Polishes -MAC - Wizard
EUSHANNASIA 3/10/2013 10:44:00 PM
One of the coolest layering polishes I've ever used. It's a complex color--in the bottle, it looks like sort of a weird, sallow beigey color with a bright purple shimmer. The purple shimmer is the best part of this polish. It's a bright pinkish purple that reminds me of the reflection of pink neon lights on a rainy street. This polish makes me think of city nightlife. Going out, dancing, being wild. It has that nostalgic factor for me. You can use Wizard on its own, but it's quite sheer and MUCH more fun to layer it over other colors anyway. I think that's really what it's meant for. You won't get full opacity even if you use 4 coats. I really love the way the purple shimmer transforms creme polishes. I just tried layering it over a warm medium green creme (Zoya Shawn) just for kicks and the result was super cool, kind of a muted green with a prominent pink flash. I haven't tried it myself yet, but I imagine it would look really HOT over black. There are lots of sheer, pale French colors with pink shimmer/duochrome available... but I think the purple leaning in this one's flash makes it singular. If you happen to come across it (it's pretty rare now) get it.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Eyeshadow in bitter
EUSHANNASIA 1/9/2011 2:49:00 PM
I am bitter about Bitter. Bitter is the "special" half-cousin of Rated R. No, Bitter is the pathetic protégé of Eyepopping. Or, it is the inbred love-child of Rated R and Eyepopping--you know, the one that was born only with the recessive DNA of its parents and inherited Rated R's's cleft lip and Eyepopping's nearsightedness ... woefully without any of the good traits of Rated R or Eyepopping (or even Sharp, if Sharp maybe was the young boy-toy to the aging, divorced Rated R in this trailer park love story). It's a true yellow-based chartreuse, but in Velvet finish, which puts it basically at the bottom of the food chain in terms of MAC shadows (right alongside Lustres and Mattes, with Veluxe Pearls, Starflashes and of course Pigments at the top of the species). This shallow gene-pool-dweller of the MAC hierarchy provides hardly any color payoff, sparkles in the pan that do not translate to skin AT ALL, chalkiness, and requires an excessive amount of work. It's like seeing the inbred love-child with the cleft lip and lazy eye in a torn sequined prom dress out in the pouring rain. It's just incredibly sad. If you own Rated R, Eyepopping, or Sharp from the Tempting quad, support the evolution MAC eyeshadow and PASS on this one.
13 out of 15 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Faux (satin)
EUSHANNASIA 11/14/2010 1:37:00 PM
I got this lipstick for B2M on a whim. I had originally set out to get Cosmo, but after swatching this beside it on my hand, I thought better. I'm really into neutral lips right now. I'm not into pink lipstick at all... sometimes I stare at my Melrose Mood and VG Gaga and sigh wistfully to myself, wishing I could pull off Pepto Bismol Barbie On Crack, but alas, I cannot. So I have hesitantly ventured into the land of neutral pinks. My HG lipstick has been Hug Me for a long time, but I couldn't stand how drying the Lustre finish was, not to mention the fickle staying power. I brought this lipstick home and tried it on over naked lips, and OH MY GOD. I do believe this is the most perfect neutral pink lipstick I have ever tried! It is about two shades darker than Blankety, slightly pinker than Half 'n' Half and Hug Me, and lasts for hours. It is a Satin finish and is actually somewhat moisturizing. You can wear it alone and after several hours, it sort of takes on the properties of a lip stain, which I like--no constant checking in the mirror for this lipstick! It is basically the lipstick version of Deelight Cremesheen Glass, maybe just a *tinge* pinker. I like to wear this with Deelight and the effect is the ultimate MLBB--My Lips But Better. So beautiful, classy and long-wearing... I will probably never be without Faux. HG status for sure. Also important to note: Even though it is pink-toned, it DOES NOT make your teeth look yellow. It's just the perfect deep flesh tone and, if you are on the fairer side, is exactly dark enough to not negatively affect the color of your teeth. So rejoice, my fellow smokers/coffee/wine-drinkers, for Faux is your friend 'til the end.
