Blush -Estee Lauder - Tender Blush - Peach Nuance
Labloah 3/27/2013 10:13:00 AM
I was attracted to this by the gorgeous gradient effect and was hoping I could use that to achieve a gentle gradient of highlight and subtle build up of colour on the cheeks. Unfortunately the formula of this blush let me way down. The colours are just delightful, matte yellow to medium and deeper pink, the lightest two thirds make for beautiful highlights gradually blending into each other, or it would do if I could get it to apply nicely. I don't know what it is, I just can't get a good application out of this. It's got a very stiff and dry texture in the pan, and I find I need to use a denser brush to pick enough product up, and then I risk applying too much product, which makes it look terrible. I much prefer to build cheek colour up gradually, by using a lighter, fluffier brush and adding more as needed to get the right coverage, rather than over applying. I just can't get this to apply like that, if I go with a light brush, nothing shows up, even if I try to build the colour up in several layers. It just seems like the brush doesn't pick any colour up unless it is a dense brush and is really worked right into the product due to the stiff texture. If I go with a denser brush, it picks colour up a little better and therefore it shows up more on the skin, but it is uneven and just doesn't blend out very well at all. All three colours mixed together makes for a nice mid tone yellow based pink, but it's fairly unremarkable, and given the dry stiffness it doesn't blend on the skin all that well. You can get an even dispersion of product on the brush when swirled through all the colours well enough, but once it's on the skin i just can't get it to blend out or apply evenly. It just doesn't work for me in the end, using it as separate colours or using it as one swirled together.
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Crème -Revlon - ColorStay Whipped Creme Makeup
Labloah 3/7/2013 10:29:00 AM
This product has really impressed me with its performance. It gives such a lovely finish to my skin, lasts for hours, and is so easy to apply and work with. Plus it looks amazing, I'm truly wowed by how good it looks. It's a thick cream formula, which is housed in a heavy based clear glass screw top jar with a black lid. It's consistency is almost like a gel/cream hybrid, it's thick and scoopable, maintains a dip where the product is removed from the jar, but it's not heavy on the skin in the slightest. You really do only need a small amount to begin with, and coverage is truly buildable, ranging from light/medium through to full cover. I usually start by dotting on a small amount and blending out, it has a good amount of slip on the skin and is a dream to blend, so a small amount will cover a decent area consistently and uniformly. The best part is I can build up coverage on areas which may need a little extra, and it doesn't look at all cakey or heavy, it really blends into and on top of itself so seamlessly. There's no rush to blend it, and adding more doesn't upset any product that is underneath it, it just amps up the coverage as needed. I find too the more I work it on the skin, gently buffing it into each area, the nicer and more flawless the coverage and finish is. In comparison to other long wear foundations, it really does have a great amount of working time on the skin, pretty much like any other regular liquid foundation, so you don't necessarily have to work fast or section by section, you can dot onto the whole face and blend it all at once, then go back and apply more to areas which need it without worrying that it will ruin the finish. Or you can work section by section to discern which areas need more or less coverage if you want to. I usually apply it directly to my face with my fingers, blend out using fingers and adding more where needed, then finish off with a stipple brush to give it a nice airbrushed flawless finish. It has a slightly wetter look and feel during application, but that diminishes soon after once it starts to dry down and set. The finish on this is so nice on my skin, it's incredibly kind to fine lines, blemishes, pores or other skin inconsistencies, it just glides over and doesn't accentuate them, in fact it almost sort of blurs them somewhat. It leaves a gorgeous glowing satin finish once it has dried down, like glowing healthy skin. Having said that, it's not shiny or shimmery though, just a radiant and flawless semi matte satin. I usually add two or three drops of MAC Lustre Drops to my liquid foundations, but I find I can skip them entirely with this. It's also exceptionally lightweight and doesn't feel tight or cakey or heavy at all. I find I can also skip the setting powder too if I want to, it doesn't really need it and performs just as well without it, however it doesn't look bad if I do want to powder it. Longevity on this is on par with the Colorstay liquid, however I think the finish is a heck of a lot nicer than the liquid version, even as the day progresses, you still look radiant. I'm not mad keen on the smell, it's quite strong initially, like a sort of curdled plastic chemical smell, but it dissipates after a short while. The jar packaging allows you to see the product inside, but because of the way the light refracts it's hard to see the remaining level from the outside, plus it's hard to see an accurate representation of the shade from outside the jar. If you're worried about the jar style container and introducing bacteria, a small cosmetic spatula may be worth using to remove the product.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Makeup Remover -Vaseline - Vaseline - Pure Petroleum Jelly
Labloah 2/20/2013 6:50:00 AM
