Powder -Lancome - Dual Finish Versatile Powder Makeup
ElaineLuvsMakeup 12/27/2012 9:07:00 PM
This product is okay. I was looking for a replacement for my Rock and Republic powder which has been sadly depleted. I would like this product more if it didn't smell so much like an old lady. The powder didn't over or underwhelm me that much. The price is a bit more than a drugstore brand, but it hasn't done anything to really impress me. I will use this product up, but the old lady smell is preventing me from repurchasing it again.
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Blush -NARS - Torrid
ElaineLuvsMakeup 12/27/2012 9:03:00 PM
I've been using this blush forever and I love it so much! Totally worth the price. I use it almost everyday, yet I still have a lot of product left. A sales rep recommended this color for my skin tone (which is a MAC NC30-35) and I haven't found another that I've liked more than this one. Stays on well, applies well, and the packaging is great although it starts to get dirty and difficult to clean after a while. If anyone knows a good way to clean NARS packaging, let me know!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Tarte - Amazonian Clay 12-hour Full-Coverage Foundation SPF 15
ElaineLuvsMakeup 12/27/2012 8:53:00 PM
It took a while for me to get used to this foundation. At first I didn't really like it because it felt kind of slick and I was worried that with my oily skin, it would turn my face into a shiny mess by the middle of the day. However, it turns out that it does not do that, and that by the end of the day, my face still looks relatively matte. I am pretty satisfied with this foundation for a medium coverage (doesn't cover hyperpigmentations, I use concealer after this product to do that). I like Tarte's products because they claim to be more natural and don't use that many chemicals.
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Misc Beauty Tools -Unlisted Brand - toilet seat covers
ElaineLuvsMakeup 6/5/2012 1:29:00 AM
lol, my roommate in college told me about using toilet seat covers as blotting paper and I've been using it since! Use the middle to blot and the surrounding parts to sit on. :)
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Lipstick -Rimmel - Moisture Renew - Spotlight Beige [DISCONTINUED]
ElaineLuvsMakeup 12/4/2010 11:00:00 PM
Pretty color - goes well with my medium-light skin tone. I like how it is creamy and moisturizing, but it has a strange chalky / chemical taste that can be off putting. :(
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Eye Primer -Urban Decay - Eyeshadow Primer Potion - Original (UDPP)
ElaineLuvsMakeup 10/3/2010 4:39:00 AM
It does what it says it will do, but I find this product's appeal more due to it's clever niche marketing than anything else. A cheaper alternative is using BeYu eyeshadow stick, any semi-sticky matte concealer, NYX jumbo eyeshadow stick, or other similar products. I never felt compelled to buy another tube of the PP again after I finished a tube of it years ago, but recently when I bought the Naked Palette, I got a mini tube of PP and I thought I'd just review it really quickly before I forget about it again. My cousin wanted to buy a tube of it, which she did, but I told her that it was simply "okay~ it does what it says, but it's not super duper fantastic or anything." It feels like a much less pigmented, watered (or siliconed) down version of a liquid concealer. I think if you take a liquid concealer and mix it with something like smashbox Photofinish Primer, you will get something similar to this product. Anyway, in short, I don't feel like I need to get another specific "base" product for my eyeshadow. Just a concealer or a good quality foundation base functions just as well for me.
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Lipstick -MAC - Slimshine Lipstick in High 90's (Cool Heat)
ElaineLuvsMakeup 10/3/2010 4:27:00 AM
I love the slimshines and I'm sad that MAC seems to have discontinued them. High 90's was my first MAC lipstick product, and I absolutely fell in love with everything BUT the color. I loved the smell, the longevity of the color on the lips, the taste, the texture, the packaging, everything...but the color was too orangey-red for me. When I read the name "High 90's" it made me think of a digi-pop red / Cindy Crawford / leg warmers. I don't know what I was really thinking when I bought the color. It's more wearable if I blot it or if I apply it lightly, but sometimes I feel it makes me look sickly. I prefer Missy.
