Lip Treatments -Fresh - Sugar Honey Lip Treatment SPF 15
AndryaAndroid 5/10/2013 3:15:00 PM
I'd been wanting to try these Fresh Sugar balms for ages, so finally took the plunge and bought Honey. I wanted something for work and my criteria was something that would be a decent MLBB or something with just a bit of color to perk up my face, was moisturizing, and that I could reapply throughout the day without having to look in a mirror. Honey nailed it, nailed it, and nailed it. It is *truly* MLBB for me. I find it extremely moisturizing! I actually feel like Honey is much more a moisturizing lipstick than a tinted lip balm. It is *exactly* like a nice lipstick in texture. Super creamy. It doesn't feel like any lip balm I've ever used (and I've used them all). Coverage is beautiful, and you don't need a lot. It is so creamy and opaque, yet not cakey and doesn't look like you're wearing a lot of lipstick. Just beautiful. It's not super shiny and it's not matte; I'd say satin finish describes it perfectly. The color is extremely flattering and I think would look great on just about anyone. The lasting power is very decent, and it wears down gradually rather than just wearing off, which keeps your lips really soft and the color looking good no matter what. I am absolutely in love. This is EXACTLY what I wanted, to the T. I wear it to work just about every day, and I wear it just about everywhere else when I want a MLBB, too. Fresh is GENIOUS with the packaging of this. The tube is nice and weighty, nice metal-y material, looks very chic and high-end...and it twists closed!! I love knowing that it is safe and secure and the cap won't come off in my purse or pocket. The only downside is, of course, the price. This stuff isn't cheap! I am almost bummed out that I love it so much, because I literally do not want to be without this stuff in my purse ever again. I will repurchase and cringe at the cost but flip my hair in dismissal as my lips are super soft and look oh so lovely. I am dying to try the Coral one.
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Treatments -Suave - Moroccan Infusion Styling Oil
AndryaAndroid 5/10/2013 2:56:00 PM
I got this for free, and while I was excited to try it out, I figured it may be too heavy for my hair (fine/thin, color-treated, a little below the shoulders). I was wrong and have been absolutely loving this stuff. I work a little through my hair from about mid-shaft down and then blowdry. There is a significant reduction in flyaways and the look of "split ends" compared to when I blowdry without it, and very noticeable softness that makes you just want to touch your hair. I then work a little more through once again and flat iron my hair. It is straight as paper and SUPER sleek. Nice shine. I actually like this MUCH better for flat-ironing that what I'd been using previously (Silk Elements olive heat protection spray, which is decent but can make my hair heavy)! This stuff adds texture to my hair that the spray heat protectants don't, yet it doesn't make my hair heavy or greasy. (It will get greasy if you use too much, of course, so go easy; you can always add more.) I add just a tiny bit after heat styling, mainly to my ends. I absolutely love how sleek my hair looks, and the SOFTNESS, wow. I've used a lot of products and I can't remember the last time anything made my hair this soft. It is to die for! The only thing I can see being a turn-off for some is the scent. This stuff is heavily perfumed! It makes it smell a LOT more expensive than it is, as a lot of the high-end stuff does smell heavily of perfume, so some will like that while others will not. The smell seems to really last in the hair, as well, so has the potential to clash with your fragrance. I actually like it a lot, though. It just smells "expensive" and I enjoy catching a whiff of my super soft hair throughout the day. I wasn't expecting to love this stuff as I do, and although I got my bottle for free, I will absolutely repurchase this forever and ever as I truly never want to do my hair routine again without it. And it's so inexpensive. Totally awesome value here. Way to go, Suave.
