Polishes -OPI - Rapidry Spray Nail Polish Dryer
LadyWilde 3/28/2009 1:03:00 PM
I'm on the fence about this product. On one hand (no pun intended), it's easy to use, smells pleasant, and isn't sticky or greasy. On the other, it doesn't always work very well. It seems to dry some polishes in seconds, but used with other polishes, it's as though I had used nothing at all. The most maddening thing is that I have yet to figure out the determining factor that makes it work or not work. It's not the brand, the pigment, the finish, the number or thickness of coats. . .I have no idea. Also, on my bottle, the sprayer sticks, and I have to manually pry it up after each spray--not an easy feat with wet nails.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Top/Base Coats -Maybelline - Express Finish Base and Top Coat
LadyWilde 7/25/2008 10:36:00 PM
As a basecoat, it's too slick and actually seems to repel polish off of my nail. As a topcoat, it lifts and smears even perfectly dry polish. It *dries* in 60 seconds, sort of. . .it takes FOREVER to harden. I inevitably end up with nicks and smudges. I get better wear with no base or topcoat than I do with this garbage. Also, the bottle is a weird, awkward shape. I have absolutely nothing good to say about this product.
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Polishes -OPI - 20 Candles On My Cake
LadyWilde 7/10/2008 5:43:00 PM
People have such different experiences with this color--red, brick, coral/red, brownish red, mauve/red. On my fair, slightly cool-toned skin, it reminds me of red velvet cake. . .rich off-red with a touch of cocoa brown. It's pretty and unique, but absolutely office-appropriate. It applies beautifully, and 1-2 coats yields an even, streak-free, glossy creme finish. This is a great option for wearing to work if you're tired of the usual pinks, reds, and neutrals.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Sit Under the Apple Tree
LadyWilde 6/30/2008 4:17:00 PM
This color is part of OPI's summer 2008 Retro Fun in the Sun collection. Applies smoothly, not streaky, wears well. . .but the color leaves something to be desired. Rather than the pearly, pale apple green it appears to be in the bottle, on my nails it's a very frosty, rather anemic-looking greenish yellow.
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Blush -Everyday Minerals - Back to School
LadyWilde 5/27/2008 1:21:00 PM
I should have read the reviews before I bought this. It is a very unique, interesting shade of peachy-pinky-bronzey-beige, and it does not work at all with my fair, neutral/cool-toned skin. It looks muddy and orangy, as though I had tried to cover up a bad sunburn with cheap bronzer. No good on me, but evidently lovely on warm-toned ladies. That'll teach me to purchase makeup without consulting MUA first.
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Powder -Everyday Minerals - Foundation - Intensive formula [DISCONTINUED]
LadyWilde 5/27/2008 1:14:00 PM
I love this product. I mix together equal parts fair medium and fair neutral, and it's the perfect match for my light, cool-side-of-neutral toned skin. It doesn't cover everything, really, but I'm okay with that. It would take a team of elite Hollywood makeup artists, thousands of dollars worth of professional makeup, and a divine miracle to cover up the multitude of sins of which my face is guilty. The difference it makes is like the difference between a picture taken with a low-res camera phone and one taken with a high-megapixel camera--it just sort of softens everything makes me look more even and polished. It's not heavy or cakey, doesn't change colors or slide around, looks natural, lasts all day, and doesn't rub off. I don't have particularly oily skin, but I do have to blot a couple of times a day in warm weather, but again, I can live with that. Most importantly--and the acne-prone laides out there will appreciate this--it's non-irritating and doesn't make breakouts worse!! If anything, it actually improves my skin. I've even fallen asleep in it, and although I fully expected a new crop of nasty zits as a result, it didn't happen. Yay! Everyday Minerals is a great company--excellent selection, high-quality, pure ingredients (NO BISMUTH!), fast shipping, and cheaper than dirt. Highly recommended.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Everyday Minerals - Eyeshadows All
LadyWilde 5/27/2008 12:59:00 PM
I love Everyday Minerals. High quality, excellent selection, pure ingredients, cheaper than dirt. Love love love. However, when I first tried their eyeshadows, there was no instant love. I got three colors: Diary (plum with shimmer), pressed olive (pale olive green w/ gold shimmer), and To Do List (pink with scarlet shimmer). Applied dry with a brush, they are practically invisible. Applied wet with a brush, the color payoff is good but the finish is unappealingly frosty/metallic looking. Blech. Applied dry with a FINGER, it looks gorgeous. Good color payoff, slightly sheer, with delicate shimmer. Subtle and very pretty. It also lasts most of the day with minimal creasing. I look forward to trying other colors.
