Liquid -Maybelline - Fit Me Foundation
Esmay 4/2/2013 9:22:00 PM
I have mature dry very fair skin with pink undertones, no scars, wrinkles or sun spots but light freckles which multiply and darken when exposed to sun. I burn easily. What I need: A moisturizing sunscreen with some foundation coverage but keeping it 'natural' so as to not look aging. Something that will let my skin breathe and will not look greasy nor dry my face out. After reading reviews here, I decided to give this product a whirl. It was under 9 bucks on sale at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada. They had the lightest shade which I believe is 110. It has an spf 18. I applied Avon's Platinum eye cream and serum before putting a - what - over a dime's amount of Fit Me into the palm of my hand mooshing it out a bit and then applying it with my fingers all over my face, ears, eyelids and neck. It isn't thick in consistency and applied evenly. It dried quickly but not so fast that it made application hard. It worked as a moisturizer, sunscreen and foundation tint! Perfectly matched my skin to look natural and even out skintone and left my face looking 'natural' and non-greasy until I removed it that evening. For me it is a perfect, let me repeat, perfect every day product. I believe as others here have stated that this would not work for oily complexions or for any real complicated coverage issues. As a sunscreen it is very good because I could use the right amount necessary without the greasiness or white maskiness that so often happens when dealing with sun care. Because we all know that applying 'just a small pinprick amount' will not protect you from the ravages of sun exposure, which is why, quite frankly, putting spf's in foundations is often a waste of time. If you use the amount needed you end up wearing a mask. So as a tinted moisturizer with pretty good spf, I would rate this a 5 for people with dry skin. I took a mark off for the packaging because this needs a pump. Price? Good deal for the money and no complaints there. Bottle is small and I know you get more bang for your buck with MAC's face and body foundation but MAC has no sunscreen, it's a drier formulation that I always needed moisturizer/sunscreen underneath and the lightest Fit Me color is lighter than the lightest MAC shade which gives me a yellow caste under certain lighting. EDIT: I have noticed that a lot of the negative reviews are from younger members with oily skin and acne scarring issues. This product is DEFINITELY NOT made for them. Also, the lighter colors seem to oxidize on younger skin from the looks of these reviews. Sigh. Foundations are tricksie things aren't they?
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Avon - Nailwear Pro in Cherry Jubilee
Esmay 3/13/2013 2:32:00 AM
Yes, I would buy again! First of all, I really like Avon's nailwear pro line and have several colors. They are easy to apply, shine better than Opi or Essie and wear about a week. I get a mani and pedi once a month and quite often take one of my Avon polishes. The rest of the time I do change my nail polish and do a little spruce up. I use Opi and have one Essie and I interchange polishes BUT the Avon ones are just as good and the price in this case doesn't reflect the quality. A good bargain. Now, for Cherry Jubilee. The color, with two thin coats, is a rich deep shiny red. Dark but does not look black in any light. It is definitely a dark red. I have very fair skin and this looks beautiful on me. The surprise is that this color 'goes' with just about everything. For reference, I am not an Avon rep and have no vested interest in beating any company drum. I just honestly believe this polish is color and quality is up there with the best of them and at a price you can't beat.
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Fragrances -Avon - Viva by Fergie
Esmay 2/14/2013 2:36:00 AM
I'll start by saying the container is one of the nicest I've seen in some time and the lavender liquid within is beautiful and appropriate because this is a lavender scent from beginning to end. And what a refreshing scent it is! This one is edgy and, yes, it has that slightly sharp astrigentness of a male cologne and then a few floral notes softly enter to soften the lavender. It is fresh without screaming 'citrus', it is floral without whinging on about magnolias and mint juleps, and it is unisex with class. I see this being worn by a woman in slim jeans, crisp white shirt, classic loafers or 4 inch red high heels and bold lipstick. Possibly a fedora...