16 out of 19 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Coco Pigment [DISCONTINUED]
EUSHANNASIA 8/11/2010 5:31:00 PM
OK. So basically, this is my holy grail of holy grails. The apple of my eye. The Eve to my Adam, and the saving grace to my makeup stash. Why, you ask? Well, I reply with a knowing, wry smile, it eliminates the need to find a daily neutral eyeshadow for fair-skinned lasses, for one. It's easier to apply than such, as you can literally just use your finger to apply it all over your eyelid and it stays put, for two. Just smudge it on over a base like TFSI and you're good to go. And, thirdly, this is the only eyeshadow/pigment I've ever owned that I've literally looked into the mirror and thought to myself, "This makes my eyelids look like Happy." Yep, Happy. I remember the day that this thought first occurred to me--I was all made up and taking cheeky vanity shots with my crappy webcam and, although most of the finer details were lost in translation due to the grainy pixelation, I couldn't help but notice that my be-Coco'd eyelids still shone through, metallic, shimmering, and stunning. And not metallic in a crappy drugstore kind of way--in a very luxurious, smooth, high-end way, if that makes sense. So I figured, if this stuff can still translate well through the crappiest of crap webcams, I probably need it for life. Not only that, but the color is INCREDIBLE. It is the perfect neutral eyeshadow color for medium-to-fair-skinned folks. I am a ghost--you can practically see my internal organs by January, I'm so pale. I'm like an NW1. Coco looks absolutely smashing on pale ladies. It is perfect for creating that healthy, polished glow (without looking "made up") about the eyes. It's a very neutral, cool, medium taupe with very slight greyish/plummy undertones, and it has this GORGEOUS, fluid shimmer that I have never seen in any other MAC pigment--and trust me, I've got them all. Nothing beats the seductive sheen of Coco. I managed to score an OJ of this for under $20 this year--I almost died, I was so happy, as this stuff goes for about $50-$60 right now. If I ever become a homeless woman living out of a shoebox on the street, yeah, I will have this pigment. I will not ever sell it for crack. No ma'am. Not that I do or ever intend to do crack. But, you know, hypothetically. If there was ever a fire in my apartment, I'd grab my sketchbooks, my cats and my Coco pigment. If WWIII happens and I have to hightail it out of the country, I will bring my Coco pigment. And in the event of a nuclear winter, you're goddamn right I will have my Coco pigment. It is just THAT good, and one of the only possessions I will never, ever be without. In fact, I kind of want a backup OJ for the OJ I already have. Is that wrong? Is that too gluttonous? I don't care. I'm a believer.
19 out of 19 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -TiGi - Bed Head - Foxy Curls Contour Cream
EUSHANNASIA 8/11/2010 4:57:00 PM
This stuff smells exactly like a freshly opened bag of Skittles. Mmmmm. Oh, and it works amazingly well at defining and controlling curls/waves, too. My reviews are usually verbose, but I'll just end this here with two letters: HG.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -MAC - Fascinating
EUSHANNASIA 6/9/2010 1:59:00 AM
The perfect white water-liner to effectively and entirely trump the rest. Highly pigmented, quite long-lasting, and, most importantly, does NOT hurt to apply directly to the waterline. This is the only white liner I'll ever purchase for use on my waterline for the rest of my earthly existence. One layer and you're a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed little minx... two layers and your waterline is opaque printer paper white and will certainly last until the next afternoon after a long night of indulgence, dancing and becoming so dehydrated you end up going to the ER, then feel like a giant moron for calling so much attention to yourself, then quietly exit and trudge home in total disbelief that you called 911 on yourself AGAIN, but then you catch your reflection in a cracked mirror on a dilapidated 1977 Vega and cannot help but smirk, as your Fascinating eye kohl is still perfectly in place along each lower waterline, totally unrattled by the previous chaotic and excessive nights' events. You think to yourself, Is it possible? Can there truly exist a cosmetic item so great that I look clear-eyed and rested the day after, well, a hard day's night?! And I answer benevolently from the heavens: Yes. Yes, there is.