This is fantastic as an eye make up remover, it's incredibly effective at removing every trace of make up plus it's super gentle to the eye area. It will gently and effectively loosen and remove even the heaviest eye make up, including waterproof products. It's smooth to use on the eye area, so there's minimal tugging or movement on the delicate skin. I usually wash my face, then once that's rinsed, I massage a small amount of Vaseline onto my eyelids to loosen my eye colour, and gently rub some across my lashes in a horizontal motion to remove mascara and liner. I then remove it with a warm damp washcloth or warm damp tissue. Seldom do I have to do any more than that, as it usually removes the lot the first time, unless I'm wearing very heavy make up. I much prefer this over liquid eye make up removers as I don't have to rub or tug at the skin, it just melts away on touch. A plus side is that it conditions lashes and keeps them looking full and soft. The only reason it loses points in the packaging, I don't like the tub style, as it's easily contaminated, especially if you use it on any other areas. It's worth decanting a small amount for each purpose if you plan on using it for multiple uses, or if you buy multiple jars, make sure you label the jar for each purpose.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Lipstick Queen - Butterfly Ball Trance
Labloah 2/18/2013 11:43:00 AM
I ended up loving this for the exact same reasons I was initially reluctant to buy it. It is incredibly sheer, so sheer I initially dismissed it as useless. It has the beautiful Butterfly Ball turquoise shimmer the whole range has, and coupled with the blue based mid tone medium pink base it gives a very subtle sheen and shine with the smallest touch of colour to catch the eye. The reason I came around and actually bought this was because I was looking for something more like a tinted lip balm rather than a full colour lipstick. Something I could apply in a flash and not have to worry about perfect application, something that had subtle colour, but wasn't boring. This ended up working perfectly. I work with animals and have a physical job, so I'm not overly comfortable looking too made up. I keep this in my pocket and basically use it like a balm. I don't need a mirror to apply, and it's smooth and moisturising, very emolient, it feels so nice on the lips and gives a gentle sheen both from the shimmer and the formula. I can pop on a light coat for the softest effect, or build it up a little to play up the colour somewhat. Like all Lipstick Queen products, there's no scent, so it has a very faint sort of "lipstick" smell and taste. Longevity isn't amazing, but as I use it as a balm, I tend to apply quite often. It wears away evenly and doesn't leave odd looking shimmer or glitter on the lips. You can't feel any of the shimmer particles either, which is a bonus. As a traditional lipstick, it's not really something I'd wear if I wanted to complete a full face look, and I feel it looks better on paler skin tones, but for a natural or no make up look, it has its uses. It really does brighten up your whole face, makes lips look fuller and smoother and just gives a little lift without looking obvious. I feel it is important to mention that the other colours in the Butterfly Ball range are more pigmented, nowhere near as sheer and last a lot longer than this one. The range really is a lovely concept, and the shimmer is delightful and plays so nicely in the light, and the formulas feel amazing on the lip,
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Concealers -Maybelline - Cover Stick
Labloah 2/18/2013 10:52:00 AM
I'm really impressed with this. I purchased the yellow as a colour corrector for use under my eyes to tide me over, and I really wasn't expecting much, but it has exceeded my expectations and I've even ended up using this as a highlighter as well. On my yellow/peach based skin it works amazing well as a highlighter and concealer, completely covering redness and dark circles. It's very thick, lasts well, is water resistant and is easy to blend for such a thick product. It has fantastic coverage and is completely opaque, so it will give a very full finish, and as such I usually only use it with full finish foundations. A little does go a long way, and you can build coverage up too. It has a drier texture, so may not be suitable for dry or aging skin, and the finish is quite matte. It's more of a beige based yellow, so isn't as stark or bright as some yellow correctors can be. I like the lipstick tube type application as I can apply directly to the face that way in precise strokes or dots, making them thicker or thinner as needed, then gently blending out with fingers or brush. I find for under eye use, drawing a line of concealer straight across about 5mm to 1cm below my eye then blending upwards helps to give a softer and less cakey finish than applying directly under the eye. I'm ready to give up my Benefit Lemon-Aid concealer once it's finished and will definitely be purchasing this again (for comparisons sake Lemon-Aid does have a softer, creamier consistency, but it isn't as opaque and doesn't offer the same amount of coverage, plus it's slightly more yellow toned. I find I have have to use quite a bit of the Lemon-Aid to get the coverage I'm after, especially if I use it to highlight. It's also time consuming trying to get enough product on fingers or brushes, and constantly having to go back for more product). The only gripe I have is that the bullet broke in the tube when I first used it, and it really wasn't wound up all that far. I do think the summer heat and too much pressure on my part may have played a part in that happening, but it was easily fixed.
