Makeup Brushes -Unlisted Brand - Studio Basics - Eye Shading Brush
GFree 2/3/2011 7:59:00 PM
This review is for the Studio Basics Dual-Tip Paddle / Point Applicators - I couldn't find a place to put it as there is no review set up for this item. Sorry - this is the best place I thought to place it. These applicators look like cotton swabs with one end flat and round on the edges and the other end is a cone that comes to a point. They come in different size packages including one for about $1.99 for 75. They are disposable. You can get them online at drugstore.com and my local CVS carries them. REVIEW: Sometimes a brush does not work on getting the true pigment of an eyeshadow on the lid (even when using a primer). I have been looking for a sponge or cotton applicator that will do it. These are cotton swabs with tips that are denser and more compacted than regular cotton swabs. They are about 1/4 inch longer too. One end is pointed which is great for makeup fixes - e.g., concealer gets into tiny lines under eye, stray mascara marks, etc. Tip helps get the error and not take off the rest of your makeup. I also use it to apply powder to set eyeliner. Works very well for that. The other end does have an annoying square stamp on each side from the manufacturing. I thought this would be a problem, but it is not with the shadows I use - most of them are high end lines. Sometimes the color goes all over the swab but not in the square part. Even so, the application is even on my eyelid. Would prefere if they did not have the square anyway so took a 1/2 lippie away for that. These do not soak up a lot of shadow either, which is nice. Prevents "fall out" onto your face below the eye. I wear contacts and have sensitive eyes, and these--at least my pack- did not have any strays or fly-away bits. Surfaces are very smooth. I store mine in a plastic container that fits them perfectly. I will rebuy when I run out. Wish they were made in U.S.A. as I am concerned about items made in China (took another 1/2 lippie off for that)- as I have no clue as to quality control and manufacturer does not list any guarantees on the packaging.
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Eye Shadow -Sally Hansen - Natural Beauty Instant Definition Eye Shadow Palette
GFree 2/3/2011 4:54:00 AM
The last makeup item I would ever buy in a drug store is eye shadow. I only used YSL, Chanel & Lancome in my late teens and 20s, and added other high-end brands over time. I cannot remember ever buying eye shadow in a DS until I bought two of these palettes this year when I was moving, and my makeup trunk was accidentally placed in storage for a short time. I bought two of these palettes: The Quartz Eye Palette and The Amethyst Eye Palette. I really like both of them and was very surprised I would like them. They have very good pigmentation and great staying power - I do use UD eye potions - the regular one or Sin under them. These look lovely with my brown eyes. The colors blend well together. What I really like about them is that are not heavily laden with glitter or shimmer, which is very popular with a lot of brands lately. I just cannot pull that off during the day. The Amethyst has a plummy purple that has some shimmer to it. It is one of the larger circles. It is designated for the lid. I use it as contour and sometimes for the outer part of my lid. The lightest is designated as highlighter. I also use it for my lid. It has a satin sheen. It is a light color, more pink than cream. The smaller circle is a less plummy purple. It is matte. I use it to set a similar color eyeliner or use the Too Faced product that makes it into a liquid liner. There is no gray undertone to the purples. The Quartz palette is sort of in the purples as well, but taupe-y too if that makes sense. All the shadows in this set have shimmer, but its pretty subtle. The lightest color has some peach to it, but it works for me. I usually can't use peach as anything orangish, even peachy usually looks bad on me. Both of these palettes look great with nude-tone lipsticks and blush. Packaging is better looking than most DS eye shadows. It closes well and stays shut. Plastic isn't thin. Doesn't crack when you place it in your makeup bag/purse. Last, I had no problem with "fall out" or the shadows getting extra powder all over the palette--very nice.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -L'Oreal - Color riche star secrets - Penelope red 710
GFree 2/1/2011 4:15:00 AM