23 out of 28 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Parrot [DISCONTINUED]
EUSHANNASIA 6/9/2010 1:32:00 AM
I finally scored Parrot for TEN! DOLLARS! OMG! on an LJ sale recently, minimal usage, in pot, the whole shebang. I can honestly say that I understand the hype surrounding this eyeshadow. It looks to be a perfect cerulean blue, except when held at a specific angle. Then it flashes a green pearlescence. GORGEOUS. Excellent pigmentation and staying power, as the swatch I had made on my hand remained through an entire shower and didn't budge until I scrubbed it off. A truly lovely color. Parrot and Waternymph are total sister colors, by the way, Parrot being the blue version of Waternymph, which is definitely much greener. The greenish iridescent quality of these eyeshadows is the same. And they are equally necessary for any self-respecting MAC artist's palette. Sometimes I still can't even believe I own Parrot. TEN DOLLARS! Does God exist after all?
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Guacamole
EUSHANNASIA 5/18/2010 2:23:00 AM
Guacamole is Wondergrass's sexy stepsister. They are seated quite comfortably beside each other in my green palette. This color is truly unique and beautiful. It has a blue base, yet is somehow slightly warm-toned. It's one of the most beautiful greens I own. It looks absolutely stunning against my fair skin, dark hair and blue eyes. The only grievance I have about this shadow is the finish labeling, which claims to be Frost, but it really feels and applies more like a Satin. You do have to put some effort into packing it on to get it looking as opaque as it does in the pan, but it stays put, blends nicely and doesn't fade. Wonderful. Also gets along quite nicely with Metamorph as a highlight and Velvet Moss in the crease. Wondergrass was my favorite green in my MAC green collection, but I've really been favoring Guacamole ever since I scored it in an LJ sale recently... She's just so enchanting... Perhaps she's the wicked stepsister to Wondergrass instead.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Eye Shadow
EUSHANNASIA 4/10/2010 1:55:00 PM
I love MAC's focus on artistry, which is why, as an artist, I am hopelessly drawn to their wide color selection and finishes available in the eyeshadows. I have a ton of 15-pan palettes, most of which are full of MAC shadows. I will probably wear MAC until the day I die, and then I will probably request to have MAC applied to my dead face at my funeral, should my funeral be of the open-casket variety. I would still prefer to represent it well, and MAC does exactly that no matter the circumstance--working, drinking, inner drag queen-channeling, even dead. I was introduced to MAC when I was 13 and haven't looked back. And I've tried SO VERY MANY other products along the way, ranging from drugstore to the highest-end. And nothing beats MAC. NOTHING. Especially the eyeshadows in the Veluxe Pearl or Starflash (sadly LE) finish... or the much more rare Veluxe finish... or Matte2... or Velvet, or Satin, or Frost. Basically, ALL OF THEM.
HOWEVER... there is one eyeshadow finish MAC has to offer which I feel has taken the wind out of MAC's sails, so to speak, in terms of reputation. That finish is Lustre. Lustre is pressed differently, it is NOT meant to be worn as a base or all-over lid color, and it is NOTORIOUSLY difficult to work with unless you have the patience for blending properly or have specific uses for it. I don't think that the Lustre finish should be a part of MAC's permanent line--so many people buy this finish and then become appalled when they can't figure out how to make it work. It should really be a Pro finish. I actually do own several Lustres (Greensmoke, Aquadisiac, Idol Eyes & Swimming, to name a few) and while I love them dearly, I do understand how the everyday makeup-wearer would have a hard time working with these. They often don't play nice, but fortunately, there are so many other finishes to choose from by MAC that I don't feel the few Lustres are worth disparaging an entire brand over. If you desire something that is super easy to blend and applies like a dream, seek out the Veluxe Pearl or Starflash finish.
