Primer/ Corrector -L'Oreal - Revitalift Miracle Blur 
BubberNe 4/21/2013 11:42:00 AM
I have this product, and two others that are very similar: Nanoblur, and Bremenn's "Instant Forehead Smoother". Basically, they all do the same thing, though at different price-points. (Bremenn's being the most expensive). Essentially, these are all mattifying products, designed to take away the shine, and minimize pores. It works, though nobody using this should expect miracles. It's important it to use it as a last step, though. Otherwise, your face will be a disaster once you try to put foundation over top. For a drugstore item, I find it's a bit pricey overall. But it does what it's supposed to do.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Physicians Formula - Happy Booster™ Glow & Mood Boosting Blush in Natural
BubberNe 9/25/2012 11:30:00 AM
I own the two-piece bonus combo that is shown in the main photo. I have had it for about 8 months, and each time I use it (which is often) it occurs to me to come and write a review on this product, because I like it so much. The small bronzer is the most beautiful, subty-colored powder that is great for dusting on to cheeks and brow. It gives me the nicest overall glow and sometimes it amazes me when I catch a glimpse in the mirror, how really beautiful and natural it looks. The same with the larger blush. This one is shimmery, but I also have a more matte version with the same heart pattern that I love just as much. Really pleased with these, regret taking so long to buy and review them.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Maybelline - Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner
BubberNe 9/10/2012 12:24:00 PM
I am all about finding good drugstore makeup. I do like this gel eyeliner, but I decided to do a side-by-side comparison of this product in Onyx, as compared to Annabelle's Smudge Paint in Tar. Both cost about the same (CDN$12), and both promise very long wear. I put one on each eye. I went about my day, at night I did a workout, had a shower, washed my face (leaving the liner on) and went to bed. The next morning, I can see a clear difference between the two. The Annabelle Smudge Paint is definitely the winner. It is still crisp and dark black, whereas the Eyestudio liner has smudged and faded considerably. So if you are looking to choose between these drugstore products, the Eyestudio one is good, but the Annabelle is the better bet. Love them both, though.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Annabelle - Smudge Paint
BubberNe 9/10/2012 9:31:00 AM
I am all about finding good drugstore makeup. So I did a side-by-side comparison of this product in Tar, as compared to Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Onyx (which has very good reviews by more than 1,000 reviewers here on Makeupalley). Both cost about the same (CDN$12), and both promise very long wear. I put one on each eye. I went about my day, at night I did a workout, washed my face (leaving the liner on) and went to bed. The next morning, I can see a clear difference between the two. The Annabelle Smudge Paint is definitely the winner. It is still crisp and dark black, whereas the Eyestudio liner has smudged and faded considerably. So if you are looking to choose between these drugstore products, the Annabelle is the better bet. Love it.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Physicians Formula - Shimmer Strips Gel Creamliner (all)
BubberNe 4/2/2012 11:11:00 PM
It is rare for me to be so blown away by a product, that I will make a special effort to come here to write a review. But this is exactly what has happened with this product. This morning, I applied this eyeliner (brown, from the Trio for Brown Eyes, although I own all three Trios). That was at about 9 a.m. I proceeded to have my usual busy day, and then (12 hours later) I went to the gym and did a 45-minute run. I have just emerged from a long hot steamy bath. The rest of my makeup is running down my cheeks. But the eyeliner literally has NOT BUDGED. I am so impressed. As I said, I own all three Trios (nine little pots in total), and they are in my regular repertoire. Love this stuff. Recommended.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Lancome - Renergie Lift Volumetry
BubberNe 12/13/2011 7:51:00 PM
I received a generous-sized jar of this as a GWP. It took several weeks of daily use to finish the jar, so I can honestly say: This product does nothing special for me. At all. Pros: It's a nice, rich cream, goes on nicely. Packaging is fine. Didn't break me out. Light scent (however, the smell, combined with the texture, REALLY reminds me of my mother's old-school Oil of Olay from years back). Cons: This cream never, ever sinks in on my skin. If I apply it at night, fresh from exfoliating, I still look shiny shiny shiny in the morning. Really didn't WOW me with its moisturzing, line-reducing, or any other properties. Especially when you factor in the (ridiculous) price. Bottom line: OK product. Nowhere near worth the money.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -Tarte - Eye Couture Day-To-Night Eye Palette
BubberNe 10/7/2011 11:54:00 PM
I only liked this palette in theory; I ended up giving it away. Pros: Lovely, buttery shadow texture Interesting selection of colours Pretty, rich-looking, case with a big mirror Refillable Came with a double-ended brush Came with a double-ended eyeliner Interesting little instruction sheet Cons: I was sensitive to the shadow formula, made my eyes water Colours didn't work together Colours seemed muddy and pale WAY too much shimmer in this palette Liner was a bit dry Case too bulky for travel, lock adornment gets in the way of stacking/storing Disappointing, but not a keeper.
