Fragrances -Donna Karan - Cashmere Mist
Emily0816 3/20/2013 7:34:00 PM
This smells too much like "perfume," specifically like hair spray, and there's an unpleasant ashtray note mixed with a cheap car freshener. Maybe I need to let it develop more, but those are my early impressions.
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Polishes -Essie - Wicked
Emily0816 1/9/2013 5:50:00 PM
I'm torn. I like the color and it looks great on pale skin. It doesn't bring out any ruddiness like pink or bright red polishes. I live in NYC and think it looks modern and sophisticated. My boyfriend, however, asked me why I was wearing black nail polish when I asked if he liked the color. I currently work remotely as an attorney, but probably wouldn't wear this to the office or in an important social setting (e.g. cocktail party) because of that misperception. I look at it and see a deep, lovely brownish red, but if other people are seeing black... Well, do you want to be the girl wearing black nail polish, as a woman in your 30s? In short, I would wear this to make myself happier when I look at my nails, but I don't think it makes me more attractive to anyone else (and it's a downright turn-off for my boyfriend). I may just wear it on my toes. :-(
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Tinted Moisturizer -La Mer - tinted moisturizer in light
Emily0816 1/8/2013 10:32:00 PM
I love most things about this foundation except the color - 02, the lightest shade available, is much too dark for my skin and gives it a bit of an orange cast if I don't use it very sparingly. I keep going back to it despite that issue because it looks beautiful, gives skin a dewy glow, moisturizes without making skin oily, and causes zero skin problems. I've fallen asleep in this makeup and wake up with beautiful skin. I especially like how it makes the pores on my nose disappear. I've cheated on La Mer with Laura Mercier (looks chalky on close inspection) and am still hunting for something that performs as well as La Mer in a broader color selection. I use Maybelline BB cream as an everyday, less expensive alternative, and love it.
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Moisturizers -Ole Henriksen - Truth Creme Advanced Hydration
Emily0816 12/19/2012 7:37:00 PM
I'm surprised to see so many bad reviews about the smell - that's actually one of the things I like about it. It smells light and clean with a hint of orange. It doesn't sink in as quickly as other moisturizers but does leave skin with a nice glow and isn't irritating at all. I usually use La Mer gel cream and this feels richer, which I desperately need during the winter as my skin gets downright flaky. This makes it feel softer and smoother. My only complaint is the slightly tacky feeling, but I used a generous amount. The tacky feeling went away eventually and my skin felt incredible and satiny - even the dry, rough spots that I thought I'd have to exfoliate were smoothed over. I will be using this instead of La Mer. After trying a sample from Sephora, I bought this, the serum, and the eye cream. I love how youthful and dewy my skin looks! It even makes my pores look smaller.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Highlighters -BeneFit Cosmetics - High Beam
Emily0816 12/19/2012 12:29:00 PM
I love this product, but I think it's easy to go wrong with it. You must blend it well or it will look obvious/frosty and streaky or blotchy. I put it on over my primer and then blend the foundation over it with a stippling brush in a side-to-side motion to make sure it's well-blended. Used conservatively, this adds a dewy, healthy glow. Use too much and you may look like a little girl playing with mom's makeup or a Las Vegas showgirl. Start with the smallest amount you think you'll need and build from there, as it's impossible to remove it without starting over and you can only blend it into the rest of your features if you use too much, which defeats the purpose of targeted highlighting. I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who has tried this and YSL touché éclat for comparison, as I'd like to try YSL but it's so expensive. I took one lippy off because the glow isn't as natural as I'd like and its icy pink hue is made for cool complexions, not warm ones.
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Eye Primer -Lancome - Shadow primer
Emily0816 12/8/2012 6:25:00 PM
Maybe my "nude" primer has oxidized over time, but this has an orangey hue that looks totally unnatural on my eyelids. I have to cover them in shadow just to avoid looking like an oompa loompa, and even then the shadow didn't seem to "pop" although liner did go on more smoothly. It's very dry, so you have to drag the concealer brush (or finger) across your eyelid to get coverage. It isn't easy to blend and it has a tendency to ball up if you use too much. It's so dark that I don't think you could use this on the browbone; my skin is snow white there and this product is just too thick and orange to provide a canvas for a light sweep of pale eyeshadow.
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Fragrances -Prada - Candy EDP
Emily0816 12/5/2012 4:07:00 PM
I love sophisticated, rich-smelling scents and wasn't expecting to like a scent called "Candy" - stripper perfume, anyone? - but I did. It smells fun and decadent, with heavy notes of caramel, and drys down into sophistication as if someone had dropped that caramel into a glass of champagne. It may be too delicious for work, but if you want the person next to you to feel like licking you, I'd go with this.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Crème -Cover Girl - Aqua Smooth Make-Up in Creamy Natural (# 720)
Emily0816 12/2/2012 5:49:00 PM
First the good: - this is better than the expensive Laura Mercier cream foundation - blends easily for a cream (I'm pale and the ivory shade works on me) - feels good on skin (not tacky) - doesn't look matte or too shiny - minimizes pores and fine lines, unlike some foundations that bring out lines I didn't know I had - evens skin tone For reference, I usually use La Mer TM. Now the bad: - you need to use a light hand to avoid getting the foundation caked into pores, which means that using enough to cover obvious discoloration or blemishes could leave you with peau d'orange (orange peel skin). - it drags on and brings out dry spots (in fairness, I've never found a foundation that doesn't do this to some extent, but this is worse than a liquid foundation - it acts more like a powder and shows you EXACTLY where you need to exfoliate). - turns powdery and can start to look like makeup and age skin,especially under bright light. - I hardly ever break out from products, but I had 5 zits the morning after using this - the packaging is bulky Notes on contouring makeup technique: I used ivory and soft honey (for contouring under the cheekbones, sides of nose, top of forehead, and jawline) and was... 80% successful. I blame my technique rather than the product for the somewhat streaky finish of the soft honey. I'd recommend first covering your entire face in the base shade, then blending contour over it. Some artists recommend starting with contour, but this makeup is too slippery for that. When you blend the contour shade, make sure you aren't blending it too aggressively toward the hairline or you could get balled-up foundation residue in your hair. Start with a thin line under cheekbones and blend down, not out.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Laura Mercier - Cheek Colour in Rose Petal
Emily0816 11/29/2012 1:47:00 PM
My HG powder blush (for cream blush I use Revlon in Rosy Glow). Somehow this blush gives skin a luminous glow without any sparkle. I hate sparkles in blush, which is why NARS Orgasm disappointed me. I wear makeup to look attractive to men, and men love pretty, glowing skin that doesn't look like makeup - which this blush accomplishes. It looks quite pink on the brush but doesn't streak and is buildable with a light hand. I'm very pale, so I don't think this would be too dark on anyone. My only complaint is that the packaging is very small for the price (but at least it's sturdy).