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Blush -Everyday Minerals - Light Pink
LadyWilde 4/27/2008 11:52:00 AM
Indoors, it's invisible. In full sunlight, it's sparkly. Not "glowy" or "shimmery". . .sparkly. Like a disco ball. It doesn't tone down redness and it's too pale even on my fair skin. I haven't tried it as an eyeshadow or highlighter, but I suppose I might since I have absolutely no use for it as a blush. On the plus side, it's dirt cheap.
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Concealers -Everyday Minerals - Mint Concealer
LadyWilde 4/27/2008 11:45:00 AM
This product is brilliant at neutralizing ruddiness and post-acne red marks. It doesn't *cover*, per se, so I still need another concealer for larger blemishes. As many others have said, a little bit goes a loooong way, and you have to blend, blend, blend if you don't want to end up with a weird greenish cast to your finished face. (I once made the mistake of applying this product right after blowdrying my hair upside-down, while my face was still flushed from the heat and all the blood rushing to my head, and I looked like an alien.) Also, I have fallen asleep in my makeup (something I never, ever do!), and I was sure that my already broken-out skin would respond with a new crop of nasty zits, but I was wrong--it didn't react at all. Good stuff, a small jar will last forever, and it's dirt cheap!
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Masks -DDF - Sulfur Therapeutic Mask [DISCONTINUED]
LadyWilde 4/27/2008 9:45:00 AM
I bought this product because of all of the positive reviews, but unfortunately, it didn't do much for me. It reduces redness (a little) and shrinks big zits overnight (a tint bit, maybe), but doesn't make much of a noticeable difference. There are some noteworthy pros to this product, however: It doesn't dry out or irritate my skin, I can leave it on overnight without it flaking off all over the pillow, considering the fact that it's 10% sulfur it really doesn't smell all that terrible, and although it's a bit pricey it's still a great value. Even with regular use, that 4oz jar will last for months. Bottom line: High quality, pleasant to use, good value, and it works for a lot of people. It didn't work quite as well for me as I'd hoped, but I still recommend giving it a try.
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Polishes -FingerPaints - Be A Pal-ette
LadyWilde 4/26/2008 11:06:00 AM
Great color, easy application, dries reasonably quickly. I put this on Friday afternoon, and on Saturday morning I took a shower and it peeled off in sheets. I'll repeat that: It. Peeled. OFF. Enough said.
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Fragrances -Comptoir Sud Pacifique - Vanille Abricot
LadyWilde 4/22/2008 6:10:00 PM
Smells like candy, but not in an obnoxiously sweet way, if that makes any sense. It's very soft and light. I really like the sweet-tart, juicy apricot I get at first, but as it dries down all I get is rich, lightly sweet vanilla. . .it reminds me of pastry cream. Pleasant, but I was hoping for more of a balance between the apricot and vanilla. I'm sure I'll enjoy my sample, but I won't be purchasing a bottle.
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Treatments -Alpha Hydrox - AHA Souffle 12 percent Glycolic AHA
LadyWilde 4/19/2008 3:36:00 PM
I was hesitant to use this product. I debated with myself for MONTHS before trying it. 12% glycolic just sounded so extreme, so hardcore, as though if I used this product there was absolutely no going back to wimpy 2-5% products. Well, nothing else works on my acne and acne-prone ladies RAVE about this stuff, so I finally gave it a try. It stung a bit when I first applied it, but it didn't break me out worse then I already was, didn't make my skin flakey or irritated, and didn't exacerbate the redness in my cheeks. What it did was. . .nothing. Nothing at all, for better or for worse. I used it for about 8 weeks, and still, nothing. No reduction in acne, no improvement in skin texture, no effect on pores, and no plans to buy this product again. A total disappointment.
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Fragrances -Kenzo - Amour by Kenzo
LadyWilde 3/1/2008 2:01:00 PM
If one is so inclined (I am not), there are far cheaper ways to smell of vanilla and baby powder. Also, those bottles are flat out obnoxious. It's like Victoria's Secret Heavenly in an ass-ugly bottle. Yuck.
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Cleansers -Purpose - Gentle Cleansing Wash
LadyWilde 2/27/2008 9:56:00 PM
I have acne, and for years I have used medicated cleansers that do nothing but irritate my already irritated face. Stupid, right? Since I started using Purpose, I still have acne (I'm pretty sure no product will ever fix that), but I don't have red, flakey, rough, irritated skin. Neat. So no, it's not a miracle product, but it does do EXACTLY what it says it does: Removes makeup (even the most stubborn waterproof eyeliner, with a little time and effort) and cleans thoroughly without irritating.
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