Misc Beauty Tools -LUSH - LUSH - Whole Store
AgentSometime 1/4/2013 2:12:00 AM
The LUSH products: Their Coalface cleanser worked a little TOO well. It left my face, literally, squeaky clean, but it managed to dry out my oily skin. Not good. Their Vanishing Cream hasn't really done anything for my skin. I suppose it would be an okay night cream for someone with normal-dry skin seeing as I wake up with oilier skin than usual. I expect something better for that price tag. Their Tree Tea Water toner felt nice when sprayed on, but did nothing for me. I got their Bubble Gum lip scrub for free at an event, and I like it. I'd imagine it's just like a homemade sugar scrub, except for the fact that it's bright pink and tastes like bubblegum. I got a big block of Honey, I Washed the Kids soap. It smells DIVINE, but the scent doesn't really stay on my skin and I think it leaves my skin a bit dry and tight. On to what I actually really like from LUSH: The Cupcake mask. This stuff is a holy grail for me. It cleans out my pores, leaves my skin less oily, and makes my skin smooth. The LUSH store: This is the part I detest. Seeing as how the only thing I repeatedly buy from LUSH is a fresh face mask, I HAVE to go into the store to buy it because they have to be kept refrigerated and can't be shipped. As soon as I step one foot into the store, I'm assaulted by overly-cheerful, pushy, hipster salespeople. Don't even bother telling me to just tell them that I'm browsing, they couldn't care less. Whenever I tell them I just want to look around, they leave me alone for about 10 seconds until I pick up a product I'm just curious about, at which point they will begin to ramble on about how amazing that product is and if I've ever tried it before. I really just want to scream at them. I'm a regular, I don't need the hard sell for crying out loud. If they would let me browse in peace I may end up buying more than I normally would, but because they're so obnoxious and invasive, I run in there, grab my mask from the fridge, make no eye contact with anyone, pay, and then leave as quickly as I can. Even one time when I was already spending a lot of money, they kept trying to sell me things at the register. I felt like just putting everything down and leaving, it was so rude.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Carbon
AgentSometime 9/1/2012 5:39:00 AM
This eye shadow is CRAP. To be blunt, if you think this is the blackest black eye shadow, you must be new to makeup. Off the top of my head, Bourjois Intense Extrait 10, Urban Decay's Black Dog, Urban Decay's Blackout, and the black from the L'Oreal HiP duos are darker. And speaking as a makeup artist who also knows several of them, I can tell you right now that this isn't a staple in our kits. Maybe 10 years ago, but not anymore. MAC Typographic is better than this. Carbon looks grey, not black, and it's chalky and patchy; it doesn't apply smoothly at all. And give me a break with this "it's supposed to be a liner!" nonsense. Typographic works amazingly as a liner AND an eye shadow, which is how it should be. Carbon is marketed as an EYE SHADOW. If it doesn't work as an EYE SHADOW, it's a failure.
12 out of 14 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Shiseido - Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion For Face & Body, spf 60 PA+++
AgentSometime 3/22/2012 10:55:00 AM
I'm absolutely shocked that this is "too greasy" for some people, but then again, what works for someone of a certain skin type won't work for someone else of a different skin type. I have normal/ oily skin, and this has been a miracle in a bottle for me. After I let my moisturizer sink in, I shake the bottle and apply this. It looks shiny when I first apply it, but it sinks in in less than a minute and it doesn't look or feel like I have anything on at all. The most amazing thing about this sunscreen is that it's actually what has been keeping my foundation looking shine-free and fresh ALL. DAY. LONG. No seriously, the times I've used this, my foundation looks matte for AT LEAST 12 hours, with maybe a couple of blots, and this is in Miami weather. I'm ecstatic. Even though this has a lot of negative reviews from people saying it's too greasy, if you have oily skin and struggle with keeping foundations looking fresh, I suggest you AT LEAST try it.
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Lipstick -MAC - Viva Glam Gaga 2
AgentSometime 12/10/2011 7:51:00 PM
There's a few methods for making this work if it looks too much like concealer on you. You don't HAVE to apply straight from the tube and press hard against your lips. You can either lightly pat it on to your lips direct from the tube, or you can swatch it on the back of your hand and apply it with a finger. It doesn't come out so opaque that way. It also picks up more color under a pink lip gloss. I'm not saying this is for everyone, but you can try different application methods before writing it off. It's not chalky at all, it's very creamy and applies nicely. I'm a pale person and, if not applied so harshly, it doesn't make me look dead. This is superficial, but I love the packaging. It's so pretty.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Estee Lauder - Double Wear LIGHT Foundation SPF10
AgentSometime 11/15/2011 1:28:00 AM
I'm pretty sure this is the one foundation I've repurchased more than once. It's not perfect, but it's as close to HG as I've gotten. On to the review!