This is for the color Penelope's Red #320. It is misspelled in the title of this review. First of all, this has NO orange tone to it in natural light/day light. If you live in a house with yellow lighting, the color could appear to have an orange undertone, but under any other type of lighting it shouldn't. This lipstick is a perfect red for someone who is cool toned (yes, that includes someone like me who is fair and olive in tone - olive does not mean warm - that is why orange looks terrible on women like me). If you are tired of reds looking too orange, too bright or clownish, and you have enough of the heavily cool toned reds (ones that may pull pink or the undertone is very blue) this might just be the perfect color. It is just slightly blue-toned / cool toned so you still get a true red effect. There is no shimmer or glitter, but it is not matte. It is a juicy pretty red color. I suggest this is a good daytime red as I like something a little more dramatic for evening. On me, it looks like the perfect true red that I've been looking for daytime looks. I don't have to mix this with any other color to get that effect. Also this is not a messy red - you know what I mean if you wear a lot of red - this lipstick stays in place on your face - and I've even done that without a lipliner. This lippie is more moisturizing than typical colour riche colors as well - the ingredients are a bit different - the color consistency is the only complaint I have. I think it has to do with the ingredients. The first two are lanolin and sesame oils. The coloration can be a bit splotchy upon first application - i think possibly due to the oils. I apply once, press my lips to a tissue. Do this routine one more time, and then apply third time and leave alone. That seems to do the trick. Take one lippie off for color inconsistency on the lips without doing this. It is not an 8-hour lipstick, but if you are a realistic consumer, like me, it lasts long enough and does not dry out your lips. Happy to find this one and plan on buying a few more as it appears it has been discontinued. It has been replaced by Evangeline's Red on the L'Oreal website.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Liners -Sephora - Nano Lip Liner - Belle Beige
GFree 1/28/2011 12:10:00 AM
My computer monitor is well calibrated to get true colors of products if a website store has the true color posted on its site. I buy a lot from Sephora and unfortunately this color is not what is shown on their site - I no longer live near a Sephora so I have to depend on what they show online. This color is not the beige/nude color you would expect. It is very orange. The other reviewer said terracotta - and that is a good description. Does not suit women who need to wear cool toned colors to look fabulous. Looks horrible on me. You need the Sephora nano liner sharpener to sharpen these well. Some other sharpeners will sort of work. Give it 3 lippies as I'm not impressed with this line. I'll try a few more maybe and see if this one was just a dud.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Super Lustrous Lipstick in Berry Haute
GFree 1/27/2011 2:10:00 AM
Love this color. It is just like Up the Amp but 1/2 the price and creamier. Love it. Great for us light-olive skinned toned girls who are cool (and not warm). This is fabulous on. Good staying power as well and super creamy and moist. Can wear day and night, all year round.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -L'Oreal - Colour Riche Anti-Aging Serum
GFree 1/25/2011 9:27:00 PM
This is a review for the Colour Riche Anti-Aging Serum in Berry Royale. Love it! This color is beautiful. Berry Royale is a medium pink-berry matte color (cool-toned), opaque with a slight gloss when applied. No frost. Great staying power. Looks more medium pink in yellow lighting - home lighting; more berry in natural and florescent light--but not a deep or dark berry. Flattering if you have light olive skin like me and dark hair and eyes (cool toned). Very pretty and sophisticated. It actually stains my lips the color and makes my lips feel soft as I wear it throughout the day. Takes away some of the definition in the lines on my lips as well, which I'm more aware of now that I'm getting older. (Don't know if all colors in this line stain lips as colors can naturally have different characteristics) I use to wear L'Oreal Colour Riche lipsticks in the mid-to-late 1980's. Just recently went back to DS brands to save some money and due to the influence of MUA's reviews - thanks fellow members. Currently CVS is having a fantastic sale on these lipsticks in store in Northern California. I'm going back for more before the sale is over. This lipstick is a fresh one as the scent is traditional L'Oreal (nothing funky about it), but it is a lighter scent than the regular Colour Riche lipsticks. (I don't mind that scent either). No taste that I can tell. Very long lasting as well. I apply it once, pressed my lips to a tissue and reapply. After I ate lunch and drank coffee, I went to touch up and the color was still there. Impressed. I applied another layer anyway. There is a very slight, slight tingling feel to the lipstick - this is normal and described on the sticker on the tube. That does not bother me. It goes away after awhile. And I am a person who really cannot wear those stinging lip plumpers (e.g. Du Wop; Lip Fusion; Too Faced plumpers). They sting too much, but I can tolerate this sensation. The ingredients are fantastic. Impressed that a DS brand would contain them. Again, going for more colors this week.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -100 Percent Pure - Lip Glaze
