Eye Primer -NARS - Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base
LUVrascal 5/3/2013 3:45:00 PM
I like this. It's easy to apply and blend out, lightweight, fragrance-free, and transparent. Once it's set it stays put and keeps my shadows and eyeliners from creasing, migrating, and fading. My shadows looks richer and more true to pan color when I use it too. I dab a little on my ring finger and work it onto my entire lid from lashline to brow. Although it sets fast it's not immediate so there's enough time to spread it out evenly first. I've had trouble with eye primers in the past irritating my skin and the experience really put me off primers for awhile. The UDPP burnt my eyelids so badly and caused flaking and stinging and hives. Luckily this hasn't caused any sensitivity in the two years I've been using it. I wish the packaging were better since the cap seems so overly large in ratio to the tube that houses the actual product and that rubbery NARS texture gets so dirty no matter how hard I try to keep it clean. Also for me I've found that there's a very fine line with how much I can apply before I start feeling it on my lids all day. Accidentally swiping on too much makes my lids feel heavy and stiff and slightly uncomfortable. But these are small things that aren't really a big concern. I don't use this everytime I wear eye makeup but I think it does help it look better and last longer so its worth the extra step. Great product.
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Blush -Burberry - Light Glow Blush in No.08 Misty
LUVrascal 4/29/2013 4:46:00 PM
I have a huge assortment of pink blushes but I'm easily seduced by light, innocent looking pale pink shades. This is very soft, perfect for my pale skin. I'm an NC-10 and a lot of blushes can easily overwhelm me but this is great and works well with any look I'm going for. One of those blushes that's nice to have around when you're strapped for time and just need to remove the guess work out of the decision. It's a few shades lighter than Peony and much more subdued. Where Peony is a neutral, true pink, this runs much cooler. It's a sophisticated, demure Barbie pink. No shimmer or sheen. The finish is a very natural satin so don't let the matte appearance in the pan fool you. The texture of Burberry's blush line always impresses me. They're so soft and dense and glide on perfectly. It never looks chalky or dry and it doesn't sit on top of my skin. I have normal to dry skin and powder blush can enhance small dry areas on my cheeks but I never have that problem with this one. Even though it's a very pale color it deposits a lot of pigment in one go and blends with very little effort. There's a hint of a fragrance but it's not as strong as Chanel or Guerlain and it fades quickly. The packaging is sturdy with a tight magnetic closure and a polished gunmetal finish with the Burberry pattern on the lid. There's an interior mirror and an included brush but I throw those out in favor of my own. I love this! It's one of my new favorites.
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Mascara -Burberry - Beauty Effortless
LUVrascal 4/26/2013 12:09:00 AM
For as much as I love Burberry's other products (especially their eyeshadows and Lip Mist line) I was hoping for an instant win with this mascara. I think it's a really good formula but it falls flat in a few areas. It adds some length, enough to make a nice impact, adds some glossy deep color, and feels incredibly light. My lashes are soft to the touch and plaint (like bare lashes) even after four coats and they look very healthy while wearing this. It's a few steps up from natural, not dramatic but not unnoticeable either. It adds only a slight amount of volume, so it's probably not going to be a great choice for anyone wanting thick, big false eyelash type of results from a mascara. Usually I'm the type that wants full on dramatic volumizing mascara formulas but I find myself really liking how delicately enhanced my lashes appear with this one. I have it in No. 01 Midnight Black, which is the deepest color available. It holds a curl well but given how flexible the formula is it didn't keep it perfectly intact. There's a bit of drooping by the end of the day, even though I only really noticed it because I was inspecting my lashes pretty closely. My two deal breakers are flaking and smudging and there is none of either. I like the consistency too, which was kind of gel-like. The wand has a traditional spoolie style applicator with tightly formed, short to medium length bristles. I prefer that type to rubber applicators simply because it find it clumps less. Washes off easily with my regular facial cleanser. I like the packaging, which is a sturdy, clear rectangular tube that allows you to see the mascara inside so you can tell when you're nearing the end. It's unusual and kind of fun. Where it's lacking for me is pigment, volume, and just overall drama. So I gave it 3 lippies even though I'd lean towards 3.5 or 4. But for what it is, it's a good mascara. Great for anyone who enjoys a more natural or lengthening formula. So even though this isn't my usual type of mascara, I'm going to keep it. I think it's perfect paired with all the pastel eyeshadows that I've been wearing for Spring and it'll be great in summer when I prefer an overall more natural look with my makeup. Plus my lashes feel better after a month of using this, almost like they've been less battered and abused than normal. Maybe my lashes just needed a break from my rotation of heavy, intense mascaras that I tend to pile on. I'm pretty sure I'd repurchase this again.