With that said... I would also like to add a few comments regarding some of the MUAers who've posted claiming that every eyeshadow MAC has to offer is garbage. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, BUT have you considered the fact that you may have gotten fake MAC? Fake MAC, ESPECIALLY eyeshadow, is incredibly rampant on places like eBay. In fact, the vast majority of MAC eyeshadow listed on eBay is fake. I find it extremely difficult to believe that anyone could have bought several PALETTES' worth of MAC and deduced that they are ALL worthless. A pro palette contains 15 eyeshadows, so to write off the pigmentation/blendability of several palettes' as useless seems quite suspect and like the work of some Chinese factory peddling fakes to me. Also, the majority of the photos posted on this review page are of fake MAC. MAC has never made 12-eyeshadow palettes like the ones pictured above--those are fake. I really wish MUA would remove those misleading photos. DON'T BUY MAC OFF EBAY UNLESS YOU ARE 100% CERTAIN THAT YOU KNOW WHO YOU'RE DEALING WITH! If the price seems a little too good to be true... it probably is. If someone is offering loads of palettes with random, incongruous color schemes and they don't come in the traditional quad palette... it's fake. Buy directly from MAC or from people who have purchased from MAC/MAC artists. And if you feel you've been cheated as far as quality, SAY SOMETHING! Things cannot change if your opinion is not heard!
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Smoke & Diamonds [DISCONTINUED]
EUSHANNASIA 3/24/2010 2:05:00 PM
This is my go-to neutral taupe. I really wish MAC would make the Starflash finish permanent, the texture is "buttery soft" as so many say, blends like a dream, and has fantastic pigmentation. I feel like this is one of MAC's truly idiot-proof eyeshadows. As Loggins would claim, this shadow is smoooooooooooooove. It's really kind of impossible to blend it wrong. It's not glittery--it provides a very nice, unique shimmer that shines with the teeniest pinkish, greenish and gray sparkles. It actually does "flash" in different lighting. This is a winner from MAC that does live up to the hype. I think most skin tones can wear this, and I don't agree that this shadow is unflattering on blue eyes--I find that on my NW15 skin, it complements my eyes quite nicely. But then, I'm the kind of gal who bravely wears Wondergrass and Eyepopping to work, so my viewpoint may be a bit skewed...
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Lustre in Hug Me
EUSHANNASIA 3/22/2010 10:49:00 PM
This is probably one of the best neutral-natural lip shades for fairer gals that exists. My lips are very highly pigmented, making them a stark purplish contrast against my alabaster skin, and this lipstick makes them appear how I think my lips SHOULD ideally look. Love at first sight. It's the perfect neutral pink for those with warm undertones. It doesn't look like you're "wearing lipstick". It looks like you have beautiful, well-moisturized, evenly-pigmented lips. Cherubs & sonnets. Carefree romance. If only I'd discovered this sooner...
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Rimmel - Magnif'Eyes Eye Magnifier Eye Opening
EUSHANNASIA 3/22/2010 10:36:00 PM
HG. This is it. My search has finally come to an end--unless, of course, something better comes along. However, I've tried just about every type of mascara, from the Rite-Aid housewife's Holy Grail to the highest of the high-end. From Wet 'n' Wild to Yves Saint Laurent. Basically, from crap to extremely expensive crap. And this is THE one that trumps them all. OK, so I do have to say that the wand that comes with this mascara is useless. USE A DIFFERENT WAND. ANY other wand, as long as it doesn't have the teeny, rubbery tiered bristles the Eye Magnifier comes with--use a brush with longer, thinner bristles. Most other lash wands come with bristles longer than this, so it shouldn't be a difficult search. I've actually been using an old Lash Stiletto brush that I used to use dyeing my eyebrows. Anyway, using a better brish with this product is key. The mascara formula itself is fantastic; it lengthens, LIFTS INCREDIBLY, and volumizes. You can add multiple coats for really intense lift and lengthening, but be careful not to add more than 3 or 4, otherwise it will begin to look unnatural. It clumps a little after the 3rd coat, like most other mascaras, but only if you add too many coats and don't bother to brush it through, which is common knowledge anyway, right? My point is, this is probably THE best mascara available that lifts, lengthens AND volumizes--WITH the right brush. Just trust me on this one. I know what I'm doing. You won't be disappointed. The Brits have it.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Revlon - ColorStay Makeup
