Eye Shadow -Essence - Stay All Day Coppy Right
AriSatomi 5/5/2013 9:12:00 AM
The packaging is the reason why people are complaining about the inconsistency of the shadow's performance. I bought this color, Glammy Goes To, Stars and Stories and the new blue and pink ones. Putting all the other flaws aside, the packaging is just plain horrible. I won't even get started on the rounded top which is cumbersome for storage, because the most important part is that the shadows dry out super fast. I bought a few colors during last winter, and now, almost 6 months later, they shrunk into this hard mass of underpigmented weirdness. When I initially bought them, I thought they had a medium consistency, much like a slightly dried out Paint Pot. However, the moment you open the pot is the moment they start to go bad. Now, the first three shades are rendered useless because of how bad they dried out. The pot's lid doesn't have any lining to stop air from going in and flowing out, and the plastic pot doesn't help either. I'm disappointed in Essence's packaging, because if they made these with the same packaging as their gel liners, none of these problems would occur.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Essence - Mono Eyeshadow in Back to khaki (45)
AriSatomi 5/5/2013 8:59:00 AM
The color have been described so I won't go into the details but just to say that the color you see is sadly not the color you get. There is an overspray and the shadow seems super sparkly, but the real color is more subdued and sheer. This color got discontinued around the beginning of 2013. I'm glad I tried it out because it's an unusual color from DS lines, but I won't repurchase because the color isn't what it looks like in the pan.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Essence - Sun club (glamour to go eyeshadow)
AriSatomi 5/5/2013 8:50:00 AM
This palette wasn't nearly as good as the single shadows. They are dry, crumbly, sheer and flake off from my skin right away. When swatched with fingers they look pretty good but once on the lid, you can see its true nature. I ended up scraping out all the shadows, cleaning the wells up and mush some of my lipsticks in the palette. Now I have a portable lip palette!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Essence - Mono Eyeshadow in Party all night (35)
AriSatomi 5/5/2013 8:38:00 AM
Dirt cheap, big quantity and very nice quality! I paid about 3$ for this single and it's quite awesome. Although I wish the whole shadow was the color of the metallic surface, once you buff down the overspray, the shimmery color you have left is pretty gorgeous too. Although Essence call this a metallic effect shadow, I find it to be more of a pearly finish. It's great for everyday and I love how it lasts on me all day without a primer. It's a nice cheap thrill and I want to go buy more colors! This is a color you'll easily wear everyday and to formal events. You can expect Chanel to make the same color and charge you 10 times this shadow's price for it. Essence is making changes in their line so discontinuing a lot of their awesome stuff-their gel liner, anyone??-but I'm glad they kept this one for now.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Essence - Gel Eyeliner Brush
AriSatomi 5/5/2013 8:08:00 AM
Just perfect! A synthetic brush that is super thin, long lasting, cheap and awesome! It's not too heavy so drawing a good line in a single stroke is no problem! I have 4 of these, one which I gave to my mother as brow powder brush (I didn't want to give her a brow brush in fear of her overdoing it, plus she likes soft brushes) and the rest I use with my HG gel liner also from Essence! Love them! Btw this is getting discontinued so grab as much as you can!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -Anna Sui - Christmas Lip Palette
AriSatomi 5/2/2013 1:06:00 PM
It's a small little palette that you can just drop in your bag and go. It contains five colors of different finishes and color families so you have the choice between a great variety. I disagree with the previous reviews about the scent and the small pans because the scent dissipates after you apply the lipcolor and the pans are big enough to last you at least three months. Because the formula is so soft, you really don't need to dig in the palette to load your brush up. The little brush provided is similar to the brush head of my Hakuhodo Misako, and is great when you don't want to bring along a brush with you 24/7. I ended up using this palette more than my other palettes that don't provide a brush. The brush head is about 7mm long, 3mm wide and has a straight top which lets me draw my lips with ease. Personally I don't like lip brushes that have a tapered end. The Ring Rouges and Mini Rouges have the same product inside, but the palettes are a much better deal because those ones--which are in the permanent line--only contain one small pan of color. Lovely palette and I wish it wasn't LE. I will definitely buy more of Anna Sui's lip palettes for their versatility and practicalness.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -Anna Sui - Lip Color Collection AN IV
AriSatomi 5/2/2013 12:51:00 PM
An all-star product for me. It came out a long time ago and since it was LE, you probably won't be able to find it anymore. Alll the websites that originally carried it say OOS on their website, but in truth it's out of production. If you do find one, it probably is fake or expired. It contains 5 glosses and a small lip brush, as well as a mirror large enough to see your whole face in it. When you open the box, the rose perfume sort of hits you in the face. All of their products are heavily scented with rose, which I love. I have two of their palettes and they are both well loved. The glosses are of a extremely soft consistency and feel like a soft, hydrating cover on your lips. After taking the gloss off, my lips feel like I've been using a lip treatment. They are so soft that when you dip your brush in it, you have to be careful to not dip too hard or you probably will ruin the whole pan. The glosses don't last very long, as in they will start to melt on the lips because of the body heat. They feel like a gloss-balm hybrid, much like the HIP Jelly balms or Lancôme Lip Gelées. These Anna Sui palettes are well worth their prices, because they also carry the Ring Rouges and Mini Rouges in their permanent line, but those ones are the equivalent to one of the small pans of a palette. Normally a palette contains at least 5 colors, so it's a great deal. This actually pushes me to collect more of their lips palettes, because they look lovely, are practical and the products are quite amazing.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Lancome - Hypnose Drama