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Eye Primer -E.L.F. - Studio Line Eye Primer Liner Sealer
BubberNe 9/2/2011 2:33:00 AM
Primer side: I have tried numerous eye primers in all price ranges (Urban Decay, Tarte, Palladio, Quo, Claudia Stevens, E.L.F. liquid eye primer). This one isn't my favorite in terms of quality, but it's decent. And for the money, it's great. It has a waxy texture, and it does seem to crease more than some others. But it blends well and is very convenient. And cheap. Did I mention cheap? I would give the Primer (alone) a 3/5. Liner/Sealer: I really, really like the Liner/Sealer end, if only for the novelty. I use it to "seal" pencil liner, and also to make a little paste out of my powder shadow, to use as an eyeliner. It works great for both. And it's a cool concept. Cons: It does sting my eyes very slightly. And at first I had trouble opening it without spilling, but I finally figured it out. But I definitely like this product, it's tons of fun to make liquid eyeliners (with great staying power) from eyeshadows, in virtually any color. I would give the liner (alone) at 5/5 Update: I have been using this for a while, and I'm still indifferent about the primer, I don't reach for it as much as I might, but I REALLY like the liner/sealer half. I have therefore averaged the two ratings.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Wet 'n' Wild - Color Icon Trio - I'm Getting Sunburned
BubberNe 4/17/2011 12:58:00 PM
My review is a little mixed. First, I have been hugely impressed with the Color Icon products from Wet n Wild, and echo all the other glowing reviews about pigmentation, softness/blendabilty, lasting power (especially with a good primer), and price. However, this particular palette ("I'm getting sunburned") has what turns out to be a really bizarre color combination of shades, and looked surprisingly terrible on me when each color was applied in the suggested spots. Alone, the colors are independently lovely: a great gold shimmery shade, a shimmery darker pink, and a good, sturdy dark brown. But together they looked ridiculous on my NC25-ish skin. I will try this again, maybe with a lighter hand and some adjustments to where I place the product. And I have bought many of the other Color Icon palettes, so I'm having lots of fun with this impressive drugstore line of products.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -GOSH - Eye Shadow
BubberNe 4/5/2011 12:55:00 AM
I am starting to suspect that the name "GOSH" stands for "Gosh, I just wasted my money." I was really hoping to love this eyeshadow, the colours in the store sample on display were so beautiful and seemed to have such gorgeous pigmentation. I bought a trio with a beautiful dark brown, stunning-looking gold, and a white. But when I got it HOME, the whole thing just looked like a terrible, muted, muddy mess on my eye. The dark brown was barely-there, and I ended up having to really pile it on to get any results at all. And still, even after making a concerted effort to make it all work, it just looked so drab that I ended up adding a bit of dollar-store gold just to liven up my eyelids, and it looked 20x better than the GOSH shadow. Very disappointed.
