Lipstick -MAC - Milan Mode
DisneyAnimeFan92 6/6/2012 10:16:00 PM
I recently purchased this on a whim without seeing it in person at a MAC store or counter and with only the online swatch as my guide. But it actually turned out to be a pretty awesome lipstick. Milan Mode is a bright fuschia pink with lots of red undertones that darken up the color. It has little bits of glitter in it, but they're not chunky and don't make the color overly dramatic. It's a lustre, so it's sheer enough for daytime. However, it looses a lippie for me because it's a tad too sheer for my taste. It's such a bright, gorgeous pink that I don't really want my real lips to show through it, but unfortunately, they do. It's also not terribly long wearing. After an hour or two, the color starts to fade and you may feel the need to reapply. Also, if you are dark skinned like me, this may look a tad too bright and you may need a brown lip liner to darken up the color a bit, like I did. Like most of the lustre finish lipsticks, this feels almost like a very pigmented lip gloss that happened to be in lipstick form. However, I really like the color and the fact that it doesn't suck all the moisture out of my lips (though to be fair, it's not terribly moisturizing either). It's unique and not quite like any of the other pink lipsticks I have. I will probably repurchase when I run out.
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Skincare - Face -Clinique - 3 Step System
DisneyAnimeFan92 5/16/2012 6:11:00 PM
Let me start off by saying I have Combination/Oily skin (which places me in type 3 in the Clinique system). I have an oily forehead, nose, and cheeks, but the back part of my cheeks (near my ears) is dry, as well as the skin around my mouth and between my eyebrows. I am also very acne-prone. Proactiv worked well for me for years, but I found that the benzoyl peroxide dried my skin out too much, even with moisturizer being applied afterward. It made my skin dull and listless over time, and I decided I wanted to try a different skincare routine to give my skin a natural glow again. My acne is better, so drying up pimples isn't my primary focus anymore. Enter the Clinique 3 Step Skincare system. I was put off by the price at first, but the bottles are large and I don't see myself running out anytime soon, so it was worth the investment. I've used it for almost a month, and I already see great improvement in my skin's tone and texture. Breakouts are less frequent, my skin feels smooth, and it's even reducing acne scars I have been trying to get rid of for months. A lot of people seem to dislike Step 1, the facial wash, but I love it. It cleans my skin without leaving it completely stripped of moisture like most cleansers for oily skin tend to do. The menthol is very soothing and feels wonderful when it sinks into my skin after a minute or two of scrubbing. I also don't understand the complaints about this wash not removing makeup -- Clinique says on both their website and the packaging that it does not remove makeup, so that is something the customer should know in advance. I take off my makeup with CVS makeup removal wipes first and then cleanse. It was certainly not a dealbreaker for me. The Clarifying Lotion is the step that does the most for my acne. It dries out the pimples without completely drying out my skin as a whole. My skin is not sensitive, so I haven't experienced any burning or irritation. It only stung once when I grazed some of the toner over an open pimple. This product as alcohol in it, and alcohol stings on open wounds of any kind, so I knew that was coming and it didn't bother me. It stung for a split second and then went away, and hasn't happened again since then. The Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel may be my favorite product of the three. A tiny amount (one pump) is enough for my whole face, and it adds just enough moisture without making my skin greasy. In fact, it helps control oil throughout the day, and my face takes much longer to become oily than it did before I started this system. If you're interested in real skincare, and not just killing acne, Clinique 3-Step may be for you. I recommend it to all my friends starting out on skincare systems, and will certainly repurchase. For those of you with a Clarisonic, the scrub works very well with it -- I just bought the Clarisonic Mia, and I put one pump of the cleanser on it and use that to clean my face. It bumps up the quality of cleansing and really makes sure my makeup is completely removed.