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Lip Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Lansinoh Lanolin
AndryaAndroid 3/27/2013 3:56:00 PM
LOVE lanolin and can't recommend it enough. The hype is absolutely warranted. I use it for hands and cuticles, as well as on my lips, and it is EXCELLENT for both purposes. I rub it into my cuticles during the day, and often at night will use it as a full hand moisturizer with cotton gloves on top. This will really turn the condition of your cuticles around. It works fast and any dryness will be gone, leaving you smooth, healthy looking cuticles. Absolutely wonderful as a lip treatment, too! I use it at night and in the morning it is still on my lips (this stuff really lasts and doesn't rub or wear off!). I wake to super soft, smooth, and really plumped up lips. I'm a big fan of Aquaphor, but feel that this outperforms it and takes the cake. It's heavenly on dry patches on the body, too - elbows, knees, etc.. It just works really, really well, it works fast, and it lasts and lasts. I love that it feels like it forms a protective coating and really doesn't wear off as it's softening your skin. And the fact that it's a multi-purpose product is wonderful. Get yourself to the baby care aisle at the supermarket and pick up a purple tube. For about $10, the amount you get is a STEAL. You do need to squeeze the tube a bit to get the lanolin to come out, and it is a bit hard in consistency at the get-go, but the warmth from your skin will warm it up nicely and it will become spreadable quite easily. Super cheap, super effective - it's no wonder it's HG material for so many of us!
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Lip Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Dermstore - Lip Quench
AndryaAndroid 3/27/2013 3:38:00 PM
Excellent lip treatment! I was surprised by how much I love this stuff. Dermstore sends this as a freebie when you order from them, and I'm glad they do as I may not have discovered it otherwise. This stuff WORKS for me. I've used plenty of other lip treatments and lip balms that either don't work or yield subtle results, and this is very different in that it seriously turned the condition of my lips around in a very noticeable way. I'm so pleased! The consistency is thick; you need to apply some pressure when you squeeze the tube to get it to come out. It does feel quite sticky on the lips, which I'm not a huge fan of (I'm much more a lipstick than a gloss girl), but it works so well that it leaves me not caring about the stickiness. I really love that this stuff LASTS on the lips. No need to constantly reapply. I apply it at night and in the morning it is still on my lips, hydrating and protecting them. The only other product that lasts all night on my lips is lanolin (Lansinoh). In fact the consistency and texture is not all that dissimilar to lanolin. I just love waking up with super soft, plump, moisturized lips. (Hate when I apply a product at night and it is gone in the morning and my lips no longer feel soft.) This has really turned my lips around. My parched, peely winter lips are now super soft, and *smooth* with no peeling or cracking. Lipsticks and lip stains look amazing, whereas before they would just emphasize my dryness and peelies. Lip Quench is clear with a bit of subtle shimmer. Not my favorite look for my lips as I prefer some color, even a subtle tint, but you can apply anything you want on top if you want some color (which I do when I wear this during the day). I would totally love if they made this in different colored tints! I would absolutely purchase this, but seeing as Dermstore sends this for free with your order, I don't think I would ever have to!
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Lips -Jordana - Easyshine Glossy Lip Color
AndryaAndroid 11/24/2012 2:01:00 PM
What a great find, indeed! I've just purchased my second tube of this in Sweet Strawberry, which is a berry red. It can be applied lightly for a sheer look, or if you swipe it on repeatedly it can go quite a bit deeper in color yet still somewhat transparent, like a sheer or semi-sheer lipstick. Either way, it's very glossy and shiny, but with absolutely zero stickiness or thickness. Feels very light on the lips, and feels moisturizing while it's on. This stuff does have quite a bit of slip to it, so it glides super smoothly on but may slide around on the lips a bit. The staying power is not the worst, but certainly not amazing - it will wear down to somewhat of a stain before disappearing, but personally I need to reapply every few hours or so. Sweet Strawberry smells like its name, a synthetic, sugary fruit smell which doesn't bother me and doesn't taste like anything. The packaging leaves a bit to be desired (skinny tube, use caution when replacing the lid so as not to nick the product itself), but considering the cheap price and how much I enjoy the product, I'll deal with it. For what this product is, it's an excellent product. This would be a good choice for those wanting to venture into lipsticks but not make the full commitment of a creme or matte lipstick. Sweet Strawberry would be a great inexpensive option for somebody's "first red." I'd like to try some of the other colors. If any of this sounds appealing to you, give it a go because the price is right.