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Foundations -Estee Lauder - Double Wear Maximum Cover Camouflage Makeup For Face & Body
Labloah 1/23/2013 2:31:00 AM
I bought this to use in conjunction with my regular EL Double Wear foundation. I was hoping I could alternate uses and not use heaps of product, and this definitely has been the case, I only need the smallest amount of this. I apply with a stippling brush for the most natural appearance (wash your brushes immediately after use, because it will dry hard on them if you don't). However, it does have a few notable differences to the regular DW. It's a lot creamier, and I find it is lightly less adherent as the day goes on. Maybe it's humidity where I live, but I find it does melt away a little, if I put my fingers to my face I can feel a slightly softer product. I usually set it with a translucent powder just to help wear length a little, but I think in a moderate climate you shouldn't have much of an issue with this. It's shade range is limited, only five of them, which is a huge bummer. I sometimes mix a little with my regular DW shade to get a closer shade match for my skin. One thing I did find, and I'm glad I swatch tested a couple of times and got the SA to do a full face application before settling on a shade and buying, is that it darkens over time quite a lot on my skin. It's not really like the orange oxidisation you'll get on MAC foundations, more than it's a general darkening by a couple of shades within the first hour. I always feel weird applying this, looking at my way too pale face in the mirror, but I just have to remind myself it will darken and be the right colour by the time I reach work. I don't know if this is a problem unique to me, or if there's others who have experienced it, but definitely test your colour, and let it wear for at least an hour or two before you decide to buy. This is miracle cover territory though, it's going to cover and stay, you probably won't need concealer, and you'll only need a small amount of product. Make sure you wash it off well in the evenings (when I wear this, I try to wash it off as soon as I'm able, plus I use a face cleasning brush to help remove it). I have found through experimentation that a good quality silicone primer really helps to lessen the risk of breakouts associated with heavy wear foundations (not just this one either). Without a primer, I break out badly, but with one, hardly ever. I also skip morning moisturiser to prevent breakouts and just use a good night cream. Along with the regular DW line, this has seen a recent price drop from $68Au to $50Au, so it's definitely a lot more affordable than it was. It loses points for the limited shade range. The squeze top bottle lessens the risk of it drying out, and helps to dispense a small amount at a time, but it would be nice if it had a window on the side or back to see how much poroduct is left.
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Crème -Illamasqua - Cream foundation
Labloah 1/14/2013 10:52:00 AM
This was my first Illamasqua foundation, and unfortunately I'm not overly impressed. First off, it's tricky to work with. Actually, I take that back, it's not tricky, it's a nightmare to work with. It's a very thick cream formula, and it does feel just as thick when applied to the face. It's difficult to blend into itself and cover areas uniformly. I've played around a little with application (and have wasted heaps of product in the process) and have found I can achieve the best results for my skin by priming, leaving that to set for a few minutes, then applying the foundation with a slightly damp stipple brush, working in sections to stipple it onto the skin and very slightly blending out that section (but with more of a stipple motion than a blending one if you know what I mean), until the whole face is covered, and dampening the brush some more when it starts to get dry. I have also tried applying with the included sponge, but that didn't give a very nice finish at all and almost wiped away areas where I'd applied if I went back over to build it up. It really needed to be applied in a patting and rolling motion, not a sweeping one. A dry foundation brush didn't fair much better, and a flat top buffer I usually use for cream foundations didn't do the job, but a beauty blender type sponge gave a bit more in the way of even coverage if I rolled and pressed onto my skin as with the sponge. I did find if I had areas that were a bit bare or had worn away, I could pat some extra product on with my fingers, rather than trying to blend more in and upset the finish. The key I've found for my face is that it needs to be patted and rolled onto the skin and not swept on or blended otherwise it will move. I can achieve a build up of product to vary the coverage if I use the patting and rolling method. But, even then I still have to take care, because if I pat and roll too firmly it also takes off product. Ughhh. Being a thick product, it does offer medium to full coverage if you can get the application to work for you, but will only offer light coverage and may be patchy if you aren't super careful in application. That loses big