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Loose Powders -Chanel - Poudre Universal Libre
LUVrascal 4/24/2013 4:20:00 PM
This sets foundation beautifully, looks natural, and feels weightless. A little goes such a long way too. I sprinkle a little into the lid and swirl my brush around and that's enough for my entire face. Just a teeny, tiny sprinkle, which is really impressive. That small amount adds a gorgeous finish but doesn't mask the dewy appearance of my CdP foundation. I've used it over bare, moisturized skin with only a little concealer and it looks great that way too. It blends well and doesn't cake up or look dry whatsoever. It doesn't cling either where it looks built-up in one area or another. My skin is very sensitive and I've never had any issues. One of the lightest, softest, most beautiful powders I've ever used. A jar has lasted me a year and a half now and only a fourth has been used, and I wear it nearly every day. I have it in 020 Clair and it's a good match for my pale skin (about NC-10 at a guess). It's not entirely colorless where it washes me out or looks ghostly. Lovely product and I can't rave about it enough.
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Polishes -OPI - Eurso Euro
LUVrascal 4/9/2013 5:37:00 PM
Beautiful deep royal blue cream that's very clean and vivid. It's not navy at all as it may look in the bottle, it's more of a sea glass blue, or even cobalt. In daylight it reminds me of the blue poster paint essential to everyone's childhood. That unmistakable color that pops but still dark enough to overshadow everything in comes into contact with. Sure it's not the typical Spring color but I love how eye catching it is and how striking it looks against my very pale skin. I'd wear it year round. It's opaque in two coats and very even without any streakiness. It was really easy to work with, no puddling around my cuticles or anything. Not too thick or too thin. It wore for at least a week on me with no chips or tip fading at all, which I guess could be attributed to the top coat my manicurist uses. But I am hard on my nails so sometimes I do notice certain polishes looking worse than others in the same time frame. I wore this twice from my manicurist's stash before I tracked down a bottle of my own. Love it.
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Candles -Diptyque - Essence of John Galliano
LUVrascal 3/21/2013 5:17:00 PM
I'm not a huge scented candle fan but I got this as a gift during the holidays and I have to say that I totally love it. It's very smooth and alluring, not at all cloying or thick where it feels like it overpowers a room. The scent is ruggedly appealing, with a worn-in quality that feels so unusual to me. I get a leathery, woody vibe with the scent of something faintly burning, like a general fireplace aspect without it screaming "cozy winter log!" or anything like that. It's sophisticated and vaguely masculine. I find that it seems to permeate a smaller room best, like a bedroom or the like. When I burn it in my large living room area it seems to get a little lost. But in a small-ish room it adds a sexy, low-key atmosphere. I burn it for maybe two hours at the most at any given time (I use it maybe five days a week on average) and I've been using it fairly regularly for three months now and it seems like it hasn't made a significant dent in the wax, which is really impressive. A little goes a long way as far as the scent's concerned. I keep the wick trimmed with regular house scissors so the flame doesn't burn high and at this rate I imagine I'll be using it for months more. I like that these are made with a paraffin/vegetable wax instead of being soy based because I'm allergic to soy and even burning a soy candle can give me nausea and headaches. So many candles seem to be soy based and I like that I've had no problems whatsoever with this one. What a gateway though! I've been so hooked on this that I find myself craving more and wondering what their other scents are like. But whatever others I may fall in love with, this one is going to be a constant presence in my apartment.
