Eye Shadow -Urban Decay - Naked Palette
BazookaBaby 8/17/2012 9:53:00 PM
I hemmed and hawed about buying this for quite a while, after reading all the hype that is everywhere. A friend of mine let me use hers and I fell head over heels in love with it. I am a fan of eyeshadow and I like a little bit of shimmer, even for every day. I love all the colors, but my favorites are by far Sin and Half Baked. I agree that to drop $50 for eyeshadow sounds a bit nuts, but when each of these full size pans generally sell for $18 a pop, and four of them are exclusive to this set (that would be $72 worth of product that is only available if you buy this, it feels a lot less heavy on the purse. If you don't count the brush (which retails for $24 on it's own, regardless of whether or not you like the quality or use it - which I really don't) and the deluxe size bottle of primer potion that it also comes with, you are getting twelve full sized UD shadows for just over $4 each, less than what a lot of drug store single shadows sell for. The one thing that I really dislike is the packaging. I don't care for anything that doesn't snap shut when it comes to my makeup as I don't want anything contaminating the colors. I also don't think that anything fabric (especially velvety type fabrics) meshes well with makeup. Plastic and metal cleans up easily and is much easier to keep nice. I don't know that I will ever have to buy another one, since I like to experiment with slightly different looks and colors all the time, and don't know when I would ever hit pan, but if it ever came down to it, I would certainly rebuy this in a heartbeat.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Brows -Christian Dior - Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra-Fine Precision Brow Pencil
BazookaBaby 7/18/2012 1:34:00 AM
I think the main ingredient in this product is magic. I really, really do. I am admittedly somewhat new to the world of "real" make up (that is, makeup beyond slapping on foundation, eyeliner, and mascara in two minutes in the car) and until extremely recently I always thought that the only thing needed for eyebrows was a good trim/wax to keep them in shape, and anything applied beyond that would make you look like you had drawn them on with a crayon. Obviously I am hugely wrong, and I admit that wholeheartedly. I came across this little gem during my best friend's wedding - her make up artist used this on her eyebrows and they looked absolutely stunning (a word I never thought could be used to describe eyebrows until then). She was nice enough to offer to let me try it, and even as a complete eyebrow novice, I was able to easily use this and get great looking eyebrows. The trick is in a light hand - the harder you press, the darker it's going to be. The soft nature of the "lead" allows hairs to pick up color without a lot of pressure. The small size also makes it easy to fill in sparse areas or redirect the shape without making huge smudge marks in places you'd rather they not be. My hair color is bright orange red, but my brows grow in a bit darker, so the taupey brown color works great for me. The only complaints I have are with the packaging and price. $29 plus tax is the most I have ever spent for an eye pencil, regardless of its intended use. I spent it anyway, and luckily I don't have to wear make up every single day and even when I do it only take a minute amount of product to get the look I want... so this should last me a very long time. The packaging is OK, but I really feel like there should be a cap for the business end of the pencil. Yes I like having a cap for the spooley end, but that's not the part that was so expensive. If they ever update this item, I'd like to see a second cap added!
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Philosophy - Purity Made Simple (Real Purity Cleanser)
BazookaBaby 7/18/2012 1:17:00 AM
Edited: Ok, Well, unfortunately I'm going to have to edit all of my squawking below. After using this product twice a day, every day, for nearly three months, I've had to stop and take it back because I've had an allergic reaction to it. I have sensitive, fair skin and for a while I was doing really well with this - skin was clean, clear, and soft. I was using it with Philosophy's Hope in a Jar Moisturizer (which I still love to pieces) but I was ending up with these odd dry patches across my cheeks and one side of my nose and across the bridge of my nose where my glasses sit. The spots would never spread or move, but when I exfoliated to remove the rough-stuff, it would be back again at the end of the day. I found out that one of the ingredients used in Purity Made Simple is Piper Nigrum Seed Extract, also known as Black Pepper Oil, and I have an allergy to black pepper that is generally pretty mild, but after using it consistently for so long, my skin had finally had enough and freaked out. To test this, I stopped using it for a week and a half and the weird spots went away. I went back to Purity, and the same day the exact same spots came back. It's my own fault I suppose for not reading the ingredients but 1. It was recommended to me by a pro working at Sephora that it is the ultimate in hypo-allergenic products and that there was nothing in it that would give me any problems and 2. It never occurred to me until now that black pepper would be something anyone would put in something that would be on your face... ever. I'm taking this from a rating of five to a two. I still think for most people who aren't weirdos like me it should work out just fine. I can't use it anymore and have thus begun my quest for a better wash for my finicky skin. I've learned my lesson and will be religiously reading any and all ingredient labels on anything I put near my skin. ----- Previous It seems to me, going by reviews here and on other sites, that you either love this stuff, or you hate it. I firmly fall into the first category. This was recommended to me by a pro at Sephora, and then a friend who uses it who refers to it as "soapy Jesus in a bottle". I admittedly didn't have a very consistent facial routine, as I have never had acne prone skin but I will break out into an odd rash on my cheek areas if I use something my sensitive skin doesn't like... so I just never really washed my face with anything but hot water to keep those odd breakouts from happening. I ended up being given a sample bottle of this, tried it for a week, and ran out to buy a bigger bottle as soon as my sample size ran out. I'm not a huge fan of the smell, though it has grown on me and I can live with it. That said, Purity has done amazing things for my skin. I never thought of my skin as particularly bad, but after using this for two months my skin looks more even, often has a glowey, dewy finish that I didn't think I could get without makeup, it's SO soft, pores are smaller, and best of all - my sensitive, uncooperative skin hasn't broken out once since I started using it. Now I wash my face with it twice a day without fail.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - Illegal Length Fiber Extensions
BazookaBaby 7/15/2012 10:04:00 AM
I don't like this stuff at all. I've been on a quest for the perfect mascara (inky black, volume, length, and no clumping) for the last six months and picked this up on a whim at Target. Length, yes - volume no, and it clumps like mad. I looked like I had seven or eight individual super long lashes (reminded me of a spider's legs). I used it a couple different times to make sure it wasn't just a one-off thing, and it wasn't.
