Product Reviews by Lepin

Polishes -Sally Hansen - Complete Manicure # 130 Gilty Party
rated 5 of 5
Lepin 5/13/2013 1:28:00 PM

My current obsession is light metallic polishes and this one is among my favorite. Gilty Party can be described as a silvered platinum shade with fine particles of copper, silver and possibly light gold shimmer. On the nail this is definitely platinum with a slight taupe tone. I don't look well in golden polishes and this flatters my PPP skintone nicely. The salon brush is flat, which took some getting used to but because this formula is self leveling application is very easy. I have worn other colors in this line that are not metallic and this brush applied them well, but I had to be mindful of only having product on one side of the brush or else far too much polish would be applied. Gilty Party dries evenly and quickly and although this is a complete formula (base, color and top coat incorporated) I always apply a adhering base coat for extra long wear. I have this on my hands but think for many this would be a magnificent color for a pedicure because of its neutrality.

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Blush -NARS - Madly
rated 3 of 5
Lepin 4/15/2013 6:03:00 PM

Oh how I love Madly. But, he doesn't love me. If your PPP cool toned like me, just say no. In order to successfully wear this you MUST have some baseline level of warmth in your complexion or else you will look sickly pallid. Like the perfect nude lipstick that may look fabulous on you but lousy on your BFF, Madly can be described as the perfect nude cheek, if there is such a thing. Madly reminds me of the lightest beachy peach pink that lines the inside of a conch shell. Just the thought of this color makes me envy all who can successfully wear this, which I cannot. I cannot attest to quality of pigment or wear time as this was removed quicker than application. So pretty, if you can pull it off.

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Lipstick -Unlisted Brand - Mirabella Lip Colour Superficial
rated 5 of 5
Lepin 4/10/2013 8:41:00 AM

I purchased several items from this line via Hautelook. Sold exclusively in salons, spas and by cosmetologists, Mirabella is not the most accessible product line. That said, I reflected the price as being expensive however I paid only $8 per lipstick whereas in the retail market these are much more. Described as bright coral pink, Superficial is just that. On my never ending quest for a bright yet wearable lip color other than red or commonplace neutrals; I bought this unseen. What I like about this product is the intensity of pigment that is only found in HE lipsticks, which this clearly is. What I don't like is that this tends to highlight my less than perfect lip texture and some settling occurs. Save for lip balm or primer I think this might be an issue for some. Back to the color. This is very accurately coral pink however the formula contains a very, very fine shimmer which although not offensive was not expected. I am trying to reduce shimmery lip colors from my life as I think they can cheapen one's look. That said this one isn't too bad. I am very fair and corals are either too orange or too warm for my liking, this is midpoint between cool and warm yet on my lips this leans more hot pink. Mirabella is a lovely line of cosmetics which is sorely under represented in the market.

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Eye Shadow -Calvin Klein - Tempting Glimmer Sheer Creme
rated 1 of 5
Lepin 3/24/2013 11:21:00 PM

My local Tuesday Morning has this among a huge stash of Calvin Klein cosmetics. I purchased this in a shimmery ivory intending to use as a wash of color on my lid or to illuminate my inner eye socket. The verdict: horrid. Firstly this is greasy, never sets and creased immediately. I then tried to use this on the lid or brow bone exclusively but that too was an epic fail. I was given grief for returning this but in all honesty the $4.99 I paid was more than I was willing to toss out if this went into the trash. These could be free and they would still be garbage to me.

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Lipstick -Lancome - Rouge magnetic Cherub
rated 5 of 5
Lepin 3/22/2013 10:13:00 AM

Received in a GWP this is a gem of a lippie. First off, this is cool toned rose/light berry, creamy and shimmer free. (Yeah!) Normally it is impossible to find lipstick that is devoid of some sort of irridesence (Why is that?) and impossible to find a non matronly mid toned hue. Cherub is a very romantic Victorian era color that can easily be modernized by the addition of smokey eye. What I love about this lipstick is the long wearing creamy formula without the dreaded dry lip experience. For those not wanting greasy glossed lips or too matte lips you've found your product, although this is a great formula for applying a bit of gloss. Wears off evenly, attractively w/o staining lips. The only negative association with this color is that at one time it was what Monica Lewinsky wore. Oh well.