EUSHANNASIA 2/23/2010 3:20:00 PM
I've been using this foundation for about a month. I got the Colorstay for Oily/Combination skin in 011 Ivory. I'm a ghost, NW15 in MAC terminology, and this foundation matches my skin perfectly, even in the dead of winter. For a drugstore foundation, I am REALLY impressed. The coverage is great, totally concealing the pores on my nose (something I used to "cover up" with powder, which only exacerbated the issue) and not settling into my nasolabial folds. This foundation provides excellent medium to full coverage. It does take a little practice in order to get the application just right. I now use cosmetic wedges to apply and blend out after initially getting disastrous results with my 187. I also find that this foundation blends like a dream using fingertips. It does dry quickly, so use a bit of patience when applying--focus on individual areas and BLEND or else you will get streaky, un-cute results. Does not budge throughout the day and doesn't make me look like an oil slick. I get a bit of shine on my nose by the middle of the day, which is very minimal and easily cleaned up using an oil-blotting sheet or a dusting of powder. The most important aspect of this foundation to me: DOESN'T CAUSE BREAKOUTS! Seriously. I think I may have found my HG foundation. I had MAC's SFF previously, brand new, and I ended up selling it without even testing it because of all the breakout horror stories I read on here. Which ended up being fortuitous, as this stuff is considerably cheaper. Like so many others lament, I just wish it came with a pump. I'm sure I can find one that will fit, but for now, that's my only real complaint. Love this and the Colorstay eyeliner--both are superior to their high-end competition.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Blistex - Silk & Shine
EUSHANNASIA 2/18/2010 7:16:00 PM
I can't believe I haven't written a review for this yet. I also can't believe this lip balm has such a low rating. This is THE BEST LIP BALM. BAR NONE. Not only does it moisturize, soften, and prevent chapping/cracking/windburn, but it smells good, TASTES good and doesn't make the lips look slimy. I absolutely love it. This is the only lip balm I've found that sinks right into the lips and actually feels soothing, not to mention IT IS TASTY. YES, TASTY. I have no idea how many of these I've bought in my lifetime... basically whenever I run out, and have been doing so since I was a teenager. Love it. It's also a great base for lipstick.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Cover Girl - Lash Blast
EUSHANNASIA 1/19/2010 9:27:00 PM
I don't get why there are so many rave reviews about this stuff. Have you ladies never tried a high-end mascara?! I thought this mascara was on par with Maybelline Define-A-Lash... which is to say, if you read my review on it, is crap. Not to imply that there are no good drugstore mascaras--Lash Stiletto beats them all by a long shot, in my opinion, but I digress. This stuff DOES NOT lengthen. It volumizes somewhat, but then, so does Great Lash, and we all know how awesome that stuff is (Second-Rate Lash? I'm so witty.). The volume payoff isn't even that great... it clumps very easily and makes my otherwise full lashes look sparse. But those aren't even my biggest complaints about this mascara. The smell is what really gets me. It smells very... chemical. It stinks, actually. It makes me think of the way a salon smells after a perm--like a stanky, panting wet dog. I don't want that on my lashes. No thank you. However, worst of all is the packaging. It's this insanely fat tube that screams "LOOK, I'M F&%#ING ORANGE!" Why should a tube of mascara be so HUGE? I don't understand why it has to be so unnecessarily wide--it's not ergonomically sound for application, it takes up way too much storage space, and if there is indeed that much more product inside the holy-crap-look-at-me-look-at-me tube, wouldn't that cause it to dry out faster? I have to say, major fail on this one, Cover Girl. If volume that doesn't smell like an omelette that's been sitting in developer & motor oil is what you seek, I'd suggest Diorshow. But don't get the full size, get the sample. That stuff dries out quicker than I do when I hear anything by John Mayer.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No