Highlighters -TheBalm - Mary-Lou Manizer
BritMC 2/20/2013 2:04:00 AM
This is a superb highlighter! It gives a soft, diffused glow and offers a "dewy" finish that looks very natural. Its very hard to come across a powder highlighter that mimics the effects of a liquid one. Applying a liquid highlighter over top of my setting powder always looks cakey and streaky, so its fantastic that there is a powder highlighter that gives such a perfect glow to the skin. I also use it on my brow bone and around the tear duct, its just fantastic. The amount of product you get in the compact is impressive as well. If you are looking for a powder highlighter that doesn't look like powder on the skin and mimics a "dewy" look, this is for you!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Highlighters -MAC - Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle
BritMC 2/20/2013 1:56:00 AM
Pros: -Dewy, luminous finish -Easy to blend -A little bit goes a long way Cons: -Can accentuate pores -Has a short wear time This highlighter offers the same finish of a liquid highlighter, but in a convienent powder form. Its a great option for those who like to finish their foundation with powder. The finish offers a "dewy" look to the skin, without looking oily. Its super easy to blend out and the compact will last you a long time. It does have a couple cons, though. The texture has a tendency of accentuating pores, so you have to avoid the apples of the cheeks if you have larger pores. It also tends to fade slightly within a couple hours, so re-application might be required. But overall, its an amazing highlighter that makes achieving a dewy look very easy!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Maybelline - SuperStay Makeup - New Version
BritMC 2/20/2013 1:43:00 AM
I have to say, this foundation is amazing. It competes with several high end foundations such as Dior, Guerlain and MUFE. I have normal-dry skin and typically have problems with foundations accentuating my pores. I have spent so much money trying to find a foundation that gives me a flawless finish that covers well, and can last all day. I picked up this foundation 3 years ago, and It has been my go to foundation ever since. I own lots of high end foundations as I worked at Sephora for a few years, but I almost always reach for this foundation. It smooths out my pores, and gives my skin such a flawless finish. The coverage is amazing as well. Its not too thick but easily hides imperfections. It never fails to last all day, which is superb when you work long shifts or need a fool proof foundation for summer. My only complaint is the bottle packaging. If you want a high quality foundation that is inexpensive, this is definitely the one.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
CD/Books/Movies -Paula's Choice - Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me 6th Edition
BritMC 2/18/2013 8:20:00 PM
I didn't mind this book. I found a lot of things useful, but I also found Paula contradicted herself many times. She is against eye creams, but offers eye creams in her skin care line. She also advocates a simple routine excluding toner, yet tries to sell a "skincare line" that includes tons of what she would consider "useless steps". Other than that, she educates you about jar packaging, SPF, PH levels, potent anti-oxidants, and irritants. I found that useful. She does cite scientific studies as well, so its not all a load of crap. As for product ratings, I will loosely heed what she says, but I don't feel the need to buy strictly what she considers a "best" product. I do agree with her when she points out that some natural ingredients are simply not meant for use on the face, such as lavender or citrus extracts. It may smell lovely, but it does nothing but irritate your skin and I have personally had problems with this. In the end, she helped me establish a decent skin care routine with products and ingredients I was unaware even existed, and my skin has never looked better. I will NEVER buy her skin care line though, I think she's pushing her luck there and some would argue her credibility as well. I think she should consider heeding her own advice when it comes to her own skincare line.
4 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Tinted Moisturizer -Korres - Korres Watermelon Lightweight Tinted Moisturizer
BritMC 2/18/2013 5:07:00 PM
This is a superb product. It has a super lightweight consistency and provides a medium coverage. I don't know if I would call it a "tinted moisturizer" as the coverage is way above the coverage of an average tinted moisturizer, but I was pleased with the coverage none the less. The spf is a major bonus too. I just love using this through the summer, and I was quite disappointed when Sephora stopped selling it. Its still available through the korres website, but I hate ordering online. My only complaint is that it tends to accentuate pores after 5 or 6 hours of wear. It also oxidizes quite a bit, so you have to buy a shade lighter than your skin tone. All in all though, great summer alternative to a traditional foundation.
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Concealers -Hard Candy - Glamoflauge Concealer
BritMC 2/18/2013 4:10:00 AM
Pros: -Excellent coverage -Long wearing Cons: -Difficult to blend out -Really thick I have pretty bad dark circles and this concealer covers them really well. The only thing I am not fond of is how difficult it is to blend out, but that is kind of expected as its such a thick consistency. Layering too much of this concealer can look a little bit cakey. A little bit goes a really long way given the super full coverage. This concealer is pretty much a dupe of Make Up Forever's "Full Cover" concealer but less than half the cost.
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Liquid -Lancome - Teint Idole Fresh Wear
BritMC 2/18/2013 4:01:00 AM
Pros: -Super light weight -Medium coverage -Smoothing texture -Long wearing Cons: -Product tends to spill out of tube due to its water-like consistency. It would work better in a pump. This is an excellent foundation for someone who doesn't like that "thick" feeling but prefers a medium coverage. The finish isn't too dewy or matte, its a natural finish and gives a nice flawless look to the skin.I like to wear this throughout the summer because it doesn't "melt" off my face like thicker foundations do.I found it wore really well, but I hate the packaging. It can get really messy because it pours out of the tube. If you're going to buy this product be really careful about dispensing it.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Make Up For Ever - HD High Definition Foundation
BritMC 2/18/2013 3:50:00 AM
Pros: -Medium coverage -Light weight consistency -Great colour range -Natural finish Cons: -Potential to look dry This is a great foundation. It has a light consistency that is easy to blend out. It doesn't look too dewy or matte on the skin. The coverage is pretty decent, it starts out as a medium coverage and can be built to a full coverage. I can't really wear it in the winter though, as it makes my skin look a little cakey and dry. Even on normal or oily skin its pretty important to moisturize well before you apply it. It only really works on well hydrated skin or it tends to look cakey. Other than that, its a good foundation.