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Blush -Unlisted Brand - 29 Cosmetics Blush Rose
rated 4 of 5
Lepin 3/21/2013 6:55:00 PM

Finely milled matte mauve rose blush elegantly packaged. Sadly had to return because the color is simply too musty old rose mauve for me. Made my cheek look slightly bruised and injured. I really want to like this cosmetics line but it just doesn't like me. All these colors are simply too purple violet cool toned for my skin. Because this isn't sold in the retail market anywhere near me I am forced to purchase sight unseen off the internet. No more. Done. Memo to 29 Cosmetics: provide accurate swatches, sell somewhere east of Texas and please incorporate colors for those of use with cool/neutral peach toned skin. Thank You.

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Lipstick -Unlisted Brand - 29 Cosmetics Reserves Moisturizing Lipstick SPF 20 in Ripe Rose
rated 2 of 5
Lepin 3/21/2013 6:40:00 PM

Yet another 29 Cosmetic lipstick purchase that is a color disappointment. Because this is not sold anywhere near me in the retail market I am forced to purchase sight unseen. That said this color on me looks very common and sadly rather cheap. Described as a shimmery rose berry; in the tube this looks like a slightly shimmery wearable mauve rose. On my lips this looks like a violet mauve with loads of fine gold shimmering particles. As this wears off my lips look like they have residual violet purplish bruises. I think this color could work on some but on me, not. Also, this isn't emollient as described which also was disappointing, in fact, my lips actually felt quite dry after removing this. The ongoing theme of 29 Cosmetics is all things wine, grape and vineyard related. Clearly these colors are too cool plum toned to be appropriate for my pale skin tone. Looking at the color selections none of the offerings seem like anything special. Pros: Chic packaging and contains SPF 20.

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Eye Shadow -L'Oreal - HiP Concentrated Duo - Sassy
rated 2 of 5
Lepin 3/11/2013 9:50:00 AM

Very pretty in the compact and on the eye lovely. BUT, this smudged so badly and creased so quickly that it had to go back to Harmon drug. The taupe side is intense but pulled rather gold on me and the green/blue side irritated my eyes so badly that I had to go eye make up free for several days. 2 lippies for effort. Have since tried a few other Hip shadows and remain unimpressed.

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Lipstick -NYX - Eros
rated 4 of 5
Lepin 2/11/2013 1:48:00 PM

Bright? Yes. Bold? Yes. Hooker red? Perhaps, if the hookers in your town wear bright red red. Here in NYC the hookers I see apparently prefer nude lip colors. Just my observation. For reasons unknown no matter what red lip color I buy the color turns cool. If I buy a warm based red my teeth look yellow. That said IMO on me this looks like a mid point between cool and warm red. This is my first NYX round tube lipstick purchase and so far I'm quite happy. This is not matte, has no shimmer and can be layered for a very potent look or blotted down, as I prefer to wear, for a more wearable look. I line my lips and apply directly from the tube and then either go over my lips with a lip brush or use my pinky finger to blot some product off. I favor red lips and accept the attention I receive from those who either disapprove or are too damn judgmental to comprehend that some of us don't give a $#it what they think. This is a very inexpensive product that imparts your lips with a glamorous red that has nice staying power with huge pigment payoff.

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Polishes -Barielle - Coalest Day of The Year
rated 5 of 5
Lepin 1/26/2013 3:11:00 PM

One of my favorite Barielle nail colors, this is a deep charcoal infused with silver and aqua micro shimmer. The shimmer adds dimension to the gray and reminds me of pearl nacre. As will all my polishes I start with a base of CND Stickey and proceed to apply 2-3 coats of color and finish with a long wearing Barielle top coat. What I love about Barielle is the color selection is on trend yet never bizarrely weird and the quality is outstandingly consistent. Coalest Day of The Year is very elegant, complements many skin tones and wears like a charm.

