Treatments -L'Oreal - Youth Code Regenerating Skincare Serum Intense Daily Treatment
BDfangirl 12/16/2012 9:58:00 PM
I used to use the Olay Regenerist line on my face, but I had to stop because it caused large cysts and I found the smell overpowering (even in the unscented version). So when I purchased this, I was not expecting it to work very well on my sensitive, acne-and-rosacea-prone skin. To my surprise, this is actually a very good product. I don't think it will do anything for aging or dark spots, but it does diminish the appearance of wrinkles and helps to clear up and/or minimize breakouts. I only use it at night, before bed, with no moisturizer on top -- my oily skin doesn't need any more moisture. You have to be careful not to get it too close to the eyes because it will sting. I also find that I like to take a break every few days because otherwise I get a little too oily during the day. But these are issues I would have with any skin cream so I'm willing to deal with them. For the price, I think this is a reasonable serum and it does make my skin seem brighter, tighter and less zit-prone.
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Mascara -E.L.F. - Wet Gloss Lash and Brow Clear Mascara
BDfangirl 12/16/2012 7:10:00 PM
This is a good, clear brow gel. I've tried the mascara end but it does NOTHING for my eyes because my eyelashes get lighter towards their tips. I think this would be a good option as a natural mascara for someone with true brown/black eyelashes who just needs a product to help with eyelash curling. However, it does work nicely for me as a brow gel. I do find I need to brush through the brows afterwards to remove extra product, though.
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Lip Liners -Smashbox - Nude Lip Pencil in Fair
BDfangirl 12/16/2012 7:03:00 PM
I have fair skin and wear mostly pink or light-colored lipstick for everyday, so this is my go-to lip liner. I put on the lipstick first then line around my lips to contain the color and blend the colors together. It seems to keep my lipstick from bleeding or traveling pretty well. I have had no issues with any of the colors I've tried to match this lipliner with, although I don't think this would be a good liner for darker lips. It's close to my natural color, but unfortunately not quite as close as my Clinique HG that was discontinued. I will probably repurchase, assuming someone doesn't make a color that works better for me.
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Eyeliner -Urban Decay - 24/7 Eyeliner Pencil
BDfangirl 12/16/2012 6:56:00 PM
I have the dual end 24/7 liner that was available at Sephora. The two colors are Zero (grayed black) and Whiskey (sort of a copper brown). I LOVE this pencil! The colors do stay on my oily lids even without primer, but I don't put them on my waterline and I will add this caveat: they smear for a while when first applied. You have to apply one line at a time then DON'T move around or rub your eyes for a minute or two. After that, they stay all day and into the night! I love that these pencils are soft and don't irritate my eyes or skin, and I'm also a big fan of the dual end packaging for travel.
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Mascara -Cover Girl - Lash Perfection Volumizing Mascara
BDfangirl 12/16/2012 6:47:00 PM
For a general mascara, this is not bad. The brush is nice and the mascara goes on well and dries neatly with minimal clumping. However, it irritates my sensitive eyes and I don't think this formula is particularly volumizing. There is no benefit to this mascara for me and I will not repurchase.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Almay - Intense-I-Color Chocolate Quartz for Green Eyes
BDfangirl 12/16/2012 6:42:00 PM
I used to like Almay because I have sensitive eyes and I'm a contact lens wearer, but my first objection to this mascara was that it isn't as gentle as the Almay products I'm used to. It caused my eyes to be itchy by the end of the day and swollen by the next morning which is definitely is not what I expect from a hypoallergenic formula. Even if I didn't have sensitive eyes, this product made my eyelashes look WAY too long without building any thickness. I'm not sure if it's the formula or the brush that is the issue, but I can do without the spidery effect. The brush is also so full and awkward to use that I poked myself in the eye with the wand for the first time since my inexperienced preteen years! Another caveat is this mascara takes a little while to dry -- blink too soon and you'll end up with mascara all over your face. Not recommended for anyone, sensitive or not.
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Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Daily Brush Cleaner
BDfangirl 12/7/2012 4:19:00 PM
For the price, this is a nice daily cleanser. I find it works best on brushes that have been used to apply powder product (eyeshadows, blush) to keep the colors from mixing and muddying each other. It's not a good cleanser for brushes used with creme products but since no daily cleanser will work on those, I think that's an unfair requirement. As it is, nothing to rave about but if you like to switch eyeshadows and don't have a lot of makeup brushes, it's a nice option.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Cover Girl - CG Smoothers Concealer
BDfangirl 12/7/2012 4:14:00 PM
This is THE single best product I've found for hiding blemishes. I buy it in "Neutralizer" which is very yellow -- the other colors look far too peachy to me. I put it on over foundation if the foundation doesn't cover my blemishes; just dot and blend with a concealer brush. I've tried it on under eye circles and it is merely ok -- it's very dry and really only works on super-oily skin. However, I've come to accept that the only solution to my circles would be exorcism so I'm ok with just the zit concealing properties. I even use it on my bare skin when I'm going to the gym and don't want a full face of makeup.
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Lipstick -NARS - Damage
BDfangirl 12/7/2012 4:07:00 PM
This is my HG lipstick! It's basically a shade darker than my normal lip color, and it looks beautiful both dressed up and for everyday wear. The texture is a little dry, but I find that gives it staying power and I simply layer lip gloss over it if I need a bit more moisture. The price is a bit steep, but I'm willing to pay for a product that performs this well.
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Eye Shadow -Sephora - Pallette - Taupe Model 06
BDfangirl 12/7/2012 4:04:00 PM
I prefer to buy quads for eyeshadow because I like having an entire look in one palette. I bought this set because I wanted something neutral to wear for everyday. The shadows themselves are nice and the colors go on matte and well pigmented. However, the liner is worse than useless! It bleeds and travels all over my eyes, even with primer. I wind up using Urban Decay's eye pencil with this eyeshadow. For the price, I don't feel that 4 eyeshadows and no liner is a really good deal. I will not repurchase this or any Sephora quads. EDITED TO ADD: The eyeshadows also travel and fade more than my other brands as the day goes on. This one is going back to the store.
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Liquid -Revlon - ColorStay Makeup
BDfangirl 12/7/2012 3:58:00 PM
This is my HG foundation. I've tried many others and come back to this one every time. I use the Combination/Oily when my face is acting up and the Normal/Dry when I'm not an oil slick -- both in the Buff shade and both work nicely! The Combo formula is a little better for controlling oil, but I've found that both versions of Colorstay really do stay on all day. A nice plus is they don't come off on my clothing or on anyone else's if I'm hugging people.
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