Foundations -Bare Escentuals - Bare Minerals Ready Foundation
ChocolatCake 9/16/2012 1:33:00 PM
I wanted to love BE Ready so badly. It leaves a beautiful finish and it's very pigmented, but it broke me out horribly. I think something in the hydrating properties did not react well with my skin. It is also hard to find a color match because the colors of Original and Matte DO NOT match up to the Ready foundations. I'm usually a Fairly Light in Matte, but I'm Golden Beige in Ready. I don't get it. Anyway, beautiful foundation but bad for my skin.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Make Up For Ever - HD High Definition Foundation
ChocolatCake 8/6/2012 11:40:00 PM
This foundation is just gorgeous on the skin. It applies like a dream and is impossible for it to look SUPER cakey, IME. There is a great color selection, and the packaging is nice and hygienic. Unfortunately, it slips quite a bit on my oily/combo skin. I tried setting it with powder, but I have to reapply after about three hours. Kind of a lot of work to make a ~$50 foundation work. This did not work for ME, but if you have normal skin this might do the trick. I exchanged for Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Urban Decay - Naked Skin
ChocolatCake 8/2/2012 3:54:00 PM
UD Naked is a great foundation, if you are not combo/oily. I wanted to love it so much. I bought MUFE HD and this makeup at the same time to try them both. I will have to say MUFE HD serves me better. This is why: UD Naked claims to be demi-matte, but it really isn't. It is dewy. While the finish is beautiful, I advise combo/oilies to stay away. UD Naked also does not look as good in natural light as MUFE does. I checked them both out in straight natural light, and UD Naked is a *little* rougher on the skin. It was very melty on my skin after about 3 hours. MUFE holds up for about 5-6 hours without getting oily. UD is more greasy after the oil comes out, while MUFE looks more dewy. Of course, I'm comparing different foundations -- but they promise the same thing (invisible coverage) and have the same sort of consistency. Some positives about UD are the color range and the blending abilities -- it blends like a dream. I will be returning UD and keeping MUFE. Like another reviewer said, it's easy to get caught up in the hype with a new product in beautiful packaging, but make sure this is the right one for you. **EDIT*** I gave this foundation ONE more shot, and I can't make it work for me. Word to the wise -- you MUST buff it on instead of use your fingers or a flat brush. It will come out rough/streaky with fingers/flat brush. I used Sonia Kashuk's pointed foundation brush to buff it, and it looked better, but the wear wasn't great. Honestly, it's inferior to MUFE and is the same formula (IME) as Revlon PhotoReady, just without the sparkles. Save your money and buy Revlon PhotoReady instead. It wears longer and doesn't oxidize. I gave this foundation a few different tries and it's not for my oily skin.
6 out of 10 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -NARS - Sheer Glow Foundation
ChocolatCake 7/31/2012 7:39:00 PM
Is it just me or does this not come with a pump? I had a great skin match with Deauville, BUT after about 30 minutes it had oxidized. :( Not only that, but it was definitely not good for my combination skin. To be fair, the Sephora SA reminded me of that before my purchase but I told her I was okay with a little dewyness. This got oily almost right away. So sad since it's such a lovely finish. It does not have that "flawless" finish I've been looking for, though. I was much happier with MUFE HD.
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Lip Liners -MAC - Cremestick Liner - Beurre
ChocolatCake 7/16/2012 10:57:00 PM
I had my doubts about this at first, but I love it! The MAC SA actually recommended another lipliner to pair with Hug Me at first, but I told him I wanted to see Beurre. He brought it out and we mixed it and the result was gorgeous! He was even surprised with the pink-caramel color that was on my lips. The formula is great and glides nicely across the lips. It's rich, creamy, and pigmented. Also very versatile. Thumbs up for Beurre!