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Top/Base Coats -Creative Nail Design - Stickey -Base Coat
rated 5 of 5
Lepin 1/15/2013 2:05:00 PM

I swear by this product and highly recommend this if you are in need of a truly adhesive forming base coat for your mani/pedi's. I have gotten high mileage out of nearly every nail polish I apply on this, with the exception of Essie polish, Penny Talk in particular. Do try this, you will not be disappointed.

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Lipstick -Eve Pearl - Love Story
rated 5 of 5
Lepin 1/8/2013 12:48:00 PM

Yet another EP product purchased sight unseen/untested that I absolutely love. This lipstick is creamy, thick, devoid of shimmer and lasts long on the lips. Love Story is a cool light to mid tone pink that has a hint of mauve, but none of the dreaded purple/gray that many mauve's pull. I also wear EP Park Avenue Rose which like Love Story is a cooler pink but more smokey rose toned. Love Story looks sensual against my fair skin, blue eyes and blonde hair but doesn't look Barbie-ish, Pepto Bismol-ish or Play Boy Bunny-ish. Perfect for an evening where you have expectations for the remainder of the night. I highly recommend EP lipsticks that are non shimmery as I have never worn those. This line of MU is lovely and very reliable.

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Fragrances -Viktor & Rolf - Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb
rated 1 of 5
Lepin 12/29/2012 11:57:00 AM

A floral assault and battery of my olfactory gland. Opens with a burst of flowers, closes with a sour charred scent that I don't care for. Would have been great in the 1980's along with Giorgio and big hair. Pass.

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Polishes -Essie - Penny Talk
rated 3 of 5
Lepin 11/23/2012 2:55:00 PM

Finally purchased this after debating between this and Orly Rage. I'm no big Essie fan but this color called to me. First off, I don't have a very high skill set for applying shimmery nail polishes so this was a bit of challenge. For reasons I cannot fathom the product looks completely different (and gorgeous) on the nail than in the bottle. The formula is sort of thick which intimidated me as I figured dry time would be impossibly long however it is surprisingly fast. You could get away with one coat application but two is perfection. I had no issue with streaks but work fast or you will and if you attempt to correct ridges you'll have subtle dents where your brush stroked. I wore this for Thanksgiving and literally everyone complimented my manicure and wanted to know what polish I was wearing. I'm a very fair PPP and this looks stunning on me. I usually wear very deep colors during the fall/winter season but am now thinking this one may be my staple color for the next few months. My only gripe is that this chipped immediately, however, the beauty of the color more than makes up for that. A lovely high shimmer rose gold if there ever was. Can't wait to see how this looks on a pedicure. UPDATE: As much as I adore this color I cannot get it to stay put on my nails. Tip chip occurs by the end of the day after I apply this. For reference I have natural nails, apply Creative Stickey basecoat.

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Liquid -Revlon - Age Defying with DNA Advantage Cream Makeup
rated 2 of 5
Lepin 9/24/2012 12:10:00 AM

This held promise when the trusted sales lady at my local drugstore recommended this. She said this was very popular and they had trouble keeping stock on the shelf. Between the price being reasonable as compared to my arsenal of HE foundations and color 05 Fresh Ivory seeming to match to my skin tone I figured I'd stuck gold. I didn't. This is odd stuff. It really doesn't ever dry and my skin is always slightly tacky and slick feeling borderline greasy. No, I'm not confusing this with a dewy finish. It isn't.Also transfers onto collars and any clothing that makes contact. Ick! The color isn't atrocious but just about everything else is. This has such limited coverage that I found myself wondering just what I was applying to my face. No, it didn't sit in any of my fine lines but that was because it never covered my concealer adequatelydue to the greasy final outcome. I could say this is like a tinted moisturizer but I loathe them and this foundation too. Did I mention I hate pump bottles. Useless here as too much glop is dispensed and therefore product is wasted. Clearly the reason why this blows off the shelf. I will give it credit for the decent color match, not too pink or sallow yellow. I did use the bottle completely but that was because I cut this with my Dior foundation that is too yellow and a bit dry. At least it was good for something.

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