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Polishes -OPI - You're Such A Budapest
LUVrascal 3/21/2013 4:48:00 PM
Gorgeous spring color that's not too obvious of a pastel. It's that could-be-anything in the violet/lilac/lavender category, definitely a blue based pale purple that's soft and light without looking milky. Cream finish but in bright natural light I can make out some really fine shimmer that looks to be the same color as the polish. It gives the color a pretty luminescence so it doesn't look flat. I do have the same problems with the formula as a few others did, mainly that it goes on thinly and unevenly so it can look streaky even with two careful coats. I can see my nails showing up underneath on different areas, which wouldn't be a bad thing if it wasn't almost opaque in others. Still, I love the color and I only notice the streaking if I'm really inspecting my nails, otherwise it looks fine enough to enjoy it once in awhile. Beautiful on toes too. I didn't have any problems with it chipping or wearing off. So I'm giving it a 3 because it could absolutely be better but I like it anyway.
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Lipstick -Chanel - Rouge Coco Shine Chance # 56
LUVrascal 3/7/2013 5:40:00 PM
This is one of my favorite lipsticks to wear with a smokey eye. It's a gorgeous baby pink that's very sexy and soft. It's not too pale where it washes me out or looks nude at all. Just a perfect light, angelic pink. My lips are fairly pigmented and it still shows up well on me without a lot of building up even though it's one of those formulas that I tend to swipe on in layers. It's pretty effortless, something I love about this line in general. The semi-sheer formulas let me swipe it on without worrying too much about being precise. It feels very lightweight and adds some moisture, and I don't mind reapplying since it feels so much like a lip balm. I love the shiny finish too. Nice slim packaging, so easy to throw in a tiny purse. I've already repurchased this color once and I'd absolutely keep buying it. Love this.
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Lipstick -Chanel - Rouge Coco Shine 55 - Romance
LUVrascal 3/7/2013 5:29:00 PM
I don't wear this often (my everyday lipsticks are usually pale pinks and peaches) but it's a beautiful color. It's a strawberry pink that's bright and summery and looks great with anything. I reach for it mostly during warmer weather when I don't feel like wearing much makeup but still want a little pick-me-up. It's pretty effortless, something I love about this line in general. The semi-sheer formulas let me swipe it on without worrying too much about being precise. It feels very lightweight and adds some moisture, and I don't mind reapplying since it feels so much like a lip balm. I love the shiny finish too. Nice slim packaging, so easy to throw in a tiny purse.
