Polishes -Nubar - Reclaim
Crowstoes 4/30/2011 10:04:00 AM
i have never been one for green nail polishes. RECLAIM has certainly changed all of that. this color goes on like a dream. i don't have a lot of trouble applying my holos as i have read some others do here and there. i always apply mine without a base. regardless of brand. no bald spots for me that way, but everyone is different right?! back to the color at hand. if you are craving a strong linear holo green with some umph this is the one. it is a vibrant bright green. bold. thats' the word. BOLD!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Rescue Beauty Lounge - -- Scrangie
Crowstoes 4/30/2011 6:29:00 AM
like many of you i find scrangies site absolutely outstanding as a reference for polish swatches., and was rather slow to find out about not only his color, but rbl polishes in general. but - after having a prior order cancelled on a different e-tailer *and creating a really close tweaked franken - see turtlebeautys' site* i was even more determined that i was going to own this polish - regardless - and i've got to say that i am sadly, disappointed with it. in the bottle - color wise - it is truly nothing short of phenomenal. it reminds me of a more complex zoya adina, similar only in concept - not so much in execution. adina is a far different tone of green on purple than this one. much warmer. but when scrangie dries the magic dies., it literally gets muddy on the nail. major MAJOR fail for me. the overall dried finish was good though. but it was difficult also - even with the most gentle/even hand to avoid dragging/bald spots during application and the brush just would not hold enough color to cover the surface for one coat. totally not acceptable either. for polishes priced at $18.00 for .4 oz-12 ml. i expect nothing short of perfection. altho i have some issues with it, it will remain in my collection., purple fiend that i am, but overall - for the $ - i definitely would not re-purchase this one.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -MAC - Briar Rose (Venomous VIllains)
Crowstoes 4/24/2011 7:16:00 PM
Like a lot of others i was all over the vv collection right before its' launch., i was on the phone with my local mac store reserving what i wanted - i got all three laquers, and the two mineralized e/s duos. but like a dumba$$ i initially passed on the briar rose. i SO should have got it then. but i was lucky enough to pick one up later on and love it! like prior reviewers have mentioned it is the perfect shade of pink to add a little touch of a healthy glow to the outer apples of my cheeks (on my skin a little goes a long way) i definitely would purchase it again - but i don't think i'd need to because i use so little each time. i absolutely love the packaging but wish the outer area of the compact was the traditional matte black like others have mentioned.
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Top/Base Coats -Seche Vite - Dry Fast Top Coat
Crowstoes 4/10/2011 12:38:00 PM
i really want to love this because it dries your polish really REALLY fast., but even when i apply a clear coat with it i still get shrinkage. so i just gotta go with my poshe instead. give it a try tho, it is a great product.
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Polishes -OPI - My Private Jet
Crowstoes 3/2/2011 7:15:00 PM
i've been trying SO HARD to get my hands on the holo version of this color., with no idea it was discontinued. So i ordered from 4 different retailers on amazon and - yup - i got 4 dud second versions. BOO. not particularly fond of the brown base version. i'll keep one because it's a semi duochrome., but i'll swap the other three i'm sure. anyone wanna swap an extra MPJ holo for a MPJ second version? PM me! i'll be adding them to my swap items.
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Mascara -MAC - zoom lash - zoomblack
Crowstoes 2/19/2011 8:15:00 PM
i received a mini size of this as an extra from a great fellow mua'er (who i hope is ready for her bar exam!!!!) and i - like many others have been on a never ending search for an hg mascara. i found mine! i have what i would call average lashes. not too short, not too long, they have a slight curl but i still need to curl them. i also hate having to apply multiple coats of mascara- it is a royal pita for me in the morning., no multiple coats required with my zoomlash. one coat - and I AM DONE baby! i like the shape of the brush also but it is an absolute must with this to wipe the excess off before applying it., it's really easy to hit areas other than your eyelashes. but practice and a little finesse makes perfect (at least for me anyway) the price at $14.00 to me is great. it's not that much more than d/s mascaras these days. d/s mascaras aren't as cheap as they used to be....
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Mascara -Urban Decay - Skyscraper Mascara
Crowstoes 2/19/2011 3:01:00 PM
i picked this one up at the request of an ulta sa who was wearing it and her lashes looked great. so i took a chance on it even tho i have major baggage where it comes to op dept store mascaras., most are so obscenely priced and acceptable equivalents can be found for much cheaper usually. it did work well for me the for about the first two weeks i used it, but then it started flaking like mad....that was the dealbreaker for me, but don't let my opinion deter you from trying it. i may have gotten an older tube - who knows., but for the $ they charge for it i'm not willing to try that crapshoot and go buy another tube to only to get 2 weeks out of it again.