Packaging: Convenient squeeze tube. I like it a lot better than the clunky glass bottle the original formula comes in, but I suspect it's like that because it's thicker and would probably clog if it were in a tube.
Application: I use LORAC's aquaPRIME because it's water based and I have oily skin. I hate the feeling of silicone based primers. The primer minimizes the appearance of pores and helps prevent the foundation from settling into laugh lines and under eye creases. I use the Real Techniques stippling brush. I squeeze some foundation on the back of my hand, get some onto the white tips of the bristles, and stipple/ buff it onto my face. I know you're not "supposed" to buff with a stippling brush, but I only buff on the areas of my face that don't require the stippling technique and that I just need to cover quickly. (Areas without visible pores like outer areas of my cheeks, above my lip, my chin, etc...) I only use one good layer and that's enough coverage for me. I would say it goes from light to moderate coverage depending on how much you use or if you layer it. The finish is natural. Not matte and not luminous. Next, I take a powder puff and dip it into some loose finishing powder, pat off any excess, and blot the puff onto my skin. I don't like using a powder brush for my finishing powder because it looks, well, powdery. After all this, I really do get a flawless finish. If you don't like how matte the foundation looks at this point, you can always use some Fix+ from MAC. I like to leave it matte, however, because I know shine will come through eventually. Which brings me to...
Lasting power: This stuff has great staying power. I have oily skin and live in a humid climate and it wears really well. I do get shine coming through after about 4 hours, but the neat thing is that it doesn't look disgustingly greasy. It looks a bit like a glow. I will, however, have to blot eventually or the oil will get out of control. The good thing is that even if I get really oily, as long as I blot it all to hell and use some MAC Blot Powder, it looks almost as good as new. It doesn't fade at all and it doesn't settle into lines or pores until about the 9th hour.
The color selections sucks. Ugh! The 1 is too light and the 2 is too dark. I honestly prefer to look a little too dark because for some reason the number 1 actually does fade when my oil starts coming through, and you can see my redness more than with the 2. I don't really mind, but a 1.5 would be awesome. ;)
So, aside from the slight color issue and the oil coming through eventually, which I suppose can never be helped because I've tried a million foundations, this is definitely my favorite one, ever!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Make Up For Ever - HD High Definition Foundation
AgentSometime 11/15/2011 1:01:00 AM
This foundation is just bizarre. I don't know how it manages to both accentuate the teeniest dry areas on your face AND feel greasy and sticky all at the same time. I used a water based primer and a setting powder and it never felt like it set. I could feel it when I touched my face. Within the hour, my face was an oil slick and all of my pores were accentuated. It didn't even look all that nice to begin with. It made every little line on my forehead look worse and the coverage wasn't that great. It also settled into my laugh lines fairly easily. The application was frustrating, it didn't go on smoothly at all. I suppose it looked nice on camera, but then again, all my foundations make my skin look flawless with flash on. I've tried the Mat Velvet (which is, admittedly, VERY matte) and that one actually looks a lot nicer, but gets less hype. Glad I got a sample, because this is definitely not worth $40 to me.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -L'Oreal - infallible never fail makeup
AgentSometime 8/31/2011 12:23:00 AM
This stuff is crap for me! Oh, my lord. I was embarrassed by this. Foundations like this are the reason I don't like testing foundations for the first time in public. Packaging: It's in a pump bottle. I like that. I hate glass bottles with the big opening. I either like squeeze tubes or pump bottles. Less mess, more control. That's a plus for this product. Application: Easy to mess up at first. I didn't realize how thick and full coverage it would be, so I globbed a lot on. I also stalled a bit in blending, so it left a big chunk of this foundation on my cheek. This was my bad, be careful with that! You only need a tiny bit, and this is coming from someone with redness. SHAKE THE BOTTLE. Yes, I know to shake the bottle, so that wasn't why this foundation didn't work for me. After I figured out not to use much, application was fairly easy. I use the Real Techniques stippling brush for every foundation, because it's an amazing brush that always provides a flawless finish. This foundation did have a GREAT finish. Even with setting powder, it looked natural, even in the sunlight. I did use primer on half my face and no primer on the other side. Results were the same. Lasting power: Oh. My. Gosh. What a disaster. 