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Lipstick -MAC - Slimshine - Missy
ElaineLuvsMakeup 10/3/2010 4:18:00 AM
I'm very picky about lip products - I think about 80% of my lip glosses to lip sticks rarely get touched after the first or second uses. That said, I think I've used Missy the most out of all the lip sticks I've ever owned. I guess it isn't really like a lipstick, but I like how it doesn't dry out my lips and it makes me look less like a zombie. Great for transitioning into lipsticks for someone like me who prefers lip glosses. I bought Missy after I'd bought High 90's, which was a bit too bright for me to wear everyday. Missy is more of an everyday color for me and I do wear it a lot. I'm about an NC25-30 (35 if I tan), with neutral to yellow undertones. This is a wonderful color that doesn't make me look washed out.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Tinted Moisturizer -Tarte - Amazonian Clay BB Tinted Mosturizer (Smooth Operator)
ElaineLuvsMakeup 9/29/2010 1:28:00 PM
I bought this product after researching into BB creams and decided I wanted something with less additives and was healthier for my skin, which (though incredibly oily when I was younger) is now becoming combo dry/oily. I used to wear foundation everyday, but now I just wear this tinted moisturizer, which is a bit like a sheer foundation. It feels really good on my skin, doesn't irritate it, has medium/light coverage and doesn't cause me to break out. I think in LA, where it's incredibly dry, this is perfect for me. I found that in hot and humid climates, this was possibly making me break out due to it moisturizing properties. Because the coverage is very light, it's best if you have very minor flaws on your skin. Sometimes I use a bit of concealer for my dark under eye circles and a bit of powder to set, but when I'm lazy, I just put this on by itself and it brightens and evens out the complexion without looking too 'made up.' I love Tarte's natural philosophy, which is the major selling point for me in buying this product. I don't want to rub a product with harsh chemicals on my face everyday, so this is why I'm already on my second bottle of smooth operator.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Make Up For Ever - Mat Velvet PLUS Matifying Foundation
ElaineLuvsMakeup 9/29/2010 1:16:00 PM
I really love this foundation. I bought a color that was slightly too dark for me and went with a 30 or 35 the second time around which was much better (I am a MAC NC 25-30). I had a 45 or 50 the first time I bought it, which made me look oddly ashen. Things I love about this foundation - covers mild hyperpigmentation well, has a relatively mat finish, and has medium to full coverage. It doesn't cover extreme hyperpigmentation, such as if you have a bright red pimple or if you have very dark under eye circles. However, if your skin is relatively okay with some fading scars, this is great. I always use a mattifying lotion before I put on this foundation. Staying power is so-so. It rubs off easily on clothing and I usually blot it a bit with a tissue after I apply this foundation. A little goes a long way and I use small dots of this foundation along my cheeks to blend outwards and up with clean fingers. I would NOT use a foundation brush for this because it would be way too thick and cakey. On hot days it can get a bit shiny and greasy by mid-day but during cold weather seasons it's perfect.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Eye Shadow 4: Lucky Tom
ElaineLuvsMakeup 9/29/2010 12:36:00 PM
I loved MAC and I love Hello Kitty, so I just had to buy this quad when it came out. I really, very badly, wanted to love this palette, but alas...after using it on and off for 2 years, I have decided that this palette was a major let down and has since made me lose faith in the MAC brand (along with another online 80 dollar MAC eyeshadow purchase which was another huge let down). Of the four eyeshadows, the only one that I've liked enough to use until I've hit the pan was Creme Royale. This veluxe pearl shadow is silky and the color applies wonderfully. I wish I could say the same about the rest of the palette, but the other colors, as other reviewers here have noted, are chalky and have very poor color payoff. What really surprised me was all the enthusiastic initial reviews that came out on Youtube talking about the Hello Kitty palettes, and their excitement lead me to believe the quality of the palette should be very good. Unfortunately, I've found this to be an utter FAIL. I would not recommend it at all. It is overpriced, the quality is below mediocre, and while the colors are certainly unique, I think I would have been happier buying eyeshadows from my local drugstore.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Ishizawa Labs - Nachu Deka Eyeliner
ElaineLuvsMakeup 9/29/2010 12:21:00 PM
This is absolutely my favorite beauty product that I've bought this year! I've been using Dior's liquid black eyeliner for most of 2009, but when it ran out I decided to buy a Sephora eyeliner. Still not satisfied, I saw this eyeliner in an asian store called Takashimaya and tried the tester on the back of my hand. It was really impressive as I had other eyeliners on the back of my hand and even after intense rubbing and a few washings, the Ishizawa Tearbaby eyeliner still did not smudge! 16 bucks is a great price for the quality of this eyeliner. The more I use it, the more I love it. This is the first eyeliner I've used that actually SMELLS good as well. It has a rose scent which I just love love love. And while it doesn't smudge easily throughout the day, it comes off easily at night with face wash. In short, long lasting, does not smudge, okay to wear for long hours without burning my eyes (like the Dior eyeliner after many hours), smells GREAT, has a very fine felt tip, so even though I've been using brush liners for the past 2-3 years, this is still very good in comparison. Definitely buying this again!
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Eye Shadow -Urban Decay - Naked Palette
ElaineLuvsMakeup 9/29/2010 12:09:00 PM
Being broke, I was a bit hesitant to shell out 45 dollars for a palette with a lot of colors that I already owned. However, not having yet owned an UD eyeshadow palette, I caved in to the saleswoman at Ulta and bought what she said was the '2nd to last available Naked Palette in [their] store.' After using this palette for more than a month and nearly everyday, I have to say I'm quite happy with it. I am a huge fan of asian makeup trends and have been using this palette to create my Vivi / Qawaii magazine inspired eye looks. The pigmentation is excellent, the staying power of the shadows is excellent with a good base. The only things I don't particularly care for in the kit are the eyeliner pencil in whiskey and zero and the mini eyeshadow primer potion. The two products are good, but I find my Bourgeois 24/7 eyeliner kohl is longer lasting and smears less than UD's more expensive counterpart. I also don't find the need to use the primer potion if I use a waxy eyeshadow stick (BeYu cosmetics). So those products are left relatively untouched.
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