AriSatomi 8/27/2012 11:37:00 PM
I'm crazy about this mascara! This is the first time I am this happy with a mascara so I had to share it. My lashes are rather invisible and very short, so normally I look for a mascara that would darken, lengthen and volumize my lashes. I also look for curl-holding but normally all of them droop my lashes down unless it's a indelible unremovable waterproof one like CG LB WP(which I hate to remove). This one gives me volume, length and carbon black pigmentation in about three swipes per eye. Of course the brush is rather hard to use without clumping but i just use a lash comb after I put on mascara. Everyone should own and use a good lash comb because no matter how good your mascara is, clumps are just waiting to happen. What I love the most about this mascara is the amount of volume and super black pigments it has. The formula is very gel like so I can get a lot on very quickly, which gives me big lashes that are very noticable, compared to the wimpy little peach fuss I have for eyelashes. I also love the fact that it has long fibers in so that I don't have to use an eyelash base (Shiseido's for example). My drawbacks for this mascara are: the fact that it smudges easily and the fact that it droops my curls. Those are the reasons why I didn't rate it a 5, but I have no problem with the perfume or the packaging a lot of people seem to be unsatisfied about. I dislike the fact that it will smudge and come off easily with water, but that also means that this comes off when I wash my face with facewash, so no other makeup remover is needed. That way you can either see it as a con or a pro. However I will never wear this while knowing that it'll rain outside. Compared to Diorshow I find Hypnôse Drama gives way more volume and drama and works way harder. To obtain the same lashes I get with one coat of HD, I'll have to put on at least four coats of Diorshow. Since I have no time to build my mascara for 10min just to make it look good, I'd choose HD over Dior anytime. IMO It's a great mascara and I will keep using it with the help of a heated curler and a lash comb.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -MAC - Frankly Fresh (Give Me Liberty of London)
AriSatomi 8/16/2012 8:45:00 PM
I thought I loved this UNIQUE color until I got home and saw the greatest dupe for this *color* ever: Revlon's gloss in Nude Lustre. I even have backups of that, so this went straight back to the store. Note that it's a dupe for the color on me, only the color because the Revlon SL gloss contains no shimmer and this MAC one is loaded with shimmer.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Revlon - ColorStay Makeup
AriSatomi 8/16/2012 8:41:00 PM
Do note that my skin is highly reactive, very sensitive, clog and breakout prone, oily-combination in summer and dry-combination in winter. I find this foundation hard to use. I cannot just add it to my daily routine as it is hard to apply, to remove, and it doesn't work in synergy with my other facial products. I used to not use oily cleansers and since I tried this foundation, I have to almost double cleanse with oil-based makeup removers before I actually wash my face. If a ever fail to remove every single microscopic trace of this foundation, it clogs me and gives me breakouts the next few days. It stains my brush insanely and it is so hard to remove from them that I am simply scared of using my brushes with it. However, if I choose to use a sponge, the sponge absorbs too much product and the finish is not ideal for me. I loved the finish when I used a paddle foundation brush and also the lasting power but the problems that come with it make it not worthwhile: stains on all my foundation brushes, very tight feeling of my skin making me buy another moisturizer, I can't use silicone-based products on it, I have to use a cleansing oil before my cleanser, it dries out my skin no matter what, and the worst thing: clogged pores!! I tried to like it but I find my routine much easier to maintain if I didn't use this foundation. Not only that, the packaging is a PITA, the price is way too high for DS products (especially since it gets wasted without a pump) and the paint smell is simply scary. Hence I will not continue to use it. BTW I bought the dry-combo skin formula because I was scared the other one would make me look like a prune, but this foundation still managed to be really bad on me. YMMV and this is JMHO.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -MAC - Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15
AriSatomi 8/16/2012 8:33:00 PM
There is a reason why MAC is used more for photography and stage makeup than everyday. The formulations are not good enough for you to wear on a daily basis unless you have perfectly unreactive skin. My skin is highly sensitive, somewhat breakout prone, clog prone and combination.This is seriously the worst foundation I've ever used on myself. I cannot believe this thing! It's greasy after 30 secondes and rubs off instantly!! I do not normally like MAC's products, because the formulas really suck for me, but this one has made MAC my worst enemy!! I have this in NC30 and NW20, to mix them together for the perfect color, but I cannot believe how much break out I've got since I've started using it... And I've only used this for 3 days! I look like I always had super bad acne, whereas I've never had anything serious. I even have two cystic acnes on my cheeks now! Returned this the next day and I am very deceived!