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Liquid -Cle de Peau - Refining Fluid Foundation SPF 24
LUVrascal 3/1/2013 2:57:00 PM
LOVE this! Ok, so here's a rundown on my skin: normal with occasional slight dry areas due to allergies and weather, extremely sensitive, intolerant of botanicals in particular and any number of random ingredients, no acne or dark spots, no lines yet, generally very good as far as evenness and tone goes. My foundation needs aren't that expansive, basically all I want is sheer to light coverage, just enough to provide some evenness, and a natural looking finish. Normally a BB or CC type of product would be perfect but those are out given all the anti-aging, brightening, and other little extras that are always thrown in there. On a whim I tried a sample of this but expected nothing due to the chemical sunscreen in here and usually those are an absolute no for me. But after a week of everyday wear I was hooked and bought it with no regrets and have been using it ever since. I have it in I10 and it melts into my skin and matches it so well that I can't even tell I'm wearing anything. The color isn't too pink or too yellow, just a nice neutral that works nicely on my cooler toned skin. A list of some of my other previous and current foundations/etc. for color reference: Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in No.2 MUFE Duo Mat Powder Foundation in 200 Cle de Peau Concealer in Ivory Laura Mercier TM in Porcelain Armani High Precision Retouch in No.1 It's very liquid, almost runny, so it's really easy to blend out and work into the skin. I like the thinness of the formula and how nicely it spreads. Usually I've always applied liquid foundations with a foundation brush but with this i find myself using my fingers a lot. Just a tiny, tiny dab on each cheek, forehead, nose, and chin and then I blend. Takes all of 20 seconds and is completely foolproof. Doesn't settle anywhere you don't want it or enhance dry patches at all. I think it's impossible to make this look cakey or awful. Sometimes I dust on a layer of loose powder but even without it this lasts all day long and don't fade off. The addition of the sunscreen is a plus but even so I wear my regular sunscreen underneath (unless I'm applying it at night when I'm going out) and it doesn't change the way it applies or wears. The finish is beautiful and luminous due to the light reflecting particles (I hate calling it shimmer since it's too subtle for that). If you don't like that glowing, borderline dewy effect then this might not be for you. But to me the finish reminds me of the subtle glow of the Guerlain Meteorites powder, something I love so I'm all for it. No fragrance other than a little hint of a foundation type of scent, you know the one? Kinda chemical for lack of a better description, not strong, maybe a sunscreen vibe but I don't notice it once it's on my skin. My foundation experience isn't too broad with all the sensitivity problems my skin has. I try things with a lot of caution and once something works I usually stick to it. This is just so insanely gorgeous and I want to jump up and down everytime I wear it that it actually works for me. It's expensive, but the amount I use everyday translates to a repurchase once a year, so it's completely worth the investment.
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Eyeliner -MAC - Pearlglide - Black Swan
LUVrascal 3/1/2013 1:58:00 PM
Loved the color, but this was so irritating on my eyes. The glitter scratched and migrated inside my eye (even though I didn't wear it on my waterline) as well as all over my cheeks. I'm surprised at the amount of fallout, not only the glitter but actual pigment too. And this happened within a half hour and continued on throughout the day. I didn't notice much smudging from where I applied it and the overall integrity of the line seemed to stay put apart from the messy fallout. I really do love this particular shade with the metallic blueish-silver finish and the glitter. I hate returning it but while I can battle fallout I can't deal with the horrible scratchiness of the glitter particles. I've never had an issue with painful eyeliner glitter before and I've worn Tokidoki and Hello Kitty sparkle-fest liners with glitter that looks and feels a lot larger than the glitter in this one.
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Concealers -Burberry - Sheer Luminous Concealer
LUVrascal 2/6/2013 5:12:00 PM
I was on a concealer binge for a few months and wanted to try this given how much I love Burberry's other cosmetics but it didn't work for me. I chose the lightest shade, No. 01 Light Beige, and it wasn't light enough for my skin and I could clearly see it under my eyes. Compared to Dior's Skinflash in No.02 Candlelight, the Burberry is slightly darker and more peach. I imagine that due to the strong peach undertones, this particular shade would be a great choice for a fair complexion looking to cancel out blue-toned undereye circles. For reference, I'm pale, cool toned, about a NC10 at a guess, and I wear Porcelain in Laura Mercier's TM, No. 2 in Armani's LSF, and Ivory in Cle de Peau's concealer. The texture is thicker than I expected, more so than YSL Touche Eclat or Dior's Skinflash. It feels more like a wand style liquid concealer with a very creamy consistency. It blends well but not as smoothly and easily as a thinner texture would so it kind of sits on top of skin and never truly melts into it. It feels noticeable on my skin too. Also, strangely, it doesn't seem to set at all. Even with the thinnest, most sheered out blending I could still move it around hours later and it transferred onto my finger if I touched my eye area. So eyeshadow and liner didn't sit on it at all without smudging and creasing. After a couple hours I had eyeliner smeared below my eyes and waterproof mascara smudging all over my lids. I couldn't believe it, especially since I always set everything with a loose powder. Even the worst concealer I've ever tried hasn't been that pliable after a few minutes, let alone all day. My skin is normal to dry so I'm certain it's just this concealer. I tested it on my forearm just to make sure and sure enough after about five hours my little test swatch was still semi-wet and I had no problems smearing it around. Coverage is decent, not as sheer as the name suggests. There's a faint rose fragrance as well but it wore away quickly. The packaging is the typical click-dispenser pen like YSL's Touche Eclat, etc., and it has a polished gunmetal finish with the Burberry pattern. I think they need to offer a better color range with more variety in cool and warm tones. But even so this isn't a good concealer by any means and I wouldn't recommend it.