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Bronzers -Too Faced - Milk Chocolate Soleil
ChocolatCake 7/4/2012 11:49:00 PM
The absolute love of my life. I have been dying to find a true brown bronzer forever without it looking like dirt on my skin, and this is it. It really is a beautiful chocolatey tan glow. It blends beautifully, is very subtle and smells amazing. I love the packaging and I will continue to repurchase because it's great on my skin. I am fair, BUT WARM TONED. If you are not warm, this may not work for you. For reference: MAC NC15-20, Revlon PR Shell, Revlon CS in Buff.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Almay - Smart Shade Makeup SPF 15
ChocolatCake 7/1/2012 2:57:00 PM
Oh dear, this might be one of the worst foundations I have tried. Luckily, it did NOT turn orange on me. In fact, it matched my skin perfectly and did not oxidize on me. BUT, it did make be break out about 8 hours after application. I was walking around at work, and not only was I a greasy mess, 3 white heads popped up on my skin. For the product, the price is expensive. I would absolutely NOT repurchase. *sigh* It's too bad because the finish is very nice.
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Concealers -Maybelline - Dream Lumi Touch
ChocolatCake 6/27/2012 12:55:00 PM
I hope that Maybelline never discontinues this product -- it is fabulous! Those who are giving it bad reviews because it does not cover blemishes, you are doing it wrong! This is a "concealer" that is supposed to be used to cover dark circles and other shadows, NOT BLEMISHES. If you are using it on your blemishes, the brightening properties will bring it out more. I do not have dark circles, but I use this to brighten up my face. I'm using Revlon CS Whipped and while it is a beautiful foundation, it can be a little dulling. I dot Lumi along the top of my cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose, in the corners of my eyes, and above my eyebrow. WOW! A world of difference. My skin is glowy and awake, but not greasy and/or sparkly. I know now that I HAVE to use this product with CS Whipped because it makes such a beautiful difference. Lumi is a winner because instead of using glitter to glow like many drugstore brands do, it is simply just a brightening illuminator. No chunks of glitter, no tacky metallic effect. I purchased this in Ivory and it is a creamy fair color. It reminds me very much of the brightener Too Faced's Natural face palette which is exactly what I was going for. I would absolutely repurchase this and hope that they never discontinue it.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -BeneFit Cosmetics - Dallas
ChocolatCake 6/26/2012 11:37:00 PM
Dallas is a very pretty bronze plum color. Unfortunately, this color dulls my skin instead of makes it look awake and peppy. Of course, this is NOT the product's fault; it simply just does not work with my skin tone. Instead of brightening and awakening, this just looks blah. I would not repurchase just because it's not very pretty on my skin. It's too plummy on me to be a bronzer, and too brown to be a blush. I think it would work for cooler-toned girls. This would last forever and it has a pleasant smell to it. I would not repurchase just because the chemistry is off.
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Blush -Bare Escentuals - READY Blush The One
ChocolatCake 6/6/2012 10:39:00 PM
I picked this up on a whim and I am so glad that I did! Sephora.com describes this blush as a nude pink. I'd have to say I agree. The One is a dusty nude pink that would be suitable on many skin tones. I am fair, neutral/olive and this brightens my skin while looking natural. It blends very nicely and is well pigmented. I hardly ever rate anything 5 lipsticks, but I had to give this one 5 lipsticks because it LASTS so well on my oily skin. I'm a waitress and this was still on after a full shift. Huge bonus points!
