BB Cream -Bobbi Brown - BB Cream SPF 35 PA+++
AgeJ 4/24/2013 10:12:00 PM
I have pretty high expectations of brands Bobbi Brown, being high end and all, unfortunately this bb cream hasn't quite lived up to them... However, my main gripe with this product is the lightest shade named 'extra light' (the one I bought) is around an NC20, hardly extra light at all! I'm just a tad lighter than NC15, so I have to mix this down with something lighter - which is not uncommon for me to have to do with a foundation or bb cream, but it's still frustrating that it's not a proper color match. So all in all, not so great for the incredibly pale, I didn't really touch on this but the retail price is *quite* expensive, but great coverage and great formulation. But probably wouldn't repurchase unless I get more tanned (not likely considering I like being pale!).
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Urban Decay - Naked Palette
AgeJ 4/5/2013 10:40:00 PM
I was really late to hop onto the Urban Decay bandwagon, I don't like to just buy a palette because it's new and there's a lot of talk around the beauty community about it. I already had the Naked 2 palette, which I use quite often and love, but I was still really keen to get my hands on the original, because of the more warm tones of the shadows which I feel would compliment the undertones of my skin (I have warm undertones). I really love this palette - I feel like the two matte brown shades make it way more complete than the Naked 2. The quality of the shadows is phenomenal - wouldn't expect anything less from UD, but still, just great. I really need shadows to last all day, and these definitely live up to my all-day expectations! Also worth noting that the consistency of every shade is just so smooth, and doesn't make my very dry eye area/eyelids feel dry, which is excellent. Taking points off for the lack of accessibility, and for the packaging - I live in Australia and so I had to buy it online. Also the one I got was a bit sloppy in make, the names of the shadows are cut off by the shadow pans. But other than that, A+!
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Primer/ Corrector -Skindinavia - Makeup Finishing Spray
AgeJ 4/5/2013 7:01:00 PM
I was extremely reluctant to buy this - $29 for 4 oz of product is a big investment (or potentially a big waste if the product is bad). I'm in Australia, and as far as I know there isn't any retailer or otherwise that sells Skindinavia, so I didn't have the opportunity to try before buying. But I decided that the risk could really pay off, and bought the regular 4 oz bottle online. So first off, my skin is very dry (but I can get shiny on my nose and forehead), and I need a way to keep my skin/makeup dewy and not powdery. I am usually at University or work, and almost every day that I use makeup I need it to last 8+ hours with minimal touchups. Even after hearing amazing things about this product, I was still skeptical about the power of setting sprays in general - they do sound like a marketing hoax in a lot of ways to be perfectly honest. How I use it on days when I REALLY need makeup to last, I will spray it after my foundation + concealer, then spray again after I have finished eyes/rest of my face, including face powder. Otherwise I will just spray it once after all my makeup is on. I am completely hooked on this! It makes my makeup look so dewy and natural, even when I have a full face of makeup on. It increases the staying power so much, I don't have to constantly touch up during the day anymore. The spray pump dispenses the product in a really nice fine mist, which means minimal product for maximum effect! I can't imagine running out of it anytime soon. I can't vouch for its oil-controlling properties, seeing as my face literally never gets oily. But based on my experience, I'd say that it doesn't have any kind of mattifying effect. Oily skinned gals would be better off getting the matte version of this (I can't remember what it's called). There's no denying it's expensive, but it's so worth it! A+
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -Too Faced - Natural Eye Kit
AgeJ 3/5/2013 4:59:00 AM
This is the first Too Faced product I've ever used, and I must say I'm impressed! The quality of the shades is top notch, they're so buttery and easy to apply. The color selection is nice too, although I feel as though 'silk teddy' and 'nude beach' are almost repeats of eachother, they're awfully similar. The only shade I'm not overly impressed with is 'heaven', it's not very pigmented, but the color and consistency is so nice I'm willing to overlook it, it's actually become my 'blending' shade, so at least I could find a positive use for it. Although the packaging is cute, I feel as though it could have been slightly more compact, it's not very travel friendly. All in all, amazing value for money palette with the kind of shades that are really trending right now, A+!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -L'Oreal - Lumi Magique Foundation
AgeJ 3/3/2013 6:44:00 PM