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Primer/ Corrector -Smashbox - Photo Finish Color Correcting Foundation Primer - Adjust
Emily0816 11/27/2012 7:13:00 PM
Mixed bag. The green primer evens out skin tone, but can leave you looking matte and sickly. It aged my skin and brought out lines on my forehead that aren't visible when I'm not wearing makeup. I recently started using Korres Quercetin primer and noticed that it gives my skin a better glow and conceals fine lines rather than highlighting them. I like the thickness of Smashbox, as it helps cover pores, but it can also ball up if you're already wearing moisturizer. I would recommend it to cover up redness, but its drying and aging effects may not be worth the skin-tone benefits. My face is always dry the day after using it. On the plus side, it isn't oily and never breaks me out, and it looks lovely on noses (mine tends to get a bit red after a glass of wine).
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Fragrances -Tom Ford - Black Orchid EDP
Emily0816 11/14/2012 6:31:00 PM
I've been looking for a perfume to replace Gio by Armani - not necessarily one that smelled the same, but one that evoked the same sense of femininity wrapped in power and high-class sex appeal - nothing loud or trashy, please. Black orchid isn't quiet, but it's not brash, either. Unlike Gio, which I swear is like a perfume mood ring that can change just as unpredictably as the woman it's meant to represent, black orchid is faithfully sexy, sweet, and unmistakably powerful. Unlike some florals, it's a serious fragrance for a serious woman. Which isn't to say that you couldn't wear it for a fun night out on the town, but you'd better have some designs on seducing the man you're with. This could be hard to pull of during the day, but it's perfect in the cold months after the sun goes down.
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Fragrances -Giorgio Armani - Gio (for women)
Emily0816 11/13/2012 10:18:00 PM
I've had this bottle for 10+ years; I just tried it for the first time in at least 7 years tonight and the scent hasn't changed. It reminds me of a turbulent period in my 20s so I can't wear it very often, but it was a favorite at the time and I still appreciate its character. I was shocked to see this described as a "fruity, floral" fragrance because there's nothing sweet about it and it drys down into a musk. It's not a typical sparkly floral as it has much darker, deeper tones. It smells like something a femme fatale would wear, or an undercover agent - a beautiful woman - trying to seduce a mark over late-night drinks at an upscale bar. It's sexy and dangerous but not slutty. It's a shame that it's been discontinued - luckily I have enough left to remember those crazy, dark, beautiful, sexy nights of my early 20's, though. Edit: my boyfriend couldn't keep his hands off me after I sprayed ths on today... He said "you smell good" and pulled me closer. That's as positive a review as any of my perfumes have received.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Annick Goutal - Petite Cherie
Emily0816 11/13/2012 1:34:00 PM
This is sweet and has pleasant notes of pear and peach, but there's something a bit too sharp and off-putting about it. The top notes reminded me of the sharp, sterile smell of a dentist's office and I can't seem to shake the association. I can understand why people like it, but it's not soft enough to deliver the fruit notes faithfully.
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Misc Beauty Tools -Tweezerman - Eyelash Curler
Emily0816 11/8/2012 4:26:00 PM
I thought I would like this because Tweezerman is generally excellent, and I've been using a Revlon eyelash curler (not exactly high-end). It doesn't open as much as Revlon, so you have less control. I forcibly blinked a few times and ruined my eye makeup. The curler also pinches more than Revlon, so it's harder to curl the lashes close to the base. It does seem to be a more powerful curler, but because you can't get close to the base it leaves you with an angled, unnatural curl.
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Lip Gloss -Philosophy - Peppermint Bark Lip Shine
Emily0816 11/7/2012 3:17:00 PM
LOVE this. Took off one lippy only because guys wouldn't want to kiss you when you're wearing it, as it's sticky. If you're looking for something kissable with a similar sheer red tint, I'd recommend Fresh sugar sticks in rose. As for this, it smells just like peppermint and chocolate and tastes that way, too. I wear it when I'm just hanging out in the apartment because it puts me in the holiday spirit and feels tingly and refreshing on lips (without the sharpness of a menthol-based product). I also use it when I'm drinking red wine, as it prevents wine stains from developing on chapped lips and makes lips look wonderful. It will be obvious that you're wearing lip gloss (unless you apply a small amount), but it's not too red or too shiny. You can't go wrong with this for the holiday season, either for yourself or as a stocking stuffer.
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