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Bonne Bell - Dr. Pepper lipsmackers
AriSatomi 8/16/2012 8:26:00 PM
I don't find this "lipgloss" or "lipbalm" moisturizing at all. I just like the cherry cola smell of this, and the red tint gives a little color to my face a little but it's definitely not enough. If I really want a sheer red, I have to dab on some red lipstick underneath it so that the color shows up more. However, this product tends to melt off the lipstick and rub off on anything my lips touch. IMO it's really geared towards the younger crowd or people that like the tiniest subtle tint to their lips and that don't mind to keep reapplying throughout the day. I'd rather wear an Houglass lipstain and use a clear gloss on top. I wouldn't repurchase this ever. As a balm, I've find the pink Vaseline balm (only available in the some parts of Europe) to be superior to this.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Shiseido - Nourishing Mascara Base
AriSatomi 8/16/2012 8:18:00 PM
I don't really find this base *that* amazing. Comparing the lashes that are coated by the base to my normal lashes (which are short and straight), I see a slight difference. It really doesn't give me the false lash look, and I don't find it to be that extremely necessary of a product for me. The time it takes me to curl my lashes, put on the primer, wait for it to set, put on the mascara, layer the mascara and finally combing the lashes through really takes a toll on my mornings. I already have enough things to do in a morning, and I live an hour away from school, so I really don't want to spend more than 3 min on mascara. If I really want my lashes to stand out, I just put on a pair of falsies. They last all day, never smudge, and takes me half a minute to do both eyes. I guess I'm lazy, but I really don't think this base it that special. It does hold a curl, lengthens slightly and gives my lashes a bit of volume, but I wouldn't mind if I wasn't wearing it. If you really want to make a difference, I say try Latisse or Careprost, or even Revitalash, instead of these things that last for a day and takes up loads of time in your routine. Castor oil is also good to nourish your lashes so that they grow longer. The packaging of this thing is absolutely hideous! I thought it would look like the Shiseido mascaras, but no such luck! It looks like the most boring tube, its level of boredom is right after Bobbi Brown. I think that when you're paying the company over 20$ for a product, it should at least have some nice prints or designs on it, non? Overall I will not repurchase the product, and I will not recommend it unless you have all the time in the world to do your makeup every, single, morning. Then again, mascara is one of the most variable things in a makeup routine, so YMMV. I'm just giving my opinion on the product as I really do not think it's *that* good.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -BeneFit Cosmetics - Eye Bright
AriSatomi 8/16/2012 8:16:00 PM
I had this in the pencil form as well as a compact form which came in the Concealaholic palette. However, both packaging are deceiving and here is why. First off, the product is extremely dry, which makes it a pain to use in compact form since I have to warm it up on the back of my hand, which leads to product wastage. The dryness also makes it hard to use on my undereye area, since it's cakey and brings out the dryness of my skin even more. Secondly, it doesn't last once applied, either on the skin or on the waterline as a brightener. It cakes with my eye makeup (liner on the top lashline, shadow and mascara) and makes everything a mess. Two hours after application, my eye area looks dry and cakey, as if I slept in last night's makeup (and I always take care of my skin by washing off everything at the end of the day). This is just another gimmick from Benefit.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -L'Oreal - Infallible Eyeshadow in Sahara Treasure
AriSatomi 7/27/2012 9:52:00 AM
I love this golden beigey browny color! I could just use this and some black or brown eyeliner and be done with a presentable and gorgeous everyday look! When I'm in a rush I use this shade allover and blend it out in the crease and nothing else! The shimmer content in this shadow reflects light easily to make it seem like I have different colors on my lids. It's a great eyeshadow just like almost all the other Infallibles that I've tried! (permanent kaki, hourglass beige, endless chocolate comes to mind)
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No