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Clothes -Abercrombie & Fitch - All clothes
Crowstoes 2/12/2011 10:37:00 PM
amen to that citylife i find it amusing that some people here complain about another store stinking so bad they cant stand to set foot in there and then absolutely loving abrecrombie?! - its nothing short of laughable. i agree with citylife on all points. way too loud music and it reeks to high heaven in there. i swear they mop the floors with that junk perfume they sell., or they're running it through the ac system. i also find their clothing of extremely cheap quality for the ridiculous prices they charge. i have a few pair of their pants but i used my brain and bought all of them at plato's closet., for $16.00 a pair. i also own 2 $140.00 wool sweaters from there as well - got those at platos for 30.00. i'd be d!@#ed if i'd be brainless enough to pay what they wanted in the store for them retail. but - if you have mommy and daddy atm and and stomp your feet enough i guess you can buy whatever you want with their money., they can keep it.
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Hair Styling Tools -Sedu - Ionic Ceramic Professional Flat Iron (Original)
Crowstoes 2/7/2011 8:09:00 PM
i had a sedu revolution for a long while and- absolutely- bar none - the BEST straightener i've ever owned when it was working properly. i loved it. however mine suffered the same wiring issue as many others and folica replaced it with the 9.95 return fee. but what folica DOESN'T tell you (and this is my major Bi#ch with both this product and folicas cs) is that your replacement sedu DOES NOT HAVE THE TWO YEAR WARRANTY. after my second one went in not two months - i wrote a letter to sedu (and of course you can't contact them any other way)., to let them know exactly how i felt about their ridiculous "warranty" and shoddy quality of a product at such a price point., to no avail. my replacement iron took no time at all in exhibiting the same wiring issue as the first - when i called folica about it i wasn't offered a replacement iron. All i was offered was a 30 day warranty i believe AND i had to pay for it on top of it - something like 30.00. i politely declined., and expressed my disdain of not being told this up front when i ordered my "replacement" iron. it breaks my heart because it is an absolutely great product when it works BUT until they fix the wiring issue at the base of the iron i will not buy another SEDU. i think its' reprehensible that a straightening iron priced at $130.00 doesn't last for many years when properly cared for as mine was. sedu should be ashamed for using such crappy components at such a high price point. it IS unacceptable., and folica isn't much better for not telling you you're not getting a new iron for a replacement OR a two year warranty on same said replacement. so beware - my replacement is currently being worked on in an attempt to fix the crappy wiring. we'll see.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Top/Base Coats -Sally Hansen - SalIy Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat
Crowstoes 2/6/2011 6:02:00 PM
i've been using this for a long time., it works great for me with maybelline colors, revlon, WnW - most d/s brands. i get a week out of my polish easily using this., i have a labor intensive job so for me that is a major bonus. one caveat however., i recently got a bunch of nubar duochromes and this did not play well with those. with that said i will continue to use it because i think its a great product for a great price and it causes no shrinkage. i also use seche and poshe right now also (depending what polish brand i'm using) but this will ALWAYS have a place in my polish stash.
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Lemon Juice
Crowstoes 2/6/2011 7:45:00 AM
not to be disrespectful in anyway to the prior reviewers here but i just had to giggle a little reading these. i've been using lemon juice both on my face and on my nails for years with great results. my grandmother did the same thing since i can remember., she always had beautiful natural white nails and great skin. s@rew buying that $120.00 jar of overpriced, overhyped, fix everything that's wrong with your skin crap cream that never delivers at the cosmetic counter. they can keep it for the next sucker. i'll be getting mine at the grocery store. welcome to the lemon juice party ladies!!! - where y'all been - you're late....... :)
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Eye Primer -Fyrinnae - Pixie Epoxy
Crowstoes 2/4/2011 10:08:00 PM
this product is nothing short of magic in a tube. any and i mean ANY eyeshadow will literally light up when you use it with pixie epoxy. the tube lasts a long time because you need to use so little of the product the only complaint i possibly have with it is the doe foot style applicator - never been a big fan of those but i can deal. fyrinnae is such an awesome company. their eyeshadow colors are to die for but they seriously need to hire more people so they can be "up and running" all of the time. i'm sure they will eventually. when i ordered mine luckily the site was open for business. i will buy this product until the day i die. believe the hype on this one girls. unlike a lot of products out there this one IS that damn good!
