Mascara -Cover Girl - Lash Blast Fusion water resistant 
LindaYAY 8/6/2012 2:21:00 PM
I was really hoping that this would be my go-to mascara for summer when I bought it. There's a lot of hype with the Lash Blast series, but I was disappointed with LB Volume because of its inability to hold a curl. I bought this one figuring, it's water resistant, so it should be able to hold a curl, right? Wrong! Maybe this is the difference between "water resistant" and "waterproof"... (It doesn't even hold up well in the water, compared to some of my waterproof Maybelline mascaras.)
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Mascara -Cover Girl - Lash Blast
LindaYAY 8/6/2012 2:17:00 PM
I was so excited to try this mascara, but I was disappointed. The volume is alright, not too exciting without a couple of coats. It doesn't hold a curl at all though, especially if you try to build up the volume with several coats. I will say that I like the brush though, it doesn't allow for a lot of clumping and separates pretty well. I was expecting epicness from all the hype, but unfortunately, this mascara is underwhelming.
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Top/Base Coats -Sally Hansen - Advanced Hard as Nails Strengthening Topcoat
LindaYAY 2/11/2012 2:25:00 AM
Edit: Upon using several bottles, my opinion has changed a little. I still think it's a great top coat if you're on a budget. However, this topcoat gets goopy pretty quickly. At first I thought I had a bad bottle, but this happened with every bottle I had after a few months. It becomes hard to work with and bubbly. I probably won't be repurchasing for a while, there's probably better out there for the money. I don't really understand the bad reviews, because for me, this topcoat works wonders. I don't change out my nail polish very often, so I rely on a good topcoat to get from one mani to the next. This does the trick. It leaves a nice, shiny finish, and I can get a good 3-5 days without any signs of chipping. If I apply another layer of topcoat at the five-day mark, I get renewed shine another week's wear out of a manicure. People comment on how long my manis last and it's because of this $3-4 topcoat! Love it!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Top/Base Coats -FingerPaints - Flashy
LindaYAY 1/29/2012 6:40:00 PM
I have to admit, I love FingerPaints' flakies. This is the second one I've purchased, the first being Twisted. Flashy is an orange/green (mostly orange) flakie that goes with many colors. You can use it to ignite a black or, I put it over a creme forest green, together they make my school colors. Definitely recommend.
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Mascara -Maybelline - Full 'N Soft Mascara Waterproof
LindaYAY 1/14/2012 1:31:00 AM
Based on its reviews on MUA, I thought I would LOVE this mascara, but I feel underwhelmed. I will admit that it does leave your lashes feeling soft, but it lacks in the "full" department. This mascara is great is your want a very natural look, like if you just want to darken your lashes. However, it took me around 3 coats to get some noticeable volume. Also, the wand is huge, so it's hard to get into the inner corners or to the base of your lashes without poking yourself or making a mess on your upper eyelids. However, it does have great wear time and last me all day with minimal smudging, and it holds my curl nicely. I like to wear this for a natural, no-makeup makeup look.
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Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express The Colossal Waterproof
LindaYAY 1/14/2012 1:26:00 AM
Edit: As the formula gets drier with use, the mascara flakes a lot more. As someone who wears contacts and cannot run the risk of irritating my eyes with flakes, I find this to be disappointing. Also, you get "crunchy" lashes. This is one of the best mascaras I've tried for the price ($5, Target). I have long lashes, so I bought this for the volume. The wand is very bulky, and if you're not careful, you might make a mess of your upper eyelids. One coat is all I need for a little volume to perk up my eyes. It can hold a curl pretty well, but by the end of the day there was a little smudging. Also, with time, the wand bristles (not rubberized) can get clogged up, which causes clumping and flaking, so you'll have to wipe it on the tube when you use it. Overall, not too bad. Application is kind of a pain but I love the effect.