GFree 1/19/2011 12:26:00 AM
I wanted to review this lip product, as I love when a company is making great efforts to come out with a natural cosmetic product. I also like this company because when I asked them about whether their products are gluten free they responded quickly with adding this information to each product on their site, and they also explain where their Vitamin E comes from. Very classy and professional. I have the lip glaze in Lychee and Raspberry. DO NOT put on a lip balm product (I use only Korres lip butters) before you put on this lip glaze, as for me it will make it harder to see the color. I apply this on my lips just after I wash my face in the morning and during the time I regularly apply my makeup - sans lip butter. LYCHEE is a creamy, but not too creamy, opaque rosey color that looks fabulous on my cool, light olive-toned skin. It is my favorite rosey lipstick I own. It is matte. I have not had any problems with this color. It is not drying whatsoever. RASPBERRY is sheer. Sort of has the same consistency and sheerness as the Korres Mango Lipsticks. With a few swipes the color is more pronounced. It is a beautiful pink berry color - raspberry is an excellent name for it. Color lasts nicely, but the LYCHEE does tend to last longer. These colors also do not fade into some other weird color. I hate when lip colors do that. The packaging is great - high-end, well made. (I use to work at Neimans and I.Magnin in SF years ago, so I know what's nice and high end.) A nice pretty silver sleek tube with white print of flowers. Very pretty. I have carried these around in my purse, pockets, car, etc and the printing on them has not faded - they look brand new and I have had these two for several months. The caps stay on and does not fall off BTW. I'm very impressed with this line and intend on buying more of them.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Bare Escentuals - Mood Lips Lip Palette
GFree 1/16/2011 11:41:00 PM
I don't understand the bad reviews for this product. This is an awesome product if you love lipsticks and glosses. I commented before in another review that maybe some members should take an art class or two to understand color. Anyway, you can give your colored lipsticks a boost with this palette. You can tone down a bright pink with the red one, and perk up a dull pink with the violet. You can give a boost to your lips by just using one of these at the center of your lips. I consider these "top coats" just like I use lip glosses. I do prefer cool tones so I do not work with the center color as much, but really, you should give these a chance/second chance. The color change is subtle but noticeable. I think the initial reaction is how could these work because the pigment is within the minerals of the product - BTW which are iridescent but very fine - which is wonderful - there is no chunky glitter in this product. Just a nice light shimmer.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Bare Escentuals - Flawless Definition Volumizing mascara
GFree 1/15/2011 5:47:00 PM
I am reviewing the sample that BE gave out recently when you purchased products through their on-line store. The color is Black. I love this mascara. It gives long thick lashes. Gorgeous. I have very nice dark lashes as it is and I take care of them very well, so I do not know how it would work on someone with sparse lashes. This is a beautiful mascara on. Great for evening as well as day. I wear contacts and I have not had any problems with flaking. I have used it without a primer and with Tarte's primer, and I actually like it without a primer. Also, some mascaras tend to straighten out my lashes. I have to use a lash curler. I use Tarte's curler. This mascara keeps the curl. It has not dried out on me, but I make sure the container is tight and I keep it in a drawer out of heat or sun exposure. Plus I know how to apply mascara. I bet a lot of women don't. Do not let your mascara layers dry completely out before applying another layer. Not a good idea. That's how I get flakes and problems later in the day with any mascara. With this product I use two to three layers on top and only one of the bottom. No clumping BTW, even so I still run a lash comb through before the mascara dries out on my top lashes.
