still smell it as I am typing. I don't really get the fruitiness that others have described, nor the sweetness. The reason I got this was because of many people describing this is a vanilla type scent, and for some reason I just don't smell it. All I get is extreme spiciness. Its not a bad scent, but unfortunately something inside it gives me a splitting headache. Although even if it didn't give me headache, I honestly don't think I would ever wear this, its just a little too spicy.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Milani - Bare to Wear
Abrial 11/1/2011 3:08:00 PM
This is one of those polishes that look just bleh in the bottle, but look fantastic on the nails. It is a cool beige color that tends to lean more towards the gray/purple side. This is not a color I would normally go towards, but now that fall and winter is coming it looks amazing against my pale skin. I adore the thin formula which makes the polish dry extremely fast and very hard. A downside to this is that it may take more coats, I usually use about 3 just to insure that it is 100% opaque. This also happens to be one of the longest wearing polishes EVER! It lasts longer than all of my Orly, OPI, and Essie polishes; this polish basically lasts until I take it off...I've tested it, and it lasted on vacation for 10 days before a nail chipped (used a topcoat on it of course). This is the first Milani product that I have ever tried, and this has gotten me motivated to try their other polishes and products.
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Shampoo -Unlisted Brand - One 'n Only - Argan Oil Moisture Repair Shampoo
Abrial 10/31/2011 7:25:00 PM
I have very long blond wavy hair, that used to be pretty damaged after going through a faze of crazy colored highlights and dying it every color under the sun. Now that I am back to my natural strawberry blond I need some severe repair. I tried Moroccan hair products and absolutely loved it, but the price was almost too much to choke. With extremely thick hair I tend to go through shampoo and conditioner like crazy, even when using it sparingly. I found this in Sally's and its the Moroccan line's smell that I grew to adore. I cannot even explain how often I am complemented on smelling good because of that scent. I picked this up and used it immediately, I could not tell the difference between the two shampoos. Also the ingredients were extremely similar, but One n' Only used more natural products. To One n' Only I switched. A warning though, this will gunk up your hair if you use it for prolonged periods. I used a gentle clarifying shampoo every once and a while so I did not get any buildup. This is really great product for repairing damaged hair and it is quite natural, being one of the few sulfate free shampoos on the market. Compared to Moroccan Oil Hair products, this is very inexpensive, and lasts quite a long time. I doubt I will spend that much on a hair product ever again.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair Color -Revlon - Colorsilk
Abrial 10/21/2011 6:48:00 PM
I have naturally dark blonde hair that gets bleached really light by the sun. During a winter about 4 years ago I got annoyed of waiting for it to turn lighter so I dyed it. From then on I dyed it tons of different colors just for kicks and giggles. I always used Revlon Colorsilk. This is the only hair color that my hair actually feels better after using, it makes your hair so silky and smooth. Only issue is I have to use 3 boxes...I have super thick hair, so it can get expensive when buying that many boxes each time. My hair is back to its natural strawberry blonde, and I upkeep it with just a little bit of John Frieda Go Blonder Spray once every couple months. If I ever have to go back to dying my hair...hopefully not anytime soon. I will definitely use this color.
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