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Lip Treatments -Chanel - Rogue Coco Baume
LUVrascal 2/4/2013 4:57:00 PM
The packaging is the same as the Rouge Coco Shine lipsticks but this is more hydrating, slightly more thick, and longer lasting. For me this has an ideal texture: it's substantial enough for my lips to feel coated and protected, but not heavy or overly waxy. I don't like wearing anything during the day that interferes with my lipsticks or glosses and this is perfect for layering underneath. It's hydrating and silky, swipes on easily but doesn't migrate anywhere else. The size is great is great for throwing in a purse or small makeup pouch. I wouldn't say this is a treatment product that's going to do amazing things for lips over time. But my lips do feel moisturized and comfortable while wearing it and they look healthy too. It leaves a nice semi-glossy finish which is perfect when I don't feel like wearing a lipstick on top. No sticky or tacky feeling either. I don't have really dry lips or anything where I want a more intense treatment so this fits all the requirements I look for in a lip balm. It has the soft Chanel fragrance, which is a pretty appealing touch. I've repurchased this already and I like to keep a spare in my nightstand so I remember to use it right before bed.
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Polishes -Essie - Butler Please
LUVrascal 1/30/2013 5:20:00 PM
I had the same experience with this polish as many of the other reviewers did: Mesmerized by the color, completely let down by the formula. I love the brightness of the blue, it's like a comic book color. Very graphic and vivid. Opaque, cream finish in two coats, no streaks or pooling around the edges. It didn't seem too thin or too thick. But it lasted all of a day on me before it was wearing off along the tips and even chipping a little. I have to get silk on my nails every other week because of my incredibly weak nails (something I hate doing but my nails are paper thin, painful, and they split down the middle if I don't) and usually the top coat my manicurist uses makes any polish last perfectly until I go in again. I'm surprised at how easily this wore off and just by the overall lack of quality. Generally I like Essie's polishes and haven't had any issues with them in the past, but this one is a big disappointment. I'm giving it two lippies for the gorgeous color though.
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Eye Shadow -Christian Dior - 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow - Grege 734
LUVrascal 1/23/2013 5:58:00 PM
I don't know how this isn't more popular--it's really gorgeous. At a glance it's sort of unremarkable, but once on it's a beautiful medley of subtle grays, taupes, and browns. For an everyday look, or just for something natural, I much prefer this over Incognito. My skin is cool toned, pale, about an NC10 at a guess, and these show up well on me without washing me out or clashing with my skin. Soft but not too powdery, pigmented, and easy to blend and layer. The shimmer is tasteful, none of the frost finishes that crop up in some of Dior's quints. The bottom left shade has more of a satin finish and works well as a liner. The upper left is a gingerbread/antiqued gold; the upper right is a cool white; the bottom right is a cool, stone grey; the bottom left is a cool, bruised, deep brown (my favorite in the palette); and the center is a cool, silvery buff that looks stunning as a wash across the lids. This goes a long way for me since I use one or more of the shadows in a lot of different looks. I think it's one of Dior's better palettes, especially considering the restraint that was used in the finishes.
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