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Eye Shadow -Make Up For Ever - Metal Powder - Sunflower Gold #1
BazookaBaby 7/14/2012 4:38:00 PM
I cannot say enough good things about this eyeshadow. I have been wearing makeup since I was a teenager (I'm twenty seven now) but only very recently got "into" makeup beyond the basic foundation, eyeliner, and mascara. Once I really got into beauty products I found myself on a mission to get the perfect gold eyeshadow. I did a Google search for gold shadows and an article came up about the Hunger Games movie, and this was used for one of the main characters, Cinna, for his signature gold eyeliner and in the photos it looked gorgeous. I found myself at Sephora a few days later, tried the tester pot that was available, and fell in love. I own several different gold shadows (it is my favorite color range) from several companies but this is by far the truest gold out there. There are only four colors in the Metal Powder line. This one is a true gold, loose pigment. A tiny, tiny bit goes a long, long way. It is very bright and looks like gold leaf when you put it on. I also love to use this as an eyeliner as well with a wet liner brush, or accent the corners of my eyes or waterline with it. I don't notice a lot of fall out with this product, even if it is a loose pigment, but I try not to overload my brush because of how concentrated it is. Staying power and vibrancy isn't an issue. Twelve hours in Atlanta summer heat and it looks just as bright (and right where I put it) as it did when I first put it on - even if the rest of my makeup might have had other ideas. The packaging is just like other MUFE loose pigments. It's a small plastic jar that has a plastic sifter insert to keep too much product from coming out at once. The pot holds 2.8 grams and each one is $23 US plus tax. Very expensive for one eyeshadow, but as I said a tiny bit goes a long way (I can't see myself running out any time soon) and if you are looking for a true gold that stays gold, it doesn't get any better than this. I hope that the metal powders line expands beyond the four colors they already have as they are fantastic products and would love to have more!
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Eye Shadow -Ulta - Gold Leaf
BazookaBaby 7/14/2012 4:06:00 PM
I am a gold shadow junkie and I own several shades from several companies. This one I picked up when Ulta had their brand of shadows on sale for $2 a piece. I had wanted Aztec Gold but sadly my local Ulta has been out of it every time I've been in there so I got this one instead. It's very pretty, but I find that it's rather on the sheer side. It is buildable and it works well as a highlighter or layering over another color to give it some depth or shimmer. I've not had issues with fall out and it does stay put once it's on. Occasionally I'll wear it on its own, but not too often. I can't see myself buying this again because I don't use it enough to run out.
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Eye Shadow -Cover Girl - Eye Enhancers - Snow Blossom
BazookaBaby 7/14/2012 3:57:00 PM
I use this solely as a highlighter on my browbone and nothing else and it works really well for that. It's a very sheer, slightly shimmery white. I used to use it as my inner eye corner highlighter as well but I have switched to Ulta brand kohl eyeliner in Halo for that. This eyeshadow is extremely sheer and it takes a very long time to build up color. If you just want a bit of highlight, that's easy enough but if I want white on my eyelid or a stronger white, I use either NYX eyecrayon in milk as a base and go from there, or another white eyeshadow altogether because this one is just too much hassle to get a strong white color.
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Eye Primer -NYX - HD High Definition Eyeshadow Base
BazookaBaby 7/14/2012 3:51:00 PM
I was given this by a friend who bought one for herself and loved it and knew I was looking for a new eye primer to replace the mineral one I had been using from an independent maker on etsy. It's worked OK for me, though I have a hard time getting colors that would otherwise blend beautifully to blend at all and not look blotchy. I will say that staying power with this is fantastic, and colors do look very bright. After reading another review I tried it as a primer for under eye concealer and it works really well for that. I don't know that I would go out and buy this for myself once I run out, but I can't complain too much about something I was given.