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Tinted Moisturizer -Laura Mercier - Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 - Oil Free
DisneyAnimeFan92 5/8/2012 11:50:00 PM
The price tag on this tinted moisturizer is pretty hefty ($42 in the US), but in many ways, it's worth it. This is an excellent product. I wanted to try tinted moisturizers for a long time, because I want a little coverage during the warmer months without having to worry about foundation melting off my face or breaking me out. Many of the other brands, don't have a wide variety of shades, and nothing anywhere close to my dark brown skin with yellow and red undertones. Laura Mercier definitely has the best shade range for tinted moisturizers, and I like that they have an oil free option since my skin is combination/oily. I had to take off a lippie because this doesn't control my oil as much as I had hoped it would. Even with a finishing powder on top, oil will start breaking through around 3 hours after I've applied this. I'm used to that with nearly all face products, so I blot and go about my day. It maintains its medium coverage even as parts of the makeup come off in the blotting process. This also give surprisingly good coverage for a tinted moisturizer. It covers my dark acne scars and even lessens my dark circles. It's also buildable, and more can be layered on trouble areas without it caking up. All in all, I'm very happy with this product, and because you get a decent amount in the tube, it's going to take me awhile to use it up, another thing that somewhat justifies the high price. I will definitely be repurchasing!
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Primer/ Corrector -Rimmel - Fix and Perfect Foundation Primer
DisneyAnimeFan92 4/16/2012 3:49:00 PM
I tried this product for the first time today after buying it on a whim when I went to CVS for mascara. I had a Sephora primer sample, and that was the first primer I had ever tried. It worked pretty well, but it's almost gone now, and I didn't feel like heading to a Sephora store or paying a ton in shipping and handling to have more delivered when I knew there was a highly recommended drugstore brand primer that I could get right down the street. This primer went through the ultimate test today. It's an extremely humid spring day, the kind of day where I sweat A LOT and my oily skin completely destroys any makeup I attempt to put on. I've had this primer on under my foundation and concealer for almost seven hours, and despite teary allergy eyes, massive amounts of sweat, and a little oil breakthrough from the humidity, everything is still in place. Even my favorite L'Oreal blush, which normally doesn't last the entire day, is still visible on my cheeks. Needless to say, I am very, very impressed. The apricot color of the primer, which other reviewers have complained about, did scare me when I opened the tube for the first time. l I have dark brown skin with yellow and red undertones, so had the primer been pigmented, it would have been unwearable for me. Luckily, it turns clear once it's blended, and I didn't notice any trace of orange on my skin when I applied it or hours later when sweat and oil mixed with it. It made my skin feel smooth and even, and almost felt like a second moisturizer. I'm so glad I took a chance and tried this out, and will certainly buy again.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Maybelline - Color Sensational- Pink Wink
DisneyAnimeFan92 4/13/2012 6:23:00 PM
I have finally found my perfect pink lipstick! Pink Wink is a bubblegum pink with a red/raspberry undertone. It's more sheer than some of the other shades I own in this line, but that sheerness is part of what makes it so wearable. I'm a dark skinned African American girl with red and yellow undertones, so finding a pink lipstick that doesn't look garish is next to impossible. This one is just the right color and perfect for everyday wear in the spring. I will definitely repurchase!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -Sephora - Blockbuster Palette
DisneyAnimeFan92 11/5/2011 9:07:00 AM
I can't say how this (2011 palette) compares to the previous ones, but I've just bought the new one recently and so far I love it! There are a few issues here and there, but nothing that would make or break the palette for me. The colors are really gorgeous, and many of them are things I would not normally buy. But if they start to scare me a bit or I don't feel they're appropriate for a certain day, there are plenty of beautiful neutrals to choose from that can give me a more toned down look. All the shadows I've tried so far have great color payoff, and last well on my oily lids even without primer. The only problem is that the more shimmery colors have MASSIVE fallout. The worst that I've ever seen in an eyeshadow. The eyshadows are soft, just a step above loose pigments, so not all of it sticks to your lids. The easiest solution to this is to apply it in little bits at a time and not load your brush up with a lot of product at once, then pat it on your lid instead of sweeping it across. All the fallout can also easily be swept away with a big fluffy brush, and/or covered up with your foundation or concealer. As for the lip glosses...they all look great in the packaging, and some of them look okay on the lips, but it takes A LOT of product in order for the colors to show up at all, and that is a bit disappointing. So far the blushes are a similar story, but I'm going to keep playing with them and see if I can get them to show up more. I've tried one of the gel liners, and so far I like it. It's not the darkest one I've ever tried, but it gets the job done, and looks perfect if set with the one matte black eyeshadow that comes with the set. The mascara doesn't do much for my lashes other than darken them, and I have yet to try the pencil liner. All in all, this is a great palette, especially for the price. I was revamping my makeup collection after throwing out old products I wasn't using anymore, and this is a great start. I bought it primarily for the eyeshadow, and for that reason, I'm very satisfied with my purchase, and pleased that the other products in the kit are not a total let down. This thing is worth almost $500, and is selling at less than $50. What have you go to lose?