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Top/Base Coats -Butter London - Hardwear PD Quick Topcoat
AndryaAndroid 10/1/2012 6:40:00 PM
Butter London makes some great nail polish colors, but please don't waste your money on their top coat. It dries polish to the *touch* decently, but the polish is still dent-able ages later. The consistency is SO thin. This makes application a breeze, which is nice, but once it's dried, it basically looks like you don't have top coat on at all. Even with creme finish polishes, you can see brush stroke marks and it just doesn't leave your nails looking glossy whatsoever. My polish also chips rather quickly when I use this top coat. The bottle is chic looking, and like I said, I'm a big fan of some of their polish colors, but the topcoat is absolutely less than mediocre. It's just bad. And as it's on the expensive side, that's just unacceptable in my opinion. I'll stick to either Poshe, Seche Vite, or Nubar Diamont (my HG).
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Blush -BeneFit Cosmetics - Benetint
AndryaAndroid 7/9/2012 7:25:00 PM
I have the Benefit set from Sephora which includes small bottles of Benetint, Posietint, and High Beam. (High Beam has been HG for me for years, but I got the set as I really wanted to try out the other two.) As a blush, Benetint is quite nice. It really lasts well on the cheeks. The consistency is extremely watery, and you do need to work quickly to blend it in as it dries fast, but I don't find this to be much of an inconvenience or problem. It dries rather matte, no shimmer or sheen really. Because of the watery consistency, it feels very light on the skin. I'm very pale and don't find the color to be overwhelming at all. It's pinky-rosey and a nice, flattering flush; don't let the blood red tube turn you off. I imagine darker skin tones could wear this, too, as you can build it up to your desired shade. I'm very torn on Benetint as a lip stain. The color is beautiful and it really perks up the face. It goes on nicely and dries nice and fast, so no need to hold your mouth open for long as it dries down, which is great. What I find really awesome is that it can really be built up. One coat on the lips is very sheer, kind of a rosy my-lips-but-better. But it can also be built up to the point that it looks like a lipstick! Just let it dry in between coats. Those with super pigmented lips would need to build it up quite a bit for it to be useful for them as a lip stain. It dries matte, so can emphasize dry lips. You can top it with a gloss. The nail polish-like applicator is a bit odd; use caution to avoid going outside of your lip line. I don't find it difficult to do so, but just wanted to point it out. The big caveat for me, when used as a lip stain, is that it does not last. "Stain" should be used loosely to describe Benetint. I absolutely LOVE how it looks on my lips, but shortly it fades and then disappears in the center, leaving me look like I'm wearing lip liner around my lips with no lipstick, which is obviously a very unflattering look. Do not want. My little bottle is nice and purse-friendly, so I guess you could keep reapplying it, but I was hoping for something longer-lasting. You would need to touch it up quite often. I have used it with better success as a base before red or rosey lipsticks. Benetint is a bit expensive for what it is in the end, but the product itself lasts for ages. I've used my little bottle quite a bit for months and months, and it's still halfway full. I use it every so often for cheeks, and I'll keep using it on my lips, defiantly reapplying to avoid the lip liner look. I guess I would repurchase again, because I just love using this stuff, but my little bottle will last so long that I don't know *when* I would actually have to repurchase.
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Blush -Milani - Smooth Finish Blush - Luminous
AndryaAndroid 4/18/2012 9:29:00 PM
Yes, I will purchase this until the end of time. One of my all-time favorite blushes. I loved NARS Orgasm with my pale skin and bright red hair, and I still do, but I hardly ever reach for it anymore because I am loving this so much instead. The two are *super* similar, almost identical, but I notice two differences: 1.) Orgasm is more glittery, while Luminous just has a soft sheen, and 2.) Orgasm is ever so slightly more "hot pink" looking on me, while Luminous is ever so slightly peachier, but still that perfect pink-peach balance. Luminous gives the face such a nice glow; it's very aptly named. The color is practically perfect for any makeup look and would look great on any complexion, and can be swept on sheerly or built up easily, which I love as it's nice to be able to easily control the intensity. It goes on very smoothly, not patchy or anything at all. I love the sheen that it gives; it will give you a subtle highlight on your cheeks. I prefer a more intense highlight, so I either use an MSF on top of it or something like Benefit Highbeam/Moonbeam, a MAC cream color base, etc.. Sometimes I'll just sweep on some Highbeam and then lightly tap my brush with Luminous on top. Easy and looks great. I love to use a subtle contour and then pop this on the apples of the cheeks. Really great blush, great price, readily available - go get it already!