3 hours and I was a greasy mess. Not only was I a greaseball, the foundation faded dramatically. I didn't even look like I had foundation on, save for my pores not being noticeable. My face looked as red as it does with no makeup on. When I washed my face, hardly any foundation rinsed out into the sink water. It's like it vanished into thin air. With my Estee Lauder Double Wear Light, it does get shiny throughout the day, but it doesn't fade at all. I still have the coverage, I just look shiny in my t-zone. Easy enough to fix with blotting sheets and MAC Blot Powder. Something like this is unfixable, though. When I looked in the mirror, I was like, "Did I look like this all day?" Mortified. And to those saying, "Oh, you just didn't apply it right! You have to do this, this, this, and that!" Uhm, no. 16 bucks is pricier than a lot of other drug store foundations that aren't nearly as disastrous as this one. I shouldn't have to have a million super secret techniques to get a foundation to work. I have a good moisturizer, primer, and setting powder. If a foundation can't work with that and giving the bottle a shake, it just doesn't work. Time to check out another one.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -LORAC - Aquaprime
AgentSometime 7/25/2011 3:33:00 AM
OH, MY SWEET LORD. A PRIMER THAT ACTUALLY WORKS. For starters, I have not-so-perfect skin. Huge pores. laugh lines, etc. This stuff takes care of all of that. I use it OVER my moisturizer. I apply my moisturizer, (which is the sensitive skin spf30 one from Eucerin) and let sink in for about ten minutes. Do your eye makeup, make some coffee, I don't know. Just wait a bit. Then, I apply this stuff. Only takes a drop or two for the whole face. Pat it onto and areas with large pores and into those pesky lines. (You know, the ones where your foundation might crease when you laugh too much.) This stuff kind of stinks on your fingers, but you shouldn't notice any smell once it dries, and boy does this stuff dry. You don't get that greasy feeling some primers leave you with. It just feels like your moisturized skin. After that dries for a bit, apply your foundation. Hello, flawless finish. (I finish it all with a bit of MAC's Blot Powder, fyi.) Not only does it give a beautiful, soft focused look, it lasts forever. My Double Wear Light stayed looking beautiful until I washed it off after ten hours. (I still had to do minimal blotting, because I have a very oily t-zone, but it was a lot better.) The only downfall to this is that it's a bit pricey ($31) but I'm the kind of person who doesn't complain about price if the product is amazing. Def. recommend this!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Masks -Queen Helene - Mint Julep Masque
AgentSometime 7/1/2011 12:43:00 AM
What am I doing wrong with this mask? I steam my face to get my pores nice and opened up and then I apply this. I leave it on for like, 45 minutes and then wash it off with warm water. I was kind of expecting a miracle worker judging from the reviews here. The mask does bring blackheads to the surface, but that's just it. They stay there. They don't come out all the way. It's like they're about to come out but then get stuck, leaving them even more visible. I can't just leave it that way, so I always have to use my blackhead extractor, which is irritating on the skin. To be fair, I've only used it twice, and I know that it usually takes time for products to work. (Something apparently a lot of people don't understand. You can't trash a skincare product after one use because it didn't do anything. It's just common sense.) I'll keep using it and edit my review accordingly, but, so far, I'm disappointed. NOTHING I do seems to ever completely clean out my pores, so I can't say I'm shocked.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Eucerin - Daily Protective Lotion for Sensitive Skin SPF 15
AgentSometime 6/30/2011 8:37:00 AM
I find it odd that people are saying this is greasy. Perhaps you're not rubbing it in enough. (One pump is more than enough, by the way.) I have oily skin and I usually wake up almost dripping oil off of my face, even with oil free moisturizers, but when I woke up after using this I was shine free. Goes on smoothly, it's not heavily scented unless you have a sensitive nose, and it works beautifully under makeup. It absorbs very quickly, providing moisture without being heavy. My skin looks brighter when I use this. It's not pricey at all, but maybe I'm saying this because I'm used to working in an environment with $50+ moisturizers. Edit: Had this on a good 13 hours today. It did get shiny in the t-zone, but not TOO much. Update: I've stopped using this. I don't know what happened, but I can't use this anymore without getting greasy. I've moved on to Olay's Total Effects since it's oil free, and I may be reviewing that later on. I'm sure this would still be a nice moisturizer for someone without oily skin issues.