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -NARS - Powder Foundation
DisneyAnimeFan92 9/25/2011 1:24:00 AM
I read the reviews for this product after an SA at Sephora already recommended I buy it and matched me with the right shade (Cadiz), and I was so surprised at all the negative reviews. There's a lot that I love about this powder, so here's a summary based on the things everyone seems to be disagreeing about. Coverage: Unlike many of the other reviewers, I found the coverage to be excellent for a powder foundation. Since it is a powder, I don't expect a completely flawless face from it -- for that, I would need both liquid and powder combined, possibly with a little concealer underneath. I have some acne, quite a few acne scars, and my skin tone is slightly uneven. This powder gets rid of roughly 95% of what I want covered, and that is perfect for the everyday wear that I need from my foundation. I should also note that when I tried applying this with my kabuki brush, the coverage was almost nonexistant. It was only by using the sponge that comes with the compact that I was able to get the coverage I wanted, and after that, it was smooth sailing. I applied a thin layer to my entire face, then went back and added more to problem areas that needed extra coverage, and it adapted to that without caking up or making me look overdone. Oil Control: I have VERY oily skin that destroys any foundation I attempt to put on my face, whether it's liquid or powder. This powder did pretty good with oil control and didn't melt away when I was sweating (and believe me, I sweat a lot). There was some oil breakthrough after 2-3 hours, but I didn't look like an oil slick, or even feel the need to really touch up. The oil combined with the powder and made my skin look dewy, not greasy. There was also surprisingly little transfer, and for once I got the feeling that if I hugged someone, I wouldn't leave half my makeup on their clothes. Lasting power: The lasting power on this is also pretty good, considering how oily my skin is. I LOVE that it does not oxidize, something that every foundation I've tried seems to do at some point. Cadiz is a perfect match for my skin tone, and it stays that way all day instead of getting 2 shades darker out of nowhere. Touch-ups are required after about 3 hours if I want to keep every last acne scar covered, but the overall effect of the powder lasts all day, and it doesn't disappear and show everything by the end of the day. Price: This is probably the only downside to the product. It is very expensive, and the refills other reviewers have mentioned are no longer available. Whether or not I buy this again will depend largely on how long it takes me to hit pan -- if it happens quickly, I may need to search for a cheaper alternative, and if it takes awhile, I might be willing to shell out the $45 when the time comes. My skin is a medium/dark brown with yellow and red undertones, and this is the ONLY powder I have tried that perfectly matches that description and gives me the coverage I want, so if that is still true when I run out, that makes it very much worth the extra money I spent on it. Overall, this is a great product that does everything I expected it to do. It's light, comfortable to wear, hasn't broken me out like my last powder foundation (a review on that is coming shortly), matches my skin tone, looks natural, covers what I need to have covered, and is perfect for both everyday wear at school and work and for a night out. I will continue to use it and most likely repurchase,
12 out of 13 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Revlon - ColorStay Makeup with SoftFlex SPF 6 for Combination/Oily Skin
DisneyAnimeFan92 3/15/2010 2:43:00 PM
For me, there were many reasons to dislike this product. It smells like paint, didn't cover anything (at first), and I couldn't find an exact color match. However, the things that I do like about it are enough to make me want to repurchase in the future. The only way I found that I could apply this evenly was to mix it with my moisturizer and spread it all over my face. As others have said, it dries quickly if you use a brush, sponge, or your fingers. With moisturizer, it was much easier to blend. I use Revlon Colorstay Mineral Foundation on top to add a little extra coverage, and with this method, my foundation lasts all day. I just finished a VERY sweaty workout in gym class and am surprised to discover that my foundation still looks flawless. The only downside is that I have to mix two shades (Caramel and Cappuchino) to get the right shade. But there are so many BOGO sales at CVS that I won't have to spend any extra money. Plus, the powder I use on top balances everything out when I use just one or the other. Overall, despite its drawbacks, it's a great product, and probably the best liquid foundation you'll find in a drugstore. Definitely worth trying out if you're looking for something affordable.