I'm actually quite surprised by the negative reviews here, most of the complaints about this product, in my opinion, are not substantiated at all! I'm a touch lighter than NC-15, have very dry skin with acne scars. I really need a foundation to be medium-build-able coverage and also brighten my complexion and not settle into the fine lines I do have (from dryness, not from age, ironically...). To break it down, The Pro's: - The 'feel' of the foundation onto the skin, it feels way better than many of the 'stock' foundations like Colorstay, it's lightweight and it doesn't feel like you have a full face of makeup on with this. - The coverage, I was expecting a light coverage based on what reviewers have said and also by the title of the product, as I find anything that claims to be illuminating is pretty much a euphemism for sheer. However the coverage is definitely medium to full, a very pleasant surprise! Although I do apply with the eco-tools stippling brush, which is really dense and utilizes the full potential of liquid foundations like no-ones business. - The color selection is really nicely divided into cool tones, neutral tones and warm tones, which is a really nice way of giving the consumer more options and getting as close a match as possible. (I use N1, which is just the tiniest touch too dark, but even still, it's a pretty close match). - The lasting power is phenomenal, so many MUA's here described it as lackluster, but honestly this was on par with something like Colorstay or Pro Longwear in my opinion. Part of that could be attributed to my primer, but even still, it's a good 7 - 10 hours without touchups. - The illuminating effect is really nice, I think it actually does have some shimmer in it, but it's so fine that you really can't tell, it's no Photoready, that's for sure. - The packaging is great, sleek and practical with a pump, something that I'm always wishing for in a foundation! The Con's: - The coverage. I did list this in the the Pro's section, but it's not quite a full coverage foundation. I really do need some hefty concealing on my worse blemishes. - The price is a little steep for a drugstore foundation, I was lucky enough to find it at 40% off, but I'd never pay full price for it. Overall, I think this is an amazing foundation, but I have to say it would be way better for dry skin than oily, which is too bad but it's just the nature of the product.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Wet 'n' Wild - Silk Finish Blush - Mellow Wine 833D
AgeJ 2/28/2013 2:02:00 AM
*I have the colour icon version of this, for reference* I ordered this online after hearing so many positive reviews, and it didn't disappoint! The formulation is way up there with brands like Mac, Benefit etc, it's so pigmented! You really need the lightest hand with this one. The colour is a great mid-tone pink, not peachy or berry or anything, just straight up pink.It can get just a tad chalky, but once it's applied I don't feel like it comes off that way. Truly one of the drugstore 'diamond in the rough' products, A+!
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Skincare - Face -Unlisted Brand - Duac Topical Gel
AgeJ 2/21/2013 8:04:00 PM
First of all, a brief history of my skin - I never really had skin issues throughout my teens, when everyone else seemed to. Until I was 17 - 18 years old, that is, when it started to just get worse and worse. I was smoking at the time, and figured that was making it worse, so I quit. However my acne was still persistent despite me quitting. Between then and now (I'm almost 19), I've tried pretty much every over the counter topical treatment there is. So I finally got over my hatred for general practitioners (I always find GP's unhelpful and annoying, maybe I'm just going to the wrong medical centers?) and got some hormonal testing done. After my blood tests returned back normal, I was prescribed Duac along with the contraceptive pill, however I can't take the pill because it contains lactose and I'm extremely lactose intolerant. I'd already used a ton of benzoyl peroxide products and spot treatments, which were helping, but just extremely slowly. So my skin is already used to pretty harsh treatments. I've only been using this for two weeks, only at night, twice a day is just too much. So far, the improvement has been outstanding, far better than just benzoyl peroxide alone, the 1% clindamycin really makes a difference in the effectiveness of the product. It really helps get rid of those tough cystic-feeling pimples that sit under the skin for weeks and never surface, or go away. My only gripe with the product is that it has a two month shelf life, which is a little stupid given that there is 25 grams of product in the tube, there's no way I'd ever use up that much product in two months. And for $37 a tube, it's terribly wasteful. However, you can use the product after two months, it's just likely that it won't be as effective. But apart from that, this is the most effective treatment I've ever used! For those of you who have tried everything and haven't found it very helpful, but don't want to go to radical measures like taking Accutane, this is definitely worth trying!