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -mark - Jewel Shine
Esmay 2/13/2013 12:26:00 PM
Worst packaging I've seen in awhile. Sort of a blah beige bottle, so no marks there. However, the scent itself is one of the nicest, creamiest gardenia concoctions I have ever smelled! On me, it is a linear soft gardenia that lasts for hours. This is not 'old' or 80's retro but modern and soft when sprayed with a moderate touch. Classy. very classy. Avon being the Queen of Discontinue I fully expect this excellent perfume to be gone in a Toronto minute so this is one of the few times I will order two more back-ups. I'm not an Avon rep or even related to one so I'm not here beating any drum for the company just fyi. EDIT: I have to rethink the lasting capabilities of this one. I have to use too many sprays, as you do in a body mist formula, to make it stick around. Yet I'm hooked! So I'll buy another couple and the body cream as well to make it last. And I generally like scents to work close to my skin and not announce my presence before enter the room so this gives you an idea of the sillage here.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Cover Girl - CG Smoothers Concealer
Esmay 1/23/2013 10:28:00 PM
I had given up on concealers as they were all to dark or too yellow and none of them really stayed in place or concealed anything. Until now. About me. I have NC 10 skin with pink undertones, small pores, clear complexion and hardly any lines in my mature skin. Good genes. However, I have pink undertones and red around my nose and some light grey under eye smudges that need brightening up. thanks to you guys, I bought this product in neutralizer and illuminizer. Wow!! Neuralizer covers the red, blends in perfectly with my skin tone and lasts until I take it off. Does not move, twitch or travel. I use the illuminizer (beige/pink shade) under my eyes and again with the "wow". Makes be look 10 years younger and flawless. I'm not kidding you. I haven't been so excited about any kind of makeup in a long time but these little tubes really do the trick. I dab a little on in the areas I want covered and then use a small eyeshadow brush to blend. I use no foundation generally but a little powder on the nose and to even out things. I look photoshopped. Like the packaging, paid $8.95 Cdn for each tube, and will definitely keep purchasing. Thank you ladies.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Top/Base Coats -Seche Vite - Clear
Esmay 1/15/2013 6:22:00 PM
Would not buy this top coat again. Turned thick and gloppy after a few uses and 3 weeks. Still had 75% full bottle. the nail shop I go to uses it but they have to constantly thin it out they said. So no, I went back to Sally Hansen.
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Powder -BeneFit Cosmetics - Hello Flawless!
Esmay 8/16/2012 5:48:00 PM
I am very very fair. I bought this in the lightest 'ivory' shade. It is a mineral foundation and the first I have ever used. This shade matches my skin to perfection! Something few foundations can achieve. I use Avon Platinum serum and Avon's Magix with SPF, or Neutrogena moisturizer with SPF. I get the best results with one or both of the first two products. Using a flat topped brush to apply and an eco tools big bronzing brush to blend, I get a perfect no shine, all day, my skin is perfect look. What's more, my skin looks natural and perfect in bright sunlight, inside a mall, or around the house. It feels like I am wearing no makeup which is a huge plus. Can't feel it, can't 'see' it, only wonderful skin. So, it's the best BUT the price!!! It's expensive and there is no getting around it. More expensive than Jane Iredale? I don't know. For every day I will stick to Physician's Formula powder, Benefit Porfessional sometimes and keep Hello Flawless for when I'm out all day, travelling and so forth. I will repurchase and choke on the price. The packaging is .... okay. A bit hard to open but the little sponge and brush it comes with come in handy when on the go. I gave it a 4 out of 5 on the packaging and 5 on everything else.