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Concealers -Maybelline - Mineral Power Natural Perfecting Concealer
DisneyAnimeFan92 1/29/2010 12:45:00 PM
Absolutely horrible. I bought this in Dark 0-3. Dark 3 is very dark in their foundation, so I thought I'd picked the right shade. HUGE mistake. It was incredibly light, nothing close to what you'd expect in a concealer for dark skin. No one above medium skin tone should EVER try this! Plus, it was a nightmare to blend. I returned it and got a complete refund, and will never purchase again.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Coty - Halle by Halle Berry
DisneyAnimeFan92 12/27/2009 11:47:00 PM
I bought this perfume for my mother as a Christmas gift, and loved the scent so much that I asked her if she would get me a bottle as well. This is my first real perfume, and I have no experience with department store brands as of yet, so I don't know how much my opinion on this matters. But that said, I love this scent -- it's light, but still noticable. There seems to be a hint of vanilla in it, and as others have said, it has a sexy, spicy undertone to it. It's sophisticated, lovely, sexy. All the things Halle Berry is, and all the things most women would like to be. It's wonderful, and I will certainly buy it again in the future.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Cover Girl - Outlast
DisneyAnimeFan92 12/8/2009 12:27:00 AM
I bought this product once awhile back, and never will again. The color was a deep, rich brown with a hint of red in it. I wish I could remember the name -- I only know it had the word "cinnamon" in it. At first I loved it, but unfortunately my complaints are the same as some of the previous reviewers. The product completely dried out my lips, even with the top coat that was supposed to be so moisturizing. It did last a long time at first, but later I noticed the color would peel off my lips and come off in pieces, rather than fading gradually like a regular lipstick. No matter how I applied it, I always had these results. Like another reviewer said, I advise everyone to stay away from these two step formulas, no matter what company makes them. Lipstick and lip gloss don't last as long as we'd like them to, but it's not the end of the world. I would much rather reapply them than have to deal with the nightmare that is all of these longwear formulas. None of them ever seem to work, and they never have the moisturizing, natural feel that good lipsticks do. Though the temptation is always there when a new one comes out, I've resolved never to buy them again, and to encourage other girls to do the same.