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Crème -Revlon - ColorStay Whipped Creme Makeup
ChocolatCake 6/2/2012 1:49:00 AM
Well, I should say that I DO like the original ColorStay makeup; however, I find that it can be too "makeup-y" sometimes. Make sense? I was in the market for a new foundation since I've been striking out with HE foundations (lately LM, Tarte, and Bobbi Brown). I saw that this was new and I was intrigued by the "whipped" part of it since it sounded less heavy. I had low expectations when I bought it and I definitely thought it was going to be a gimmick. I took it home, applied a thin layer of foundation (no primer) and applied this. WOW! Excellent finish. It gives a natural finish without looking TOO dewy. I would consider it a satin finish. The glow of my natural skin still pokes through while also looking put together. The formula is bouncy and very creamy, and is definitely not as heavy as original ColorStay. I That is definitely a plus for me. I find that regular ColorStay can sometimes bring out little bumps on my skin, but the whipped makeup sort of sits on your imperfections (in a good way). It covered up my hormonal breakout pretty well. I remained oil free for about 5 hours before I had do apply any kind of powder. When I used a makeup wipe to remove my makeup before bed, the wipe still had a good amount of makeup on it. This stuff really stays on your skin. I find that it looks much better in natural light than ColorStay does -- much less harsh. It should be said that this review is based on WITHOUT a primer. I usually wear a perfecting primer before applying makeup, but I'm curious if I even need one at all with this foundation since the finish and wear were so beautiful. My two gripes are: the price and the packaging. I paid about $15 for this product. This is not bad, but it is quite expensive for drugstore. Also, the packing LOOKS nice, but it is not very user-friendly. I have to dip my finger into it, THEN apply with a foundation brush. Not very sanitary. I don't care too much since I am the only person using it. Someone mentioned that this foundation is a lot like LM Silk Creme, and I would definitely agree. The consistency is incredibly similar. Overall, great little drugstore find and I hope they continue to make it (I would LOVE it with a pump or in a tube, but we will see)!
12 out of 12 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Stick -Bobbi Brown - Foundation Stick
ChocolatCake 5/25/2012 10:12:00 PM
Just meh. Honestly, it is not worth its price. I gave it two lipsticks because it does look very natural and the formula is nice; however, after about an hour, it turns greasy. I thought this would be decent for oily/combo girls, but it just did not work out for me. Great color selection, though. If you are dry or normal, this may work for you.
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Liquid -Clinique - Superbalanced Foundation
ChocolatCake 3/29/2012 6:08:00 PM
I think I *may* have found my HG foundation. I was wearing Revlon PR for a long time, and I liked it, BUT the sparkle in the formula would look a little much in sunlight. I still like to wear it out for a night on the town, though. Anyway, I came across Superbalanced on accident when my mom was shopping for makeup. I liked the thin, yet emollient, consistency. It blends very well and holds the oily in my skin VERY well (with a primer, of course). I don't have to powder between my classes anymore which is very nice. The only gripe I have is that I hate the bottle. I wish it would come with a pump SO BADLY. I hate glass bottles that are wide-mouthed. Other than that, great, natural looking coverage that keeps my oil at bay. Thumbs up!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Urban Decay - 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Perversion
ChocolatCake 3/22/2012 9:23:00 PM
Good stuff. I usually find that black pencil eyeliners pull a weird greenish color. IMO, I think it's very hard to find a pure black pencil eyeliner. This fits the bill. It's jet black and does not fade into dark green. It glides on super well and wears like a gel. It doesn't fade through the day and it shows up well in pictures. I deducted one lipstick because it does not wear well on the waterline, but that doesn't really bother me too much because I don't put eyeliner on the waterline. I have VERY oily lids and this stays very well. I would buy again.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Viva Glam Nicki
ChocolatCake 3/16/2012 2:05:00 PM
In my opinion, I think VG Nicki is more suited for warm toned, fair-skinned ladies. It's BRIGHT pink and it could end up looking cheap on women with medium-dark skin tones. I'm between NC15-NC20 and it looks nice on me. Here's the trick with applying VG Nicki, you have to gradually put it on. Because it's a Satin, it sort of drags and can look dry if you're not careful. I usually warm it up with my finger than dab it on. It looks really pretty this way! I can go from a light wash of coral/pink stain to a POW neon pink lip by layering it. If you don't really have the time to mess with it, it's not really worth it. I personally think it's a great spring color that makes my face look awake and my teeth look really white. It HAS to be set with a gloss or balm or else it will dry out your lips. I would repurchase if it wasn't LE.
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