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Foundations -Maybelline - Dream Matte Mousse
BubberNe 4/4/2011 1:52:00 PM
I'll start by acknowledging that different people have different skin and need different foundations. But this one was HORRIBLE on me. In fact, it has been sitting in the bottom of my makeup drawer for about a year, and I thought I'd give it another try now that I'm using face primer, have a nice stipple brush, etc etc. I thought maybe an improved technique would make it better. Wrong. This showed all my pores and fine lines. Every. Single. One. After putting even a light coat on my skin, I looked exactly like an old hag. This foundation is just not for me.
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Palettes -E.L.F. - Studio Mini Makeup Collection
BubberNe 3/31/2011 5:45:00 PM
Overall, I'm giving this a good rating because it's a good mix of 1) convenience; 2) price; and 3) decent product quality. I take it with me routinely to travel, and the rest of the time I leave it in my car for emergency touch-ups. * Pros: * Contains lots of eyeshadow, a cream I use as highlighter, a great brow powder with brush, decent blush, and a decent eyeliner pencil. * The pigmentation on some of the colours is impressive. The black/grey/silver trio is surprisingly good. * Personally, I rarely use gloss, but there's a nice selection. * Love the little fold-out case it comes in, which includes a mirror. * Cons: * Some of the colours lack pigmentation. I never bother with the two green shades. They look horribly muddy on me. * There are quite a few shimmer shades amongst the selection. (Given my age, I don't use these as much as others would. But for the average user this might become a "pro" rather than a "con".) * The tiny blush and shadow brushes are not useful, but then again it's such a neatly-sized little kit, I can't expect much. I just bring a travel set of brushes with me.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Tarte - Femme Naturale Eye Palette
BubberNe 3/11/2011 9:16:00 PM
I really wanted to love this palette. But after many attempts, I have to say I just don't like it overall, and would not buy it again. First, the good: The double-ended application brush is lovely and soft and wonderful to use. The eyeliner pencil is great, too. The texture of the shadow is nice and buttery-soft. The package is nice and opulent looking (subject to my comments about the magnets, below). Now, the bad: The pigmentation leaves something to be desired; everything is too wishy-washy, sheer and subtle for me. The eyeshadow colors don't really "blend" conceptually with each other, color-wise. I find myself adding colors from other palettes just to get a look I'm happy with. Worst of all, while the pans are removable, the magnets that make them cling to the case fell off. I had two glue three of the magnets back in, with contact cement. Not what I expected for a palette I paid CDN$50 for.
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Eye Shadow -Sally Girl - Mini Baked Eyeshadow - All colors
BubberNe 3/11/2011 5:57:00 PM
I have to echo all of the prior reviews -- this suprisingly impressive eyeshadow and a huge bang-for-the-buck (literally -- only a buck!). The pigment on these little gems is astonishingly good. Wet or dry, the color goes on beautifully. Good staying power, and lid primer makes the colors last forever. The price is unbeatable. I have given it the highest rating, despite the fact that I think I may have some senstitivity to the product, which is too bad. I will hand them off to some of (sure-to-be-grateful) friends who compllimented me on the shadow, the last time I wore it!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Cover FX - COVER FX
BubberNe 3/10/2011 1:09:00 PM
This is an amazing foundation / concealer, though I can understand why people are having difficulty with it and giving it poor reviews. The coverage is wonderful, natural-looking, and flawless if you can get the hang of it. However, it does take some practice. As a dab-on concealer, it's great. It will cover any flaw or redness you can imagine on your skin. But as a foundation, it can be challenging. Moisturizer or primer underneath is a MUST. A tip that I was given by the S/A who matched the shade for me: add a few drops of your favourite primer to the surface of the CoverFX (right in the compact), stir the surface *very* gently with a stippling brush (to give it a thinner consistency), then apply to face using a light stippling method. This will give you fabulous coverage and you need very little product to get a nice, soft, powdery finish. This compact will last me 6 months, for sure. Love this product.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No