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Hair Color -Clairol - Natural Instincts Hair Color
LindaYAY 1/5/2012 1:07:00 AM
I actually like this product, probably because I chucked the "refresher" packet. Thank you MUA for that. :) I have naturally dark hair, so dying it really only gives it a tint of color, which was alright with me. But with that in mind, I chose Egyptian Plum/Burgundy Brown because I wanted something unique...but semi-permanent as well, in case it didn't turn out so good. It came out great. The actual processing was a breeze. One of the easiest applications I've ever had -- no gross smell and NO drips! Shampooing it out took longer than expected and left my hair straw-like, but the conditioner really helped bring it back to its soft state. I came out with a gorgeous color, which was especially stunning in the sunlight. Definitely would recommend to others! It's really inexpensive, usually you can find it on sale for $6 and there are sometimes $2 coupons out so :) Also, I've seen some packages that have little Pantenes attached... score!
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Lip Treatments -Maybelline - Baby Lips lip balm
LindaYAY 1/3/2012 5:45:00 PM
I have these in two colors: Pink Punch and Grape Vine. If I could review them separately, I would give Grape Vine 5 lippies and Pink Punch 3 lippies. For me, Grape Vine is the ideal tinted lip balm: slight scent, moisturizing, sheer color and doesn't accentuate my chapped lips, but rather camouflages them and makes them look good. Pink Punch has a stronger scent, which I don't mind, but it also accents my chapped lips and makes them look gross. Pink Punch, for me, is a shade that only looks good applied lightly to well-moisturized lips. I think it would especially suit lighter skin tones, while Grape Vine might suit medium-darker skin tones. For right now, I like Grape Vine. In the spring/summer, I'll probably gravitate more to Pink Punch or Cherry Me, which I'm planning on purchasing soon.
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Polishes -China Glaze - Hey Doll - Vintage Vixen Collection 2010
LindaYAY 1/2/2012 1:57:00 PM
One of my favorite polishes! For the fall, this was a go-to shade. I got it on clearance at Ulta almost a year ago for only $3.50. In the bottle it looks a little plain, but on the nails its so lovely! And I love China Glaze polishes. :)
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Lipstick -Revlon - Colorburst in Soft Rose [DISCONTINUED]
LindaYAY 1/2/2012 1:53:00 PM
This is a great fall/winter shade, and maybe even a spring nighttime shade, because of its lovely rosiness. I can see this looking good on many skin tones. It's creamy, with a shimmer-free finish (YES!). It has a decent wearing time and does not dry out my lips. Even on slightly chapped lips, this lipstick looks good. The packaging is cute and looks expensive. The shade that is displayed on top is pretty accurate, and I like having it there for storage purposes. Overall, this is a great lipstick. I have medium, pigmented lips, and this is a good alternative to some pinks that are unwearable to me. It's less dramatic than a red, so it's office suitable, but with a dramatic eye, it could be used for a bolder look. Pretty versatile, I think. You can slap it on and instantly look put together. I think it's being discontinued (I picked this up at CVS at only $2) so buy it while you can!
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Mascara -Physicians Formula - Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Mascara
LindaYAY 1/2/2012 1:41:00 PM
This is not a bad mascara. It rivals on good. To me, it's reminiscent of CG's Lashblast. The brushes and the effect are similar. One coat will perk up your lashes, while two or three will volumize and provide a more dramatic look. Separation, length, and volume are all a go with this mascara. So why did I rate with a 3? If there was a waterproof-ability scale, with 1 being dissolvable and 10 being sharpie, this would rate a -7.8. Ouch. The slightest bit of moisture will have this mascara running! By the end of the day, I had serious panda eyes. If this came in waterproof, I would love it.