points in my book, as I want products that work well, but aren't a hassle to apply. Having said that, once I got the application to work reasonably ok for me, I really did like the finish, it covered nicely and didn't look too bad on my skin, it gave a sort of slightly dewy semi matte satin finish. Finishing it with translucent powder also improved the finish and took away the look of product settling around pores. Though if I did apply too much product, it settled around pores and looked awful. It definitely needs to be set with a translucent powder I feel as I find it starts to wear away after only a few hours without it. As with applying the foundation itself, I need to pat on the powder and not sweep it on as it will move the product. With powder it lasts around five hours or so, so I only use when I'm not going to be wearing makeup for a long time. It definitely doesn't agree with an Australian summer and melts away rather quickly in the heat, so I may save this for winter months and see how it goes, but I'm not holding my breath. I also found if it gets anywhere near my waterproof mascara, it will smudge the mascara, and I've never had that happen before. Colour wise, I purchased 210, which is medium with neutral undertones, which leans ever so slightly gold. For a medium shade it is on the lighter side, and the undertones aren't as neutral as I thought they'd be, they're more of a balanced peachy colour, which I quite like as I have gold and rose undertones and often find some neutrals too washed out and ashy. I hesitate to give any colour comparisons to other brands as I'm currently in the process of trying out a few different foundation colours as I've been getting a lot less sun than usual and my regular foundation colours are a smidge too dark for me at the moment. Packaging, as others have mentioned, isn't the most function friendly. Its design doesn't leave a space for the included sponge, so you will either need to rest it on top of the product and have it squished in, or leave it out entirely. It's also hard to open, I find it's easiest if you open form the corners by pulling apart with both hands, rather than opening from the middle. It is a pretty packaging design visually, but not practical. The package appearance is probably the only thing it's got going for it and is the only reason I'm giving this a one star rating instead of a zero (that, and the fact it's not washed out for a neutral shade). I purchased this at their recent winter sale, and it looks like it's being discontinued, which is not at all surprising. I think if I had paid full price, I would have been kicking myself for not choosing another foundation instead of this one. If you can get application down, it may come out as passable, it's just the multitude of flaws from application to packaging to wear length that lets this down immensely.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Primer -Coastal Scents - Shadow Worx Matte Eyeshadow Primer
Labloah 1/10/2013 4:15:00 AM
I've not been very impressed with this at all. I was hoping for a cheaper alternative to my usual Too Faced Shadow Insurance, but this just doesn't cut it for me. For starters, shadows aren't nearly as vibrant as they are over a quality primer, that was my first let down, though they are just slightly more vibrant than if worn alone. Secondly, every time I've worn this, I've experienced creasing, fading and on occasion, large sections of shadow wearing away in big blotches. I have a pretty energetic, high activity job in a reasonably humid climate and I need to wear long wearing make up to last through the day (not just eye primer, I need long wearing foundation, eyeliner, lipstick etc. if I want to have any hope of it sticking around for the better portion of my workday). Sadly, this just doesn't do that. I've used this with quality shadows too, The Balm, Too Faced, Bare Minerals, Napoleon Perdis and it's acted almost like a glue and congealed or taken away big creases and clumps of shadow, and these are the kind of shadows that perform beautifully on their own, but have just been ruined by this primer. As for the product itself, it comes in a squeeze tube, with a flat top lid that you can stand the tube up on, or just lay on it's side. It has an almost grainy feel to it initially, but it does spread out smoothly on the lid, and has a decent ability to blend out to cover a reasonable sized area. It's a very light flesh colour coming out of the tube, but practically colourless when on the lid. The amount you get is quite generous, 20ml/0.676fl oz, almost twice the amount you would get with the TFSI or UDPP. It's dead cheap, so I guess if it doesn't work for you, it's not a huge loss. The only time I really use this is if I know I'm only going to be wearing makeup for a few hours, if I just plan on a quick trip out and it's not important that my shadow last for hours. Otherwise it's just not going to do what I need it to do. Even then I'm reluctant to use it, as you can never tell when it's going to pull its clumping act. If you need a high performing primer, one that lasts for hours on end, and won't fail, give this a miss. Save your bucks for the real deal.