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Makeup Brushes -Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman - Stippling Brush
AgeJ 2/9/2013 6:41:00 PM
Up until recently I had been using the Eco Tools stippling brush, and in the interests of expanding my brush horizons, I gave into the Youtube hype and got this one. I really wanted to like this, but it ended up being a miss, such a disappointment as I'd heard so many good things about it. The tips of the bristles are really pointy and spiky, making foundation stippling almost painful, and the application is just streaky and weird. I found it was better for blush and highlighter, so it wasn't a total dud, but I was really hoping to use it for liquid foundation (as per its intended purpose). I'm giving 3 lippies to account for the fact that it might have just been a bad one, but honestly, I highly doubt I'd repurcahse.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Maybelline - Super Stay 24 Hour Concealer
AgeJ 2/7/2013 11:20:00 PM
I have dry skin, and usually gravitate towards liquid concealers for all uses because otherwise I run the risk of flakiness and patchyness. So to keep it concise, The Pros: - Insanely good coverage for a liquid concealer, probably the best I've come across! If you need to cover something serious up, this is really up there with some high-end stuff. - Inexpensive and widely available, Maybelline is stocked pretty much anywhere you can buy makeup at all. - Good shade range, for a super pale girl, the lightest shade (Ivory?) works great, and doesn't lean too yellow or pink toned. - Good packaging, never experienced any leakage, although if you were using this on blemishes it would probably be best not to apply this directly to the spot, otherwise you might hygienically compromise the rest of the product. The Cons: - Quite a matte finish, which ultimately leads to dryness. Good priming and exfoliation is really required. Oily skinned ladies would probably adore the formulation for the matte finish. I wouldn't even attempt to use this under the eyes if you have normal/dry skin. - The whole 24-hour wear claim is pretty outlandish, and while I do think it is important to judge a product on the claims it makes, I think it's also important to know when to shrug it off and realise that it's nothing more than a marketing strategy. But the point is that the lasting power isn't amazing, but I find it's better than most drugstore concealers, and can be made better by a primer and good blending. Overall, pretty great drugstore product, just a shame that it's a little drying.
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Concealers -E.L.F. - Studio Maximum Coverage Concealer
AgeJ 2/7/2013 10:53:00 PM
For the price and shade range, this concealer is amazing value, and mixed with a little moisturiser, could easily be a foundation. I haven't used this much after reading that there's talc in the ingredients. I've noticed my blemishes usually worsen when I apply products with talc, so this is probably going to be an under eye-only concealer, which is really disappointing. Highly doubt I'd repurchase, as I have a ton of concealers to work my way through already.
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Concealers -E.L.F. - Tone Correcting Concealer
AgeJ 2/7/2013 10:47:00 PM
I first bought this off eBay, not really knowing what to expect, because at the time I had very little experience with Elf products. I bought the shade 'Ivory' with the intention of using it in a multipurpose fashion. The coverage is fairly thin and wasn't really working for my blemishes, which I could have blamed on how cheap the product is, but really it's quite common for me to experience that with liquid concealers. So instead, I exclusively used it under my eyes. I don't have bad discolouration or bags, so I don't need anything heavy, and this works amazingly for what I need it to. Ivory is such a light shade that it actually brightens my under eye area, which is rare for a drugstore brand. I used one tube up, and bought another, in the exact same shade 'Ivory', but for some reason it was actually darker than the original tube I had...I don't know how to explain it, but the one I own now is somehow darker and more yellow-toned. So all in all, not amazing for blemishes in my opinion, but to achieve a low-cost Kim Kardashian brightened eye look, get a shade or two lighter than your skin tone and voila! I nominated 'yes' to repurchase, but honestly I'm not sure, since the shades may have changed, but then again I might have just gotten an incorrectly labelled one/bad one.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyes -E.L.F. - Under Eye Concealer & Highlighter
AgeJ 2/7/2013 10:35:00 PM
I have dry skin, with an exceptionally dry under eye area, with almost non-existent bags/discolouration/purple-suitcases-from-lack-of-sleep. The packaging isn't anything to write home to your mother about, but it's probably the most practical way to package the duo, and I haven't had any problems with leakage, so kudos to Elf. The concealer side of the product is pretty thin to be honest, I would actually go so far as to say that the coverage is on par with a bb cream. It's really thin and thus has pretty thin coverage. But because I really don't anything heavy-duty (for my under eyes, anyway) I find it lightweight and pleasant. However, the standout here is the highlighter side. I really hope they start to sell it separately, because I use it a lot and I have many other concealers to use up. For a fair skinned girl, the highlighter is just so subtle but looks amazing, it really is one of the best products I've used from Elf. It's really fantastic if you have dry skin, and are sick of the generic pink-toned highlighters. The lasting power isn't as good as I'd like, but you get what you pay for I suppose. If they sell the highlighter separately, I'd definitely repurchase!
