Makeup Brushes -NARS - 27 - Yachiyo
EmiriamdD 5/18/2013 4:27:00 PM
I've been meaning to review this brush for a while now. It's taken a bit of time for me to learn exactly how to use it but now I know there's really nothing else like it out there. This brush is meant to be used very delicately, to pick up the barest bit of color from darker bronzers or blushes that you thought you couldn't possibly use. I'm currently using it with Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Bronzer in Bikini Contest plus NYX powder blush in Desert Rose. Without the NARS 27 I would never have chosen such dark (for me) colors. (For the record, I'm MAC NC20.) But I use the 27 to lightly pick up color and apply, then blend, blend, blend with a clean brush--either the ELF Complexion or EcoTools Bronzer. Or both, if I need more blending. But it's the NARS 27 that allows me to experiment with darker, more dramatic colors.
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Foundations -Max Factor - Pan-Cake [DISCONTINUED]
EmiriamdD 5/14/2013 8:22:00 AM
I'm not a devoted fan of Max Factor Pan Cake foundation but I wanted to point out to those who are that it's still available at drugstore.com in two shades: Tan (#109) and Amber Rose (#105). I feel for you, Pan Cake lovers!
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Styling Products -L'Oreal - Ever Curl Sculpt & Hold Cream-Gel
EmiriamdD 4/12/2013 3:03:00 PM
Ridiculous. And I had such high hopes for this stuff because I pay big money for hair care products meant specifically for curly hair. This styling product left my wavy-curly hair frizzy and greasy. It's got some kind of oil or conditioning stuff in it, which only weighs my curls down. I couldn't move or scrunch or style my hair at all with this. Returned it after one use.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Wet 'n' Wild - Coverall Cream Foundation
EmiriamdD 3/11/2013 10:07:00 AM
Oh...my...word. Wet 'n Wild's Coverall Cream Foundation is perhaps one of the very best foundations on the market, low- to high-end. Amazing! I'm NC20 and Fair is a perfect match. It's a creamy consistency and applies beautifully. I dot it on and then blend with my trusty and beloved Hourglass foundation brush, but I'm sure any good brush would work, and probably also a Beauty Blender (I'll be experimenting with that soon). On me, this gives pretty close to full coverage and dries to a matte finish, with no need to set with powder. But my skin is normal so YMMV if you're dry, oily or combination. Outstanding product! Wet 'n Wild has really decided to enter the upscale world--I'm not sure there's a HE cream foundation out there that's much better than this.
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Eye Makeup Remover -Johnson & Johnson - baby oil
EmiriamdD 3/10/2013 2:15:00 PM
How could I have been so silly? Here I've been using DHC Deep Cleansing Oil for probably three years to remove makeup, and especially waterproof mascara. Yes, it works well and rinses off cleanly, leaving my skin ready for a good wash with Dove Sensitive Skin Soap or Pond's Cream Cleanser. But now I've found my true HG of makeup removers: Johnson & Johnson Baby Oil. Yes, the one and only, the original baby oil. It takes off waterproof mascara even faster and more gently than the DHC and for sure it costs a helluva lot less! Yes, it's pure mineral oil and therefore not for everyone, but for those with normal skin this is IT. Works like the proverbial charm. Doing the happy dance!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Nivea - Nivea Creme
EmiriamdD 3/8/2013 2:38:00 PM
Love, love, love, crazy love! My sad little paws get so incredibly dry and chapped during the winter that sometimes they come close to bleeding. Poor things. I've been a loyal user of Neutrogena Fragrance Free hand cream in the tube but I came to realize...very...slowly...that it just wasn't working. Yeah, it moisturized if I applied it after every hand washing. But if I forgot, my hands were back to what they had been--dry, chapped and flaky. Sheesh. Then I saw these cute little tins of Nivea at Duane Reade and they were on sale that day so I figured, "Hey, what the hey." I've road tested this stuff now for a week and WOW! Love! True Love! Sending it a Valentine! I even like the fragrance. My hands feel smoother and even if I forget to apply after washing, the flakies don't immediately reappear. Plus, the tin is just so damn cute. My only complaint is that the top of the tin fits very loosely so I've simply wrapped the thing up with a rubber band. But that's a minor complaint. The product is deeeeeevine!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Cover Girl - Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation
EmiriamdD 2/24/2013 7:22:00 PM
I'm amused at the range of responses to this product, from basically "Run away, run away, save yourself!" to "It's the best thing since instant oatmeal!" I'm with the "instant oatmeal" folks--I'm loving this foundation. Love the texture, which is a creamy liquid, love the pump (looking at you, Revlon Colorstay), love the coverage, which I'd call medium-full. I'm NC20, and Classic Ivory is a perfect match. I don't find this cakey or thick at all. I'm using my new Hourglass foundation brush, which admittedly makes application of any foundation a delight, but I'm sure you can get equally good coverage with any decent brush or a Beautyblender or a basic damp wedge sponge. You really do not need a primer with this stuff and if you do need any concealer it would be for the undereye area, or perhaps any substantial redness or breakout. Otherwise, this is a supremo DS foundation, in my humble opinion. Enthusiastic two thumbs up!