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Liquid -Estee Lauder - Double Wear
Labloah 12/15/2012 10:39:00 AM
I've fallen in love with Estee Lauder's Double Wear foundation, it's become one of those make up items I can see myself never wanting to be without, ever. I've been looking for a long wearing foundation that will last through a work day (I have a very physical job and can get sweaty, especially in summer, and most foundations just don't hold up). Up until this, I had been using MAC's Studio Fix powder, as it was full coverage and easy to touch up on the go, but would find I'd need to touch up two or three times over the day, even with primer and setting spray. But this is the ants pants, the foundation I've wished for but could never find. I never thought I'd find something.This stuff lasts, for hours and hours and hours. I can sleep in this and wake up still wearing it, The colour range is good, from very pale, to very dark, and a nice selection of cool, warm and neutrals. I'm using Tawny, 3W1, which is a nice match for my gold, rose and peach undertones. Matches almost perfectly with my MAC Studio Fix in NC40 The best part though is the finish, there's a bit of sheen while it's going on, during application it is quite "wet" looking, but once it's dried down and set, it's almost matte and looks just like flawless skin. You do get a reasonable amount of working time for a long wear product too (though not as much as a regular liquid would give you), it doesn't set lightening fast, so you have enough time to blend it over your full face, though I do find it works best applying in sections. I find I get the nicest application with a duo fibre/stipple brush, as it allows me to stipple it on to disperse the colour evenly, then buff into place for a flawless finish. A foundation brush is good for applying too, and will be a little heavier in colour distribution, but doesn't give you the end result a stipple brush will. I've also tried with a flat top buffer, and that gives a nice coverage and finish too, plus I find using either the stipple or buffer, a quick spritz with water on the bristles will help to give a nice fluid coverage without the brush soaking up product. I blot over the top with rice powder while it's still moist looking to really set it well and to mattify further, and then brush any excess powder off with a large fan brush. Despite being a longwear, medium to high coverage foundation, it's not at all cakey, the finish is smooth, flawless, and just perfect. It doesn't make your face feel like a caked on, heavy foundation either, it still feels breathable, lightweight and flexible. And the best, best part? It lasts, truly lasts, and doesn't flake, crack, ball up, get cakey, or wear away oddly like some heavy coverage/longwear foundations do. It's just perfection. I do find if I need a little touch up on high wear areas like nose, chin and forehead if I've had a particularly warm day, I can get away with a little bit of MAC Studio Fix powder just on those areas, as mentioned previously, NC40 is a really good match with the Tawny. If you're after a more natural look, it may not be for you, but it does come in a light variation (which I haven't tried). Only down sides for me are the fact that it is so long lasting, it is a little difficult to remove, you need to wash your face well with a suitable cleanser, and a wash cloth definitely helps to remove it, or a cleansing brush. It's also a bit hard to remove from brushes, the fine bristles of the stipple brush I use can get quite hard and caked on if I don't wash it thoroughly straight after application, and if you leave it and don't wash immediately, it will dry hard on the brush. It can be removed through washing, but it does require just a little more effort than most. But it's a price I'm willing to pay for perfect foundation. I really only use my cheapest e.l.f brushes should it have any adverse long term effects on the brushes. So if you're looking for long wearing, comfortable, flawless foundation, definitely give this a try. In Australia, Double Wear has seen a recent permanent price drop down from $68Au to $50Au, making it comparable to the MAC foundation I was wearing, and only about $12 more than Revlon's Colourstay, one of the other highly recommended long wear liquids (having only nine shades of Colourstay in Australia, it was very hard to find a match, and the finish was a little patchy on my skin). It's definitely worth that little bit extra.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Australis - Concealer Corrector
Labloah 12/15/2012 10:13:00 AM