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Primer/ Corrector -BeneFit Cosmetics - The Porefessional
Esmay 7/18/2012 10:06:00 PM
Yes. I will keep buying this until they make it no more. It's that good. I love primers and have owned a few and liked a couple very much but this is simply the best! My sunscreen moisturizer (neutrigena) is the best for me but all spf moisturizers leave me shiny This primer renders my face poreless with no shine BUT my skin looks healthy and not dry. Helps to even out skin tone. Leaves me with the perfect canvas for a little or more make up. Whatever make up I add stays perfect until I wash it off. What more could you want? A better price actually. This stuff is pricey. But worth it. I
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -BeneFit Cosmetics - Dr Feelgood
Esmay 5/17/2012 4:36:00 PM
I reviewed this product a few years ago and this is an update. I always keep this little guy around! Yes, on the one hand it's expensive BUT on the other hand, it lasts for a long, long time. The tin container is cute and travels well but it can be hard to open sometimes. The sponge smells as these sponges sometimes tend to do but can be washed easily and u can buy them in bulk at any drugstore to replace the one it comes with for cleanliness. SO. What exactly does Dr. Feelgood do? Benefit is a company that sells sometime nifty stuff at an overprice without telling us exactly what we're supposed to use it for. Between this and the fact that Benefit mua's don't know either makes matters worse. A fine example is the face powder for pale pink complexions otherwise known as "Dandelion" which mua's pawn off as a blush even tho it says 'face powder' in the packaging. Dr. Feelgood is sort of a primer that makes the skin soft and pores seem to diminish and can mattify for the not so oily complexions. Left to its own devices, my skin would be dry, mature. With my spf moisturizer, my skin can look a bit shiny or greasy. So I press my sponge into Dr. Feelgood and then press gently and quickly (pat, pat, pat) into my face. Wait a few minutes for DF to 'melt' into skin. My skin is smooth, poreless and a little matte, looking 'glowy'. I rarely use liquid makeup but if I do I would apply it first and then use DF. I use blush and sometimes powder over DF . A couple of hours after applying my makeup my skin looks fabulous. I have also used DF after applying full makeup (it won't smear if you pat, pat, pat INTO the skin with a press and lift motion). As the night wears on, my skin becomes more poreless. This little gem works better than any other primer I have ever used except for Avon's tinted one that they discontinued. Having said all this, no primer is a one brand suits all. But for normal to dry skin types I would certainly recommend Dr. Feelgood. I would also recommend Benefit's Poreless which I also have and use but it is pricey and I tend not to use it as much.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Revlon - PhotoReady Perfecting Primer (color 001)
Esmay 5/9/2012 9:54:00 PM
I am very pale. This product is very pale. And very pink! No matter how little I use, I have the faint look of calamine lotion - sort of pink chalky tint. It cuts down on my moisterizer SPF shine but better primers and/or powder do this too without all the pink. the pump container is very good. I like the Photoready liquid foundation but I will be throwing this stuff in the garbage.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -MAC - Matte Blush - Frankly Scarlet
Esmay 2/25/2012 5:56:00 PM
I have very fair, cool skin with neutral to pinkish undertones but absolutely no color in my cheeks what so ever. My skin is a lot younger than I am. however. I have to stick to a more 'natural' look in order not to look creepy. Yet I reached for Frankly Scarlet and I'm glad I did! If you swatch it on your hand you will see that, even tho it's touted as a matte, it has some sheen to it. I barely touch a fan brush to the pan, dust off excess, and waft the brush over the apples of my cheeks. And, yes, there is that beautiful matte 'roses' flush. Because it is so bright and pure it doesn't look muddy on older complexions and the slight sheen that is noticeable on the hand I believe keeps it from becoming dull on the cheek. I usually put on a very light layer of Physicians Formula transluscent pearl beads powder (solid compact form) over the blush to give it a final natural glow. I have always looked dead without blusher and have become a master of the process. Frankly Scarlet is one of the best and I'm not a great MAC admirer. The price wasn't too bad at about $27 cdn. considering it will last me 20 years and considering it was going to cost me that much to buy a NYX dupe online. This and Pinch of Peach (which is really a very nice sheer pink) are the only two MAC blushes I like.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Revlon - PhotoReady Makeup