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Top/Base Coats -Nubar - Diamont Top Coat
AndryaAndroid 4/18/2012 9:15:00 PM
I'm totally baffled that this could get negative reviews from anyone. Diamont is THE best topcoat I've ever used! Seche Vite doesn't work for me; it did dry super quickly, but it gives me bad shrinkage and my manis just don't last with it. So I gave Diamont a go and can't believe how crazy awesome it is. It's very shiny, but the amazing part is how FAST it makes my polish dry. The first nails I paint with it are dry to the touch by the time I'm done painting my last nails, and all of my nails are *completely* dry and set within about 15 minutes. Like, you could knock into something and they wouldn't dent dry. I always take the tip of my nail and press it slightly into the side of one of my nails to test how dry it is, and I'm always so impressed that no marks are left when I use the Diamont. The other thing that totally rules about it is that my polish lasts SO long when I use it. No chips, up to the point that I get tired of the polish after several days and remove it. For gritty glitters and such, I throw down a coat of Gelous followed by Diamont and it seriously gives me bulletproof manis. My one and ONLY qualm with this is that I have to buy it online. I go through bottles of it *crazy* fast, so I hate to constantly be ordering and paying shipping, etc.. (An awesome NBer made me aware of the fact that they do sell giant refill bottles that are actually a huge value when you do the math, so one day I may order one of those.) I've been trying different quick-dry top coats that I can purchase in person for ease - I'm currently trying Poshe and it doesn't give me shrinkage but does not dry nearly as fast as Diamont. So Diamont is definitely my favorite, of all time, hands-down, I worship at its top coat throne. If you're frustrated with Seche Vite or QDTCs in general, definitely get it! I just really wish I didn't have to order online!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express The Falsies
AndryaAndroid 3/28/2012 7:55:00 PM
This mascara seemed right up my alley. I love a very dramatic, smoky, "faux lashes" effect for my lashes whether it's day or night, middle of the week or weekend. Super long, super thick, super lush. I was disappointed in this mascara because it didn't really deliver that. It volumized alright - not the worst, but not the best. It didn't really lengthen my lashes at all, which was disappointing in its own right, because if it's supposed to deliver a "false lash" effect, c'mon, it needs to lengthen. Also, it becomes quite clumpy if you go any further than one very thin coat. Was not impressed with how clumpy this got, and I can usually get mascaras to really work with how I apply them. Again, it wasn't THE clumpiest mascara I've ever used, but still clumpier than a lot I have used. It's quite messy, too, requiring a lot of cleanup with cotton swabs, which of course has the potential to mess up any eyeshadow you've done. It did come off pretty easily with a cotton swab (the smudges didn't seem practically indelible like some others). Overall, no, I would not purchase this again, because it did not deliver what it claimed to deliver. It's not a *bad* mascara, but I've used so many that are far better! For reference, my lashes are of medium length and thickness, and naturally pretty straight (though I always curl them prior to mascara). My favorite high-end mascara is Christian Dior Diorshow (the original formula), and my favorite low-end is Covergirl Lash Blast (the orange tube).
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Gels/Soaps -Philosophy - Vanilla Birthday Cake 3-in-1
AndryaAndroid 10/13/2011 11:20:00 PM
Like most here, I got this from Sephora for my birthday gift this year. And like most here, I agree, the smell is very artificial and plastic-like! I've never tried any of Philosophy's other bath products, but with SO many neat-sounding scents, I was excited and thought I was in for a real treat of a scent experience. This smells like the cheapest artificial "vanilla" scent I can think of. The texture is nice, it lathers well, and the bottle is cute and functional (and great size for taking on trips - which I just did), but that's about it. It doesn't leave my skin feeling dry, but not a lot of body washes DO these days. It's nice to use for shaving, but I really do wish the scent was...more luxurious, interesting, complex, and not so artificial and plasticy. I still think it's a cute Sephora birthday gift, and I still use it, but unfortunately, this doesn't make me want to further explore Philosophy's line, and I would not purchase this. (I have color-treated hair and did not care to venture to use this as a shampoo - I'm far too picky with my hair.)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Wet 'n' Wild - Ultimate Expressions Eyeshadow Palette - Sand Castle - 396 [DISCONTINUED]
AndryaAndroid 7/29/2011 3:31:00 PM
Wow, Wet 'n' Wild has really upped the ante lately! Eight eyeshadows for just a couple bucks, and the quality is surprisingly wonderful! They have really fantastic textures, very buttery, super color payoff, and they really last. These are all super shimmery/metallic (with a couple being glittery), so the only minor disappointment here for me is that you can't really use this palette alone for a complete eye look if you want to mix other eyeshadow finishes (like mattes/satins) in with the shimmers. But this palette is wonderful. The colors in Sand Castle are gorgeous neutrals. Really rich brown, gold, taupe, copper, and several great highlight colors. I really wish they'd make more of these palettes. And hats off for these being so inexpensive - they could easily charge much more for them and it would still be a worthwhile purchase.