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Foundations -Cargo - OneBase
BazookaBaby 7/14/2012 3:44:00 PM
I don't have acne prone skin so I don't often need a lot of concealer - but I do have bags/dark circles around my eyes and I prefer to cover that up. My skin is naturally very pale and I don't tan well and a lot of concealers on the market, even in the lightest tones, are far too dark for me. My mom gave me a tube of this to try and it's really done the trick for not only evening out the skin tone around my eyes, but also blending well into the rest of my face and not being so obvious that I've put something on. At $24 a pop, I kind of feel like the packaging should be a little more substantial but I can't really complain since this was a gift.
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Eye Shadow -Ulta - Flirty
BazookaBaby 7/14/2012 3:39:00 PM
I got this when Ulta had their eye shadows for $2 a piece. I've yet to be disappointed with Ulta brand eye shadow. This particular shade is a dark magenta / raspberry color. When it's being worn, depending on how the light hits it, it will either show up as very bright raspberry, or dark copper, at least on me. I really like the changeability! Color payoff is great, I haven't had issues with fall out, and it stays without fading or creasing.
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Eye Shadow -Laura Mercier - Eye Basics in Flax
BazookaBaby 7/14/2012 3:32:00 PM
This was recommended to me by a local pro who did my best friend's makeup for her wedding when I asked her what she used as eye primer for her clients. She was nice enough to let me try it that day and it worked fantastically for me. The next week when I was at Sephora I snapped up one of my own and I love it. It is very creamy and I don't find that it takes too very long to dry. I use this under every eyeshadow I use, from light neutrals to the crazy bright colors I wear on weekends. It is a bit on the expensive side, but the amount that comes in the tube will last for an extremely long time.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Unlisted Brand - Monistat - Chafing Relief Powder-Gel
BazookaBaby 7/14/2012 1:51:00 PM
I love this stuff. Love, love, love. A friend of mine turned me onto this a couple years ago when she saw I was using a revlon brand primer that cost $12 for a teeny tiny tube (about a quarter the size of the monistat chafing gel) and pulled this out of her makeup bag and told me to give it a go. Four times as much product for half the price, and worked better than the Revlon had, I was sold. I've had the same tube now for a year and a half and it's only about 2/3 of the way empty. I don't wear makeup every single day, granted, but I do wear it often enough and I always wear this with it if I'm going to put on foundation. I have super sensitive skin and it has yet to give me any problems. It's very soft and light, and I don't feel it at all when I put it on. I only need about a pea sized drop to cover my whole face. As a bonus it does a fantastic job at it's original purpose.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Maybelline - Eyestudio Quad-Sapphire Siren
BazookaBaby 7/14/2012 1:43:00 PM
I really like this pallet. I don't wear colors this dramatic every day, but I really couldn't resist getting this set when I saw it at Target. All four shades are highly pigmented and the white, teal, and blue are very creamy. I find the black to be a bit harder to apply and doesn't have nearly as much color payoff as the other three but that's not much of a deal breaker for me as I have another black eyeshadow I prefer to use anyway, and the quality of the other three makes it up for me.
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Eye Shadow -L'Oreal - HiP Bright Duo - Flamboyant #538
BazookaBaby 7/14/2012 1:38:00 PM
I have a thing for gold eyeshadows. I own about seven of them and this one was the first I ever got. I really do wish that I could purchase the gold/yellow out of this on its own. I personally think it's very nice - lots of pigment, very soft, goes on easy, and has decent staying power on its own, though since I started using eye primer under my shadows it does a whole lot better. It's less of a true gold than a golden yellow, and does have quite a bit of shimmer to it. It's really lovely. The purple on the other hand is kind of a let down. It's beautiful in the pan but even if I rub it with my finger it doesn't really have a lot of color payoff and it has a hard time sticking, even with primer. If I were to purchase this again it would be for the yellow color alone, but I don't know that I want to spend close to $10 for something that I'm only going to throw half of it away. The last thing to address is the packaging. The HiP duos packaging is really bulky because of the bottom compartment used to house a brush that comes with each set. I use my own brushes and tend to just throw the little brush/tool/things that come with the products I purchase away, and I tend to depot my pans to keep them all in one place and save on storage space in my bathroom. That said, I still think they're unnecessarily clunky and large.
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Fragrances -Aquolina - Pink Sugar
BazookaBaby 7/14/2012 1:15:00 PM
I love this stuff. I've been a fan for about ten years, back when I got my very first "grown up" perfume (well, something that wasn't sold at bath and body works or walmart). I still love it now that I'm in my later 20's. It's very fresh and clean smelling. I don't find it that overpowering and I find it very fun. I really love the bottle it comes in. The only issue I've had with it (I'm on my 5th bottle in ten or so years) is the most recent one I've got, the top of the metal spray pump likes to tilt to the side and jam and I have to be careful with how I push down. In general this is my every day scent. I hope Aquolina never discontinues this!
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