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Eye Shadow -MAC - mac wonder woman valiant eyeshadow quad
Crowstoes 2/4/2011 9:55:00 PM
having grown up watching lynda carter play wonder woman on tv i knew i had to get something from this collection. before the release i read all of the snoots and snorts and superficial snobby comments on assorted mu review sites about how cheap and kiddie the packaging looks and how some of the oh so much better than many ladies would be embarrased to use them in public (lipsticks etc.)., HEY - i got a tip for ya - a little manner re-vamp your parents obviously didn't instill in your empty chicken head...do all of us all a favor and simply shut up and here's the big one - don't buy it....m'kay?! my god, i get so freakin' tired of the catty infantile flat-out brainless "reviews" i read on here and other site sometimes....cripes, think before you start typing. if you can't do that then maybe it's time to give up your computer. i for one absolutely love the packaging - it is SO wonder woman., it truly captures the essence of the show. if you watched the show you'd get it. NOW back to the review - i can't tell you how blown away i am at the quality of this palette. it is really beautiful. i opened the box today and could not believe how great this is in person, the pics you see on the internet don't do it justice. i love love love it! wish i had more mad money for the rest of the quads - or even the entire collection - but at least i was lucky enough to get one! i got this one because frankly blues don't really jive with my skin tone - and i passed on the pink based palette because red-toned pinks don't work on me either., for me the valiant quad is the most wearable. after the swatching the colors i'm diggin it even more! the colors for the most part without primer are rather inconsistent pigment wise but nothing that a little ud primer and pixie epoxy can't handle. i can't wait to wear it
14 out of 20 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair Color -L'Oreal - Excellence Creme
Crowstoes 1/23/2011 6:12:00 AM
i use this color in #9 light natural blonde. my hair is/was a VERY dark brown when i was younger - needless to say it is no longer that way..it is now naturally salt and pepper grey. but HEY, i'm only 41 and don't want to look like i'm 71. not that i am trying to look 18, y'all can have that - i want to look as good as i can for my age. (I DO HAVE RATHER BAD NEWS FOR U 18-20 SOMETHINS' THO - ITS' COMIN FOR YOU TOO !!! BAAHAA (*EVIL LAUGH) why do you think my screen name is "crowstoes" a few lines equal a WHOLE lotta experience and wisdom - ashamed of my age i am not my dears!!! >;) but back to my color review - i used to use matrix socolor light natural blonde and keune 9a i think - both were used with an anti brass purple tint color packet added to the dye mix (if i didn't do this i got the "orange" brass crud too) the reason i quit using both was because they wouldn't consistently cover the grays. BUT the MOST important thing when you color your own hair at home is to use what is called a PROTEIN FILLER before you color. you can use the neutral kind or platinum (purple colored) this will give you the best color results out of ANY color manufacturer i have listed. i am not a stylist but i bet i just pi$$ed more than a few of them off by letting this secret out. you can buy it at sallys - feel free to pm me if you have any questions about how to use it. it will blow you away how much better your box color will look. NO MORE BRASS!!!! the reason i don't use keune or matrix socolor anymore is because both just would not cover my greys anymore. but this one does like a champ! AND the best part is it leaves gorgeous natural highlights in my hair too. as a matter of fact the last time i went to have my hair cut my new stylist asked me who colored my hair., i told her i did and she said no friggin way., its' gorgeous. so there ya go! again see my notepad in my profile and pm me if you have any questions about he products or process. lauri (crowstoes)
11 out of 15 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Urban Decay - 24/7 Eye Pencil 15 Year Anniversary Collection
Crowstoes 1/22/2011 9:33:00 AM
i was lucky enough this x-mas to have my wonderful man give me 100.00 g/c to sephora - and i got this set with it. i hemmed and hawed over what to buy and then - - - POW - a mathematical epiphany hit my dumb a$$. At 92.00 for this set each full size pencil is just about a third of retal. my god - you'd have to be a mental patient not to see the straight up value in it. not to mention the grindhouse sharpener is 9.00 on it's own. i haven't used all of the colors in it yet - but i've always loved 24/7 liners. great quality. i've swatched them all and don't think there are any i won't use colorwise. i am already in absolute lust with perversion - it IS the blackest black liner i have seen. definately my hg for a smokey eye. w/o a doubt. i'm certain there will be others as well. i've also read some whining here and there about some with the "stinky" packaging - hey - mine stunk too....BUT., if your nose is so friggin' hyperly over sensitive then go back in your hyperbaric bubble - BUT BEFORE YOU DO - here's the trick - you just put the set out somewhere with the packaging opened for a day or two and the smell of the plastic will dissipate. my god if you return it just for that you are a dumba$$. IMO. all i can say is if you love 24/7 liners like i do and you can do the $92.00 - MY GOD - DO IT!!! it is a great value.
8 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No