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Treatments -Clinique - Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector
AgentSometime 6/21/2011 1:29:00 AM
I can't comment on the packaging or really gripe about the price, because I just got samples of this. This is the second Clinique product I used that completely dried my skin. (The other was a bottle of alcohol they call toner, but I digress.) I have minor dark spots on my cheek and above my lip where I used to have acne. They're no big deal, but it would be one less thing I have to worry about when I'm not wearing makeup. I asked my coworker if I should apply this on the spots or the entire face. She said the entire face, because it not only lightens dark spots, it brightens and evens out the whole complexion. Alright, why not? After a week, I have broken out horribly, and the skin on and around my nose is flakey and peeling. I work in cosmetics and have to wear foundation every day, and it's extremely embarrassing when the foundation you're supposed to be selling looks terrible because of the condition your skin has been left in because of a product. Now I have zits on my forehead and around my mouth (EW?!) and a flakey schnozz. I can't even say if it's good at lightening dark spots because I couldn't use it long enough. Tossed the samples. (LADIES! I don't know if it's just my store, but if you buy products at Macy's TRY TO RETURN THEM. I always read about women getting a bad reaction shortly after they buy product and talking about the waste of money. The receipt isn't a big deal, but SAVE THE BOX. You could get all your money back or at least store credit.)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Clarins - Truly Matte Foundation
AgentSometime 6/7/2011 1:34:00 PM
I tried a sample of this for a few days. I wanted to love it, but I just couldn't. Pros: -Application: Went on very smoothly and easily. -Staying power: It stays matte for hours on end and doesn't fade. -Coverage: Provided me with high medium coverage, which is good for me because I have a bit of redness to conceal. -Finish: Matte, of course. It also looked very natural, even in direct sunlight. Cons: -I can only think of one, which, unfortunately, is bad enough for me to not use this. It's extremely drying. I have combination skin; oily t-zone and normal everywhere else. My forehead and nose are partial to drying from strong products, such as toners. This is the first first foundation I've ever used that dried my skin. Within THREE DAYS of using this, my forehead and nose were flaky and my skin was tight all over. I know it had to be this. I know not to try more than one new product at once as I wouldn't be able to pinpoint which was giving me a reaction. It's such a shame. Other than that, it was an almost perfect foundation.
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Mascara -MAC - Zoom lash
AgentSometime 1/5/2011 4:21:00 PM
I honestly thought this was garbage. I'm no klutz when it comes to applying mascara. I wipe off excess product, wiggle from the base to the tips, and comb out any clumps. I simply could NOT get this to work. The formula is so wet and messy that my lashes clustered together before I could comb any of the clumps out. Being that it's so wet and heavy, it undid the curl I did with the MAC curler. (It's not the curlers fault either, as the curl holds with certain other mascaras.) It's just a mess and you end up getting inky black spatters all over the pretty eyeshadow you just applied! The best thing I can describe it as is that it leaves you with spider lashes. If you like that whole clumpy, unnatural look, I guess this is a go for you! Break down: Pros: Price, very black Cons: Clumpy, wet, heavy, messy, undoes curl
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Primer/ Corrector -Smashbox - Photo Finish Primer
AgentSometime 1/3/2011 3:39:00 AM
I'm on the fence about this much-acclaimed product. I use it on my models that have practically flawless skin just to make the foundation last, but on me, I'm not too sure. What I do know is that I need to keep this stuff FAR, FAR away from my pores. They make them look even more noticeable than they already are. It is good for my laugh lines, however. I find that when I dab a bit into the lines I get around my mouth when I laugh, the foundation doesn't settle into them and make them noticeable. I'm iffy on this. I like it for my lines, but it's TERRIBLE for my pores!
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Mascara -Christian Dior - Diorshow Mascara
AgentSometime 1/3/2011 3:27:00 AM
Not worth the price or the hype. It does darken and separate nicely without clumping, but that's as far as my good remarks go. It flakes easily so you end up with little black specks all over your petty face, and as someone with straight lashes that HAS to use a curler, it completely undoes the curl because it's so heavy. As soon as I apply it, my lashes go limp! I don't expect ANY mascara to curl these stick straight babies, but at the very least I can expect for it not to weigh down the curl I achieved. I can't comment on the lengthening, however, because my eyelashes are really long to begin with. Shall I even get into how difficult it is to REMOVE said dark flakes? Smudge city. Break down: Pros: Separates, darkens, not clumpy Cons: Flaky, undoes any curl, smudgy, costly I won't be buying this again. I think Chanel's Inimitable did a nicer job than this one, but since that one is $28, I'll be sticking with the affordable yet lovely Lash Blast. I suppose if you're someone that it blessed with very curly lashes, this won't be an issue. However, Diorshow is not the mascara for me!
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