As a budget concealer, and having four different shades in the one small compact, I've found it useful for a few applications. If you need heavy duty concealment, or have very noticeable and hard to cover skin colour issues, this isn't going to be for you. It's a subtle effect, light to medium coverage and very creamy. I find it works best on minor colour problems, and just helps to lift the face a little than if I went without. The lavender shade is very pale, although I do find this works quite nicely on my peachy/gold/pink skin, as it lends a highlighter affect to areas, and offers very subtle contrast. The green is a paler green, and is a softer coverage, so if you have issues with lots of redness, it's not going to be your thing. It is however ok for small areas of redness, such as slight redness around the nose and the odd spot (I really like its subtly here as sometimes covering a small spot with a heavy concealer can make it look even more obvious, which kind of defeats the purpose of using a concealer in the first place). The two flesh tones I really don't find much use for. Not great at covering under eye darkness (which is why I purchased this initially), and I don't use them for anything else as I would rather prefer to use a colour corrector or other products for other issues. It's a soft, creamy formula, and applies best on my skin with a slightly damp small fluff brush, stippled on and blended. Used like this I can get the most natural coverage. Remarkably, I do find it's reasonably kind to my under eye area in terms of not highlighting fine lines (provided I apply as mentioned previously. If I pack it on with my fingers, it can start to look cakey in the lines). Packaging was a little off, the two tiered construction feels difficult to use. Opening the compact you have the green and the darker flesh tone on the top tier, then pushing that tier up gives you the bottom area with the lavender and light flesh tone, and a mirror on the bottom of the green/darker flesh tone part. It's difficult to use the mirror if you're using the top two shades, as you have to flip them up constantly to get to the mirror underneath them. Another mirror in the lid for the top products would have been better, or better yet, a quad. It's not a bad size though, compact, and feels sturdy enough, but just isn't as ergonomic as it could be. It's a lightweight, but that may be to its benefit to some people who don't want a thick concealer. Ultimately though, I do prefer to go for other products to cover problem areas, or to highlight, so it's something I could take or leave, and only use on the odd occasion if it takes my fancy. I bought this as I wanted a new under eye concealer, and having the other tones in there seemed like a bit of a bonus, and it ended up that I use the lavender and green more than the flesh tones as I originally intended. If you've been curious about how colour correctors work, this might be an ok buy to see what you think, but if you have genuine concerns that need a committed product, this probably isn't going to be it.
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Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Studio Stipple
Labloah 12/8/2012 11:06:00 AM
If I'm wanting a very sheer, whisper light application of a heavily pigmented product, this suits me well. Very nice for picking up and applying very sheer layers of pigmented blush or bronzer, and you can work the colour up subtly. Though I do find I prefer a fan brush for cheeks, as it gives similar coverage, but it tends to give a better shape to the area, and better control. This brush isn't much for blending, you'll need to use something else to really blend out products, as the fine, long white fibres are just a bit too long to be able to blend on their own, and the denser black bristles underneath aren't really able to blend properly because of the length of the longer fibres. One thing I do find this useful for is for applying my EL Double Wear foundation, as I've found it gives a more natural, airbrushed effect than a denser stippling brush or foundation brush, as it's a very heavy coverage foundation, and the very fine bristles allow for sheerer application. The brush does tend to soak up liquid products, so a spritz with water before dabbing into the foundation is a must, I find it helps it glide along a little easier too. I tend to work section by section, stipple, then smooth the foundation over with the fine bristles, and give a gentle buff to finish. I also find the Double Wear is a little heavy on bristles, and will dry hard if I forget to wash a brush straight away, so I prefer to use a cheaper brush so as not to accidentally damage them. As with a lot of the e.l.f. products, they price is nice, the quality reasonable (especially given the price), but it's not a super star or anything. A good little stand by, it's not going to hurt to have it, or break the bank. You might find some suitable applications for it, you may not, depending on the uses you require it for.