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Eye Makeup Remover -Lumene - Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover for Eyes and Lips
LindaYAY 1/2/2012 1:32:00 PM
I first found this product at CVS while it was on sale ($7-8, I think?) with ECBs back AND I had a coupon. All in all it ended up near free, but I would probably repurchase even if I had to pay full price -- and for me, that's saying something. I find it removes my waterproof mascara pretty easily. Also, it doesn't sting or mess up my contacts, and it feels nourishing to my skin. The only problem I have with this is that *sometimes,* like when I've done a really dramatic look like lots of smudgy eyeliner, it'll take a few more swipes to get it all off. Still, if it'll just a smidgen of eye shadow and liner, then mascara, this'll do the job in just one swipe!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -New York Color - Liquid Lip Shine
LindaYAY 11/2/2011 9:51:00 PM
I recently purchased this in Nude York City, and I'll be going back to Target and picking up some more. Love these! The old packaging looked cheap, smelled terrible, and wore poorly. The opposite is true for the new Lip Shines. They smell sweet, like cake batter and coconut. (If you have the Sally Hansen Diamond Lip Treatments, it's just like that.) Nude York city is a sheer nude light brown color with shimmer. I like wearing it over a light nude lipstick or by itself, to intensify my natural lip color. Overall, I think these are great. The packaging is convenient - love the applicator. The shade range is a little dark, but I know there's a light pink and a bright fuchsia. These lip glosses aren't sticky, but they aren't entirely smooth. They're tacky, which helps it stay on, but not so sticky that it's a deal breaker. For less than $2.50, I would definitely recommend this!
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Crème -Maybelline - Dream Smooth Mousse
LindaYAY 9/9/2011 11:56:00 PM
I bought Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse months ago and never really got around to using it until recently; summer is over and I can wear foundations without them melting off. I love the Dream Mousse line -- I wear this, the concealer, and the powder all together. I find that it gives light-medium coverage. It'll hide minor discolorations and help out even skin tones, but it did not completely erase the redness along my cheekbones and jaw line. If I apply a green, color-correcting primer, however, my face is flawless. I apply it with a wet sponge (not the one it came with, that was horrible). I touch up with the Dream Mousse concealer under my eyes and on any leftover blemishes, and then I set it all with a buffing of the Dream Matte Powder. This foundation does not settle into lines or accentuate pores or blemishes. It also seems to be great for dry skin. I do have some problems with this though, or else I would've given it 5 lippies. The packaging is a pain. It's bulky, especially since the foundation itself does not take up a lot of room, and I don't use the sponge or keep anything is that compartment, so that space is wasted. Also, the lid is uneven so it's hard to stack things on top when I'm putting it away. I think a mirror would've been nice. Also, my skin is generally dry, but occasionally my T-zone will get oily. This usually happens when I put on too much moisturizer. Throughout the day, my t-zone will get oily with this on, which ruins the nice texture I had when I first applied it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express One by One
LindaYAY 3/10/2011 1:12:00 AM
I bought this in Very Black, washable from CVS because I had a $3 off coupon. I really like this mascara. It's great at separating my lashes and defining them. I can tell that it makes my lashes longer because my lashes hit the lens of my glasses, haha. :) It's not particularly volumizing though. If you're looking for big, fat lashes, this is not for you. I would expect this effect from maybe Define-A-Lash or Lash Stiletto. The packaging is probably what drew me to this. It's in a pink/red bright tube with blue accents. The brush is fat in the middle, but tapers off on either end. The bristles are rubber and flexible, which I think helps separates the lashes. The bristles are in neat rows. I know that one of the claims is that there are three bristles per lash. I wonder how this works since it doesn't seem like my lashes are being caught in three bristles. Still, great brush. Also, the wand is bendy, which might be helpful for some. At first I thought that I would be constantly poke myself in the eye, but I haven't so far :) It's easy to quickly swipe this mascara on if you're in a hurry, too. The only thing that I don't like about this is the smell. I'm familiar with the general scent of mascaras, but this is completely different. It's a different kind of smell, and it's strong. I can smell this as I'm applying! I took off one lippie for this. UPDATE: The smell fades. This is my everyday, go-to mascara because it makes your lashes look so natural, and application is incredibly easy. I apply one coat by swiping it through, and then pressing the brush into the base of my lashes, building up volume. It's almost impossible to make clumps with one coat. Even 2-3 coats looks great, and it builds volume with each coat.
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