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Tinted Moisturizer -Tarte - Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Tinted Moisturizer
BritMC 2/18/2013 3:40:00 AM
Pros: -Sheer-medium coverage -Moisturizing -Natural finish, not too shiny Cons: -Slightly thick This is a good tinted moisturizer. It offers buildable coverage that doesn't cake up. It gives a nice healthy glow to the skin, but doesn't get too shiny. I suppose thats a result of the amazonian clay. For dry skin it might look a little cakey though. The only thing I didn't like was its consistency. It was a little thick, but overall great for everyday use if you're willing to spend the money to repurchase.
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Primer/ Corrector -BeneFit Cosmetics - The Porefessional
BritMC 2/18/2013 3:33:00 AM
Pros: -Very smoothing, hides pores well -Mattifying -Balm-like texture Cons: -Not much product in the tube -Expensive for the amount of product given I really like this primer. The texture is almost like a smooth light weight balm. It really does hide pores well. It also matifies the skin. A tiny amount can be used mid day over oily spots to reduce shine. My only complaint is that the amount of product in the tube makes it difficult to use as an everyday primer all over the face. You have to reserve the product for small areas on the face. For that reason I rated it a 4.
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BB Cream -Smashbox - Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35
BritMC 2/18/2013 3:26:00 AM
Pros: -Hydrating -Smoothing -High SPF Cons: -VERY sheer coverage -Difficult to get all the product out This BB cream is a good option for someone who has an even complexion with barely any imperfections. There is literally barely any coverage to this BB cream. You would have to use a lot of the product to get a sheer-medium coverage. I did like the smoothing aspect to it, but I would much rather invest in a lightweight primer or a moisturizer with silicones and SPF. The stiff tube also makes it really hard to get all the product out. I think I would bring this with me on vacation to smooth out my pores and to protect my skin with the SPF, but for everyday use its a bummer.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Maybelline - Dream Matte Mousse
BritMC 2/18/2013 3:16:00 AM
Pros: -Lightweight consistency -Matifying -Smooths pores -Good colour range Cons: -Crumbles upon application -Can sometimes be "dry" in appearance Overall, I was disappointed by this foundation. It does mattify however, which could be beneficial for oily skin, but the texture of the foundation is so hard to work with. When I applied it, it immediately crumbled and balled up on my skin. It did smooth out my pores, but left a dry looking texture to my skin.
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Liquid -Guerlain - 'Lingerie de Peau' Invisible Skin-Fusion Foundation
BritMC 2/18/2013 3:09:00 AM
Pros: -Extremely lightweight consistency -Smooths skin and hides pores very well -Gives a decent medium coverage -Applies easily Cons: -Too much fragrance -Foundation bottle doesn't allow you to get out all the product easily -Isn't very long lasting -Disappointing colour range -Expensive Overall, I really like the finish of this foundation. It gives a slightly dewy finish and hides pores and imperfections really well. I just wish the packaging was slightly different, and that the wear time was longer! The fragrance could be a problem for people with sensitive skin. I didn't mind it too much, however I would prefer it were fragrance free. I like to wear this foundation for special occasions, but I can't justify wearing it everyday given its price and difficult packaging.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Shiseido - Perfect Foundation Brush
BritMC 2/18/2013 2:50:00 AM
I normally use my fingers to apply my foundation, as I haven't found a foundation brush that does a better job. I've heard a lot of great things about foundation brushes, and the shiseido brush in particular. After purchasing, my first thought was how short the handle of the brush was. I would have preferred a longer handle for easier control. I applied my maybelline liquid mousse foundation in blobs on my cheeks, forehead, chin and nose. I then used the brush to buff in the foundation. It took a long time to blend the foundation to my liking, and I had to pay extra attention to my pores as the brush didn't "hide" them very well. I also found I had to use twice as much product as I normally would, despite dabbing the brush in a tiny amount of moisturizer before hand. I have also tried this brush with guerlain lingerie de peau foundation with the same results. Overall, I found the end result was similar to the result I get from just using my fingers, and it took 3 times longer to apply. I would much rather use this brush to blend the edges of the foundation as opposed to using it to apply and buff out the foundation. I guess I am still perplexed as to why people spend so much money on foundation brushes when using your fingers usually gives a much better or similar effect.
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Eyeliner -Maybelline - Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner
BritMC 4/12/2010 5:02:00 PM
I recently ran out of my MAC fluidline, so i decided I would try this gel liner as a cheaper alternative. Upon application, it did well. It glided on, and was nicely pigmented. Although I found that i had to build the color by going over the same line twice, but that may be because i purchased the color "charcoal'... more of a grey/black. The brush that came with the liner was impressive, as it gave me a smooth line and was able to create a sharp wing easily. Overall, this product makes a good dupe for MAC's fluidline. Much cheaper, and almost the same quality.
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