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Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Defining/Angled Eye Brush
Labloah 12/5/2012 10:33:00 AM
I have quite a severe hooded eye, so most brushes recommended for "regular" eyes just don't work on my eye shape (that includes the usual shaders, blenders and crease brushes). I've found this one, quite to my surprise, works extremely well for my eye shape. I can use it to apply solid colour over the lid, but still be able to get to the inner corners (too big of a brush just won't do it). Changing the brush angle, I can also use it to apply colour loosely to the outer v and crease, go over with tapered blender, and build up colour intensity upwards in the crease with the e.l.f brush, using it both horizontally for depth in and just slightly above the crease, and vertically in the crease for added height to help the hooded eye. The beauty is all in the angles of it. It can be used at a diagonal angle for inner eye highlight, vertically to sweep colour across the lid, horizontally for the crease, or in a controlled patting motion using more of the flat tip for more intense lid colour, changing up the angle as needed. For the price, I honestly wasn't expecting much, I put it in my cart at the last minute as a spare brush for when my others were still wet or packed away, however, I find myself reaching for this more than a lot of other brushes. I can see it may not be everyone's cup of tea if you're used to different application methods, but it does have some practical uses for the right application. But for the price, it's not a huge risk if it turns out you're not a fan.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -BeneFit Cosmetics - Posietint
Labloah 10/23/2012 9:57:00 AM
A very pretty and natural tint, and a versatile shade that goes well with a lot of colours. This is a creamier formulation than the Benetint, which gives you a little bit more working time on the skin and doesn't feel quite so dry on the lips. You do still need to blend it quite quickly though. The bottle features a twist off cap which houses a small brush, much like a nail polish bottle. I dab or stroke along my cheeks, quickly put the brush back in the bottle, but only to rest it there, blend out the product, and then once that is done, I twist the lid back on and close the bottle properly. Otherwise I apply with one hand, and blend with the other, without putting the brush down, or I apply holding the brush between thumb and forefingers, and blend out with middle or ring fingers without putting the brush back down. If you blend it while it's still creamy, it blends very nicely and doesn't give harsh lines, which gives a more natural flushed look than an obvious "I'm wearing blush" look. It's a flattering shade for cheeks, works beautifully for pale complexions, and gives a barely flushed pale rose tint (and doesn't look anywhere as bright a pink as it looks in the bottle, once blended it's a lot more subtle). I find the creamier consistency and pale shade means I don't quite use this all that much as a lip tint as it wears very pale on my lips with the initial application. I do find I can intensify the colour quite a bit if I layer it by applying a little bit, dab and smooth over until it's no longer wet, and add more layers as needed to build up the colour, though it is time consuming and is a lot easier to just reach for a lipstick. Its thin consistency means you won't be able to do one heavy coat, but will need to work up the colour. Also, when working up the colour, take care not to blend it out past the lip line as it is quite thin until it dries. I do like it as a base for pink lipsticks, just to help prolong the colour a little. Once it has dried, it's soft but can be a little sticky and slightly dry, especially with multiple coats. For cheek use, it really does stay put all day, for lip use it is a little less longer wearing as it does gradually wear away with talking, eating, drinking and such. There's not much texture to it either once it's dry, so if you are looking to add colour to your face without it being obvious that you're wearing make up, this would be ideal. I've taken marks off for the packaging quality on account of the brush applicator design, which doesn't encourage quick blending as you need to do something with the brush, and quickly, in order to blend it out well. A small squeeze tube, or even a padded applicator fixed to the top of the tube (such as the their Girl Meets Pearl packaging) would be ideal for this.
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Lipstick -Too Faced - Lip of Luxury - Sex Kitten
Labloah 10/22/2012 2:19:00 PM
This is a blue based plummy pink red with intense silver glitter. True to its name, it is damn sexy. It's pigment intense, but still glides on smoothly with no feathering or bleeding and has a nice sheen. But the super fine silver glitter is what really pumps this baby up, coupled with the gentle sheen and the base colour, it's a delightfully multidimensional lipstick. It can feel a little gritty going on, but on the lips it's fine, unless I really purse them together firmly. I'm not mad keen on the scent, it's described as champagne, but smells quite artificial, like plastic fake peach to me, but it does dissipate after a short while. The tube is very cute and girly, it's plastic with metallic reflective pink colouring and a large clear faceted fake gem on the top.
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Lipstick -Too Faced - La Creme Color Drenched Lip Cream - Spice Spice Baby
Labloah 10/22/2012 1:47:00 PM
I adore this lipstick, it's one I tend to reach for over and over again. It's a lovely subtle colour, a soft pink with slight almost golden brown undertones, very flattering and natural looking. The product formulation is just divine, a soft and easy to apply cream lipstick with glossy sheen. If you wanted to tone down the glossiness a little, blotting does help. Feels amazing on the lip, very moisturising and smooth, but not heavy. It's scented, with a sort of citrus champagne cocktail, which I find pleasant and not overpowering. Great wear length for such a creamy lipstick, and great texture for the lips too. The tube itself is luxurious, which makes this feel all the more special; a gold metal case, slim but heavy with Too Faced embossed on the side, inside of which is the flat topped slanted lipstick. The other colours I've tried in this range are just as delightful, and I'd definitely repurchase when they run out.
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