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Liquid -Revlon - ColorStay Makeup
AgeJ 2/7/2013 10:06:00 PM
So first off, I was really late to jump on the Colorstay bandwagon, despite its wide availability and gleaming reviews from many of my favourite youtube beauty guru's. I decided to pick up the version for Normal/Dry skin, and I'd heard blendability was a problem with the combo/oily version . The Pros: - Coverage is amazing! This is easily one of the best drugstore high-coverage foundations around - Shade range is really extensive for a drugstore brand, the only people who really miss out are super pale and super dark. - Price is fantastic for such a high quality, high coverage foundation. - Lasting power probably superseeds that of any foundation I own, or ever have owned. With well primed skin and a setting spray this foundation will last 10 - 16 hours, no joke! The Cons: - Packaging is average, a pump would be nice but it would probably just make it more expensive. The glass bottle is sturdy but it can be so difficult to control the amount of product. - Even the lightest yellowish shade, 150 Buff isn't an exact match for me, it's still a bit too dark. I considered using 110 Ivory but my skin is too olive/yellow undertoned to truly make it work. - The price; I know I listed this in the 'Pros' section, but I often see this being overpriced, instore and online. You just have to know where to pick it up really. Would definitely repurchase! The cons hardly make a dent on the pros. A+
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Primer/ Corrector -NYX - Pore Filler
AgeJ 2/7/2013 9:41:00 PM
I'm surprised by all the negativity about this product, to be honest. Yes this does contain silicone/silicone derivatives, but when it comes to 'pore filling' products, I don't think there's really any out there that don't contain it for 'slip' purposes. I don't really have offensively large pores (especially since stepping up my exfoliating routine) that need covering up, but I wanted to try this to smooth over my acne scarring and rough areas of skin (from acne). I think this does an amazing job of smoothing over those areas, and what large-ish pores I do have are minimized really well. I love the tube packaging, it's sanitary and you can control the amount of product dispensed really easily. Also, the fact that it's 20ml and not 30ml of product is actually a good thing imo, I never use up primers within their use by date. The product comes out as a mousse-like texture that dries to a kind of powdery finish - not the best for dry skin, but it works with a good moisturiser prior to application. I'm taking off points for it's actual 'priming abilities'; it doesn't increase the lasting power of my foundation that much (maybe 1 - 3 hours? which to me is pretty poor). Otherwise, pretty great, inexpensive product! Unless I find something better I would repurchase.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Revlon - Beyond Natural Smoothing Primer
AgeJ 2/7/2013 9:27:00 PM
I found this on sale for relatively cheap, and due to my overall good luck with Revlon products, I wanted to believe that this could be good. Honestly, it just kind of does nothing. It's not terrible, but it's not great either. I noticed that my foundation was kind of applying a bit streaky on top of this, I just continued to buff it out until it was smooth. I think that it does increase the staying power of certain foundations, but as someone with dry skin, almost all primers will do that to some extent with my skin. I can't imagine oily skinned ladies would enjoy this at all, but I have seen some beaming reviews from combo/oily gals. I'll continue to use it just to see if there's any way to benefit from this,I really don't want to waste it, but I have several other primers that work way better than this one. Wouldn't repurchase.
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