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Cover Girl - Classic Color 'Rose Silk'
EmiriamdD 2/6/2013 1:48:00 PM
Well, all the preceding reviewers have basically said it all: this is a lovely satin finish light rose-pink blush with very muted shimmer. Like a previous reviewer, I am also NC20 and yes, this color works beautifully on our skin tone. I'm using my MAC 109 brush to apply as I feel like I get good control and can build up color easily by working in small circles. Forget the brush that comes with it--these are never meant to be used by humans. Excellent blush, great price, who can argue?
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -MAC - 109 Small Contour Brush
EmiriamdD 2/6/2013 1:43:00 PM
I've had my MAC 109 brush languishing among its brushy brethren for eons--poor neglected thing. I think I bought it back around the time dinosaurs ruled the earth but had no clear idea what to do with it. Maybe a friend brainwashed me into buying it. Anyway...I recently unearthed it after purchasing, on a whim (and also it was BOGO on Cover Girl at CVS), CG Classic Color blush 540, Rose Silk. Love the blush (another review on that) but the MAC 109 turns out to be just perfect for blush! Who knew? I've been using brushes--high- and low-end--that are simply too big for my cheeks. The 109 lets you work in small circular motions, applying more color as needed. Love the finished look. My blush has tended to end up either over- or underdone but no longer. Thank you, MAC 109!
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Concealers -Hard Candy - Glamoflauge Concealer
EmiriamdD 2/1/2013 1:55:00 PM
A-mazing! Got this on eBay (no Walmart where I live) in Light and Ultra Light. I have dark, sunken areas under my eyes and decided to follow gossmakeupartist's recommendation to use both corrector and concealer. I use Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Bisque first, mixed with a teensy bit of Smashbox Photo Ready Hydrating Under Eye Primer. Then, the ever-so-tiniest pinhead bit of Glamoflauge in Ultra Light over that, then light powdering with Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder. Perfection! I'm also using Glamoflauge in Light mixed with moisturizer--this technique can actually create a product that is somewhere between a tinted moisturizer and a true foundation. (Again, a Wayne Goss technique.) For the record, I'm MAC NC20.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Maybelline - inked in Pink Color Tattoo
EmiriamdD 1/20/2013 10:04:00 AM
Love, love, love! I'm slowly collecting nearly all of the Maybelline Color Tattoo cream shadows because (a) they absolutely do not crease on me at all (b) easy to apply with fingers or brush and (c) really fun colors. I'm now layering Bad to the Bronze over Inked in Pink, with Barely Branded as a base. Recently purchased Sephora's Pro Cream Shadow brush (#28) and finding it makes application smooth and quick. Great job, Maybelline--now how about some additional matte colors?
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -MAC - Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation
EmiriamdD 1/19/2013 5:04:00 PM
I'm not sure why Studio Fix is categorized as a powder--it's a powder foundation. This was the very first MAC product I ever used and I still consider it the very best powder foundation. If you need light coverage, use a fluffy powder brush. If you need heavier coverage, use a kabuki or other flat-topped, densely-bristled brush. As others have noted, the coverage you get is absolutely matte. If you want to bring back some dewy-ness, use a finishing spray like Skindinavia. But for those with oily skin looking for a full coverage matte finish, you can't do better than MAC Studio Fix powder foundation.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -Wet 'n' Wild - MegaGlo Illuminating Powder
EmiriamdD 12/10/2012 12:46:00 PM
If you, like me are a follower (groupie?) of gossmakeupartist, then you know his Product of the Year for 2012 is the Claudio Riaz instant face palette. Problem: that baby costs $128. Yes, you read that right. So, I went on a hunt for a somewhat less bankrupting dupe and I think I've done very well with Wet 'n Wild's MegaGlo Illuminating Powders. I've got Catwalk Pink (#345) and Spotlight Peach (#347). I use these with my MAC #186 flat top kabuki brush--don't know if they still make this brush--and apply over MAC Studio Fix (NC20). I actually follow the Claudio Riaz "3" technique, as demonstrated by Wayne Goss: sweep the product in the shape of the number 3 from forehead, onto cheeks, and then back and down to chin. Catwalk Pink gives a bronzer/blush effect; Spotlight Peach over that gives a bit of highlight and glow. At $3.99 each, you can hardly go wrong.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Maybelline - Fit Me
EmiriamdD 11/23/2012 8:01:00 PM
Without going into gory detail I'll just say I banged the left side of my head against the bathroom sink. The place looked like a crime scene but the real fun part was that over the next couple of days I developed what looked like a huge dark red shiner running from the side of my head all the way under my eye. Not a pretty sight. I was out of town and had no concealer with me but remembered Makeup Geek raving about Fit Me so I got it at CVS in Light (I'm NC20). Perfect match! As far as I'm concerned, this was probably as close as you can get to full coverage of a red/black eye without using theatrical makeup. So, a big thank you to Maybelline for saving me from having a police officer stop and ask if I was the victim of domestic violence. (Oh, and Fit Me works perfectly well on standard red dots and spots, too.)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Ecotools - 6 Piece Eye Brush Set (5 brushes + case)
EmiriamdD 9/10/2012 2:11:00 PM
In addition to everyone else's glowing comments about these brushes I want to add that the short handles are a godsend to the extremely myopic (namely me). I have to apply makeup holding a mirror very close to my face and these cute little brushes allow me to do that much more easily than most other brushes. Granted, I currently own a gazillion brushes and love them all but these little cuties are just so easy to work with. Also very well made, don't shed, cruelty free, soft, go back to their original shape after washing. Oh, and did I say cute?
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No