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Mascara -Maybelline - Lash Stiletto
DisneyAnimeFan92 10/4/2009 3:50:00 PM
I honestly don't understand the negative reviews for this product. Lash Stiletto does everything it promises to do and looks amazing. The only thing I noticed is that it does not really provide that "patent leather shine" it says it will, but that's not a big deal to me, since I bought it primarily for length and not for shine. I have a lot of lashes, and they're fairly long, though not as long as they could be. I have to work harder to put on mascara when it's a volumizing brand (such as Cover Girl's Lash Blast mascara) because it just seems to make them clump. So I decided that maybe lengthening mascaras were the way to go for me. This one is definitely everything I needed. It provides amazing length, without any clumps or flaking. It never smudges on me, even though I do not use the waterproof version. I have noticed that it takes two or three coats to really get the fantastic length I'm talking about -- one coat just darkens and separates the lashes. But this doesn't bother me either, because this mascara is buildable and won't give you spider lashes when you add more coats -- as long as you don't try to when the mascara has already dried. Overall, a great product. I'm already on my second tube, and will definitely buy it again. :)
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Lipstick -Revlon - Super Lustrous
DisneyAnimeFan92 8/1/2009 12:18:00 AM
I absolutely adore this lipstick. Revlon is the only company that ever has shades that work for me. Anything red or pink looks garish and awful on me. I was afraid of color for a long time because none of the ones I picked ever seemed to look right. But finally I decided to take the plunge and get the lipstick that everyone is always talking about. For starters, the application is smooth and creamy. If applied to bare lips, the color comes out perfectly with one swipe, and there is no need to add more to get the full color payoff. I have Copper Chrome, which looks exactly as it sounds. It has small shimmers in it, but they're not big enough to look strange. It's slightly frosty, but not enough to look trashy. The color is rich and gorgeous, and looks just like a new penny, with nice orange and yellow undertones to it that show more as the day goes on. Good for a summer/fall look. The only downside is that this lipstick can be a little drying over time. This never bothers me though, since I make it a rule to always wear lip balm under any lip product. With lip balm on underneath, you may need to do a few extra swipes to get the color to show up perfectly. This too works out for me though, since sometimes I like to tone down the color. When the feel of the lipstick mixes with the feel of my Burt's Bees lip balm, it forms a thick, rich, wonderful coat on my lips that seems to protect them from everything. I don't lose much product while drinking, though obviously eating gets rid of a lot of it. But that's to be expected with any lipstick. All in all, this my favorite lipstick in the world -- a color perfect for my skin that can be applied lightly for an everyday look or built up into a night look. Basically, my lips but much, much better. If they ever discontinue it, I'll just die. :) Great product, and I hope to try out the other shades.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Cover Girl - Lash Blast
DisneyAnimeFan92 6/19/2009 5:38:00 PM
This is without question my HG mascara. I've tried a few others for the sake of experimentation, but I'm on my second tube of this and I don't think I'm going to buy anything different anytime soon. As is the case with any mascara, it's all in the application. When applied properly, this stuff does not clump, and no matter how I apply it, it has never flaked. That's saying a lot, especially since I wear contact lenses. It does not irritate my eyes in any way, either. Unlike many reviewers, I love the brush. The large size doesn't bother me, and if angled properly, it can get those tiny inner lashes without making a mess. Now for the actual look. I have naturally long lashes, but this does so much for them. It lengthens and volumizes, and is good for both everday looks and more dramatic looks. My favorite thing about it is probably how well it separates the lashes, which is obviously due to the brush, which I mentioned earlier. I have this in Very Black, and it's the deepest, most beautiful shade of black I've ever seen. The regular Black is good too, but looks kind of like an off-black compared to this. If you like really dark, black mascaras, I would recommend getting Very Black instead. All things considered, it's an amazing product, and one of the best that drugstores have to offer. You'll either end up loving it to death as I do or hating it, as some other reviewers do. The only way you'll know is to try it and see. But based on my own experiences, I think most people will really enjoy this product, and buy it again and again as I plan to.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Cover Girl - Volume Exact [DISCONTINUED]
DisneyAnimeFan92 6/15/2009 8:47:00 PM
This is a pretty decent mascara. I have naturally long lashes, so I wanted something that would provide volume, and this definitely delivered. For the most part, there was no clumping, and if there was, it could easily be fixed with a lash comb. I bought the non-waterproof version of this, and there was never any smudging or flaking. After switching from glasses to contact lenses, this also provided little or no irritation, even during allergy season. With all of these good things, why have I taken off two lippies? I wish I could give it a three and a half, rather than a three. As good as this mascara was, there are simply better ones out there, even among other drugstore products. The length, volume, and drama were all great, but Lash Blast, also from Cover Girl, does an even better job. From now on, that's what I will be buying. It was the first mascara I ever used, and I should not have switched. This mascara, however, is better for beginners, I guess, since it has an average sized brush, as opposed to the huge one provided by Lash Blast. All in all, I would recommend trying it, and seeing how it works for you. But to me, Lash Blast is the best thing from Cover Girl hands down.
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