Esmay 12/2/2011 12:49:00 AM
Here's the story: I needed something to replace Avon's Magix tinted primer in the compact, which they have discontinued. I have mature skin, on the dry side without moisturizer and an oily nose. I am pale white with pink undertones. I look for natural, light coverage with a dewy finish. Enter Photoready in Ivory, their lightest shade. The pump is perfect. The color is smack on the same color as my skin. I applied one pump with a slightly damp sponge on a slightly damp moisturized face. It applied smoothly and evenly, looked flawless and glowed! Lasted until I removed it 8 hours later. Light coverage, did not notice any sparkles (could Revlon have fixed that?). I used Magix colorless primer on my nose by the way. Is it as good as the tinted Magix was? Not quite as natural but all in all the best substitute I could find and I'm pleased with it. I feel the price is right because I use so little it will last a long time. I would certainly recommend the ivory to anyone with VERY pale skin who doesn't need major coverage but wants to even out color and achieve a poreless look. This color does not turn orange, have a yellow, pink or chalky caste to it. Always a problem. EDIT: In sunlight I did notice (if I peered in the car mirror very closely!) minute sparkles. They are silver and not very many. Not a problem BUT perhaps in a darker shade these sparkles would look weird.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Scrubs -St. Ives - Apricot Scrub Blemish and Blackhead Control
Esmay 9/28/2011 11:43:00 PM
I use the Apricot scrubs on my feet, hands and yes! I exfoliate my head! I tell you it puts me in a state of grace. Once every other week I wet my hair, take a big palm size dollop of scrub and massage it into my scalp, particularly on the hairline and then keep it on for an hour or so before shampooing it off in the shower. Pores unclogged, dry skin gone. Once in a blue moon I will use this scrub on my nose but | use other products to exfoliate my face and a mitt for my body. Nothing gets rid of dry, itching skin and makes you glow like exfoliation!! This product is sold everywhere and not very expensive. The packaging if fine and I always keep a tube of it around.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Avon - Genics
Esmay 9/27/2011 2:41:00 PM
Use the whole line except for the cleanser and I swear by it! I'm 70 years old and am always mistaken for someone in their 50's. Good genetics, sure. Never smoked, right. Stayed out of the sun - redhead, say no more. And always used good skin products BUT this line really rocks. It's not cheap but then there are excellent sales and I shop the sales. The packaging is okay. The eye cream comes with a useful little thingie for application and I spray it with alcohol after use. The serum is a pump so no problem there. The jars. Took one point off for them but if you have the eye cream you could use that applicator for the jars of day/night cream. My skin abolutely glows these days. I have very few lines and my skin tone is even. Try the samples first, they are generous, and if you can stand the amount of glycolic acid in the night cream you will be happy with the results. If the night cream bothers you, try the serum alone (I only use the serum at night. Apply and wait 5 minutes or so and then apply night cream.). I'm not an Avon rep so I don't push their products for gain, only when I find something useful. What I don't like about Avon is that "she" is the Queen of Discontinue and I hope this line sticks around as long as I do.
22 out of 22 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Physicians Formula - Happy Booster™ Glow & Mood Boosting Blush in Natural
Esmay 8/4/2011 2:19:00 AM
Packaging - yes, it's ugly and clunky BUT it doesn't fall apart the 3rd time you open it like some I could mention (can you hear me, mark?). Product - the smell neither offends nor makes me burst into song. The powder is large and small hearts in pink, rose, peach and light brown/bronze on a champagne background. In the container it looks very shimmery like a highlighter but on the skin it's more matte with a bit of 'glow'. But here's the WOW factor: it is pigmented! Yes it is. And what you put on stays on until you take it off. No fading what so ever. Use a light hand if your on the fair side. I use a fan brush for this one and it's just beautiful. You can also use a smaller buff brush and pick up more pink, or peach, or bronze. That's the great thing about this blush. You can play with it for different looks. I also use just a little of this and then apply MAC's Pinch of Peach (which is really a lovely pink with a tendency to fade off into thin air rather quickly) for staying power. Gave this a 5 because it was worth the $$ and I would buy it again but this container will probably last through two lifetimes.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No