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Lipstick -Maybelline - Moisture Extreme - Thats Mauvie
GFree 1/15/2011 2:04:00 PM
I don't understand why reviewers with warm toned skin critique this lipstick color because it isn't the correct color for them. Really, now. That's not the company's fault. Why deduct lippies for that? Seriously. I am cool toned/light, light olive coloring, brown eyes, brown hair dyed black and this is a gorgeous color. Go to the Maybelline website and do the color match. They tell you what colors work for you. I don't assume these are being discontinued as of yet although they are on sale for 50% off at CVS stores in my area, but they are a great deal. Didn't see them on sale at other drugstores in the area, e.g, Rite Aid. The scent - watermelon - smells melon to me goes away, and these are very moisturizing for the winter. You do have to reapply but that is not a big deal. I really appreciate most reviews of sincere makeup lovers on MUA, but some of you girls really need to be more realistic about cosmetics - like complaints you have to put on a product in two sweeps/layers to get the true color. Come on people. Seriously. I don't think those people understand color and the way certain colors will behave due to their nature - take a painting art class or two and you will understand why reds behave differently than blues, for instance.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Yes To Carrots - Yes To Cucumbers - Cleansing Cucumber Shower Gel
GFree 1/11/2011 4:54:00 AM
GREAT FOR MEN AND WOMEN - GREAT FOR A SHARED BUBBLE BATH. Was looking for a bubble bath with good ingredients that my partner and I would both like - have been having a hard time finding one as: He hates anything fruity in lotions and soaps; I can't take strong flowery scents like jasmine; I also have to stay away from wheat/glutens and pine oil; plus we are staying away from anything derived from lavender. Well, I accidentally came across this at our local grocery store and we both like it. It makes great thick bubbles in the bath that last much longer than many other bath products. We use a water filter (not a soft water one) so that helps with the bubbles. If you have very hard or soft water, you may not get the same effect. Any yes, it works great as a shower gel/wash. The scent is very light. I can smell the cucumber just a tad bit. Was hoping someone had reviewed the YTC eye gel, but don't see one. I'm going to try more from this line soon. I gave it 4 lippies as I only give a 5 if I'm absolutely in love with the product.
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Bronzers -Too Faced - Pink Leopard Bronzing Powder
GFree 1/11/2011 1:08:00 AM
This is a wonderful blush/bronzer. I use this on the apple of my cheeks. Gives a nice glow to my skin. I'm a true fair/cool toned, with light olive undertones. Sometimes when I'm in a rush in the morning, I quickly brush this across my lids with the blush brush just for a little color. Gives me a healthy glow. I have the mini size right now, but when I run out I plan on buying the normal/larger size. BTW I was NOT a bronzer fan whatsoever before I tried this and the Snow Bunny one, so I was delighted and surprised when I found this product. See my Snow Bunny review if you have the same coloring as me and typical copper/brown bronzers don't look good on you. You should try these two products.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -Too Faced - Snow Bunny
GFree 1/11/2011 1:07:00 AM
I have fair skin, olive cool-toned. On the pale side as I stay out of the sun. [BTW I think a lot of people on MAU don't understand how to tell if they are cool or warm toned. Check the inside of your arm in daylight - veins are blue - you are cool. Green - warm. Not the best way, but the quick and dirty way - Back to review:] Thus, I do need to use a blush to make me look alive, but many colors are just too much for me. This is absolutely perfect. Sometimes when I feel I need a little more color, I will add the Too Faced pink leopard blush just to the apples of my cheeks after applying this blush/bronzer. BTW I was NOT a bronzer fan whatsoever before I tried this and the Pink Leopard one, so I was delighted and surprised when I found this product. I am someone who does not look good with the copper-colored and brown-type of bronzers. They are just too much for me. So if you are like me, you should try this product.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -L'Oreal - Endless in Crimson Joy
GFree 1/10/2011 10:54:00 PM
This is on sale at CVS right now - 75% off. This is a nice red for cool toned girls. I have olive, but fair (cool) toned skin, brown eyes, and currently my hair is colored black. It looks great on for a retro look with liquid black eyeliner. I would not use it with heavy eye makeup. The red is a blue-based red. Tones down a little with the color Reflective Sands (also a L'Oreal Endless lipstick- trying to figure out what to do with that one - works as a top coat for other lip colors). Almost has a purple undertone to it in certain lighting - as in certain home lighting that is more yellow than natural light. Not for the faint of heart. It isn't bright as in orange bright. There is no orange in this at all. It is a deep blue-based red. Has good staying power. Since red pigments are by nature more drying - makeup manufacturers can't help it, really - I would suggest using a lip balm underneath a few minutes before application. I use Korres Guava Lip Butter. It doesn't seem to bleed, but I would recommend using a lip liner with it.
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