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Mascara -Cover Girl - Lash Blast
AndryaAndroid 7/11/2011 10:06:00 AM
The original Diorshow is my favorite high-end mascara. Lash Blast is my favorite drugstore mascara. Honestly, I don't even buy Diorshow anymore because I get comparably amazing results with the Lash Blast. I've tried SO many mascaras, and I've finally met my match. This stuff is INCREDIBLE. It gives me super long, full, separated lashes. Lots of drama, but it looks perfectly natural because the brush does such a good job of separating and fanning out the lashes. It looks like I actually have big, huge lashes, and I get tons of compliments. It lasts ALL day for me with absolutely no flaking. Holds a curl really well all day, too. This is seriously everything I have ever wanted in a mascara, and I'm hard to please. Add to this that it's inexpensive and readily available pretty much anywhere, and this has to be the best mascara in the world. Try it if you somehow haven't yet!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Revlon - ColorStay Ultimate Liquid Lipstick
AndryaAndroid 5/3/2011 3:52:00 PM
But the tube looks so pretty.... I was very optimistic in trying this, but I should have heeded the warnings of most of the other reviews here. The consistency is very thin. It feels wonderful and comfortable gliding on your lips, but is almost too watery-thin and that makes it difficult to get an even application, which is frustrating, because I can normally really work even a difficult product! Once it's dried, it becomes incredibly tacky. I mean it literally feels like semi-dried paint is stuck to your lips, and it does make them kind of stick together! And is it ever DRY! I didn't expect it to be super moisturizing or anything, but my goodness, my lips felt absolutely parched. Adding a lip balm on top (I'm sure you could use a gloss, too) takes away most of the sticky tackiness and does soften things up, but this is getting rather high-maintenance at this point, what with the time you have to spend trying to even out the poor application, then drying time, then adding more products on top. And the payoff, ladies, just isn't worth it. The color deposited heavily all over the rim of my tea cup over the next several hours. When I checked in the mirror, the color was still on my lips, but just an hour or two in, I got the dreaded color disappearance toward the inner, fleshy part of my lips. There was a STARK line of where the color had worn off, nothing subtle like a stain, which made it look like I was wearing lipstick only on the outer portions of my lips, with nothing in the center -- it looked absolutely ridiculous. Definitely not worth the price, and all the fuss it takes. Pass!
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Polishes -OPI - Got the blues for red
AndryaAndroid 5/3/2011 3:32:00 PM
I'm a red-lover and have more red nail polishes than anything else. SO glad I picked up this one, though! I feel like it's the perfect thing when I just want RED. No shimmer or sparkle, not fire-engine bright, but just true, classic red. You can really control the color of this one, which is great -- you can easily get away with one good coat for a lighter color, or layer a couple more coats to really deepen it up to a dark, vampy red. Very good quality and consistency, too, so even if you do one coat, you're not left with dreaded streaks and spots. As with all OPI polishes I've tried, the wear is excellent. The color looks very blue-based in some lights, with almost a subtle berry cast to it, while in other lights it can lean slightly brown-red. It's such a gorgeous color -- to me it's very unique, but classic at the same time. I have to recommend this as a must-have if you love red and red polishes. I have many and this is one of my absolute favorites. Get it!
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No