Cleansers -MAC - Green Gel Cleanser
MYCATSHADOW 2/26/2012 6:26:00 AM
I mostly use Mario Badescu skincare products, but I decided to pick this cleanser up because I was already at a MAC counter, & I was running low on my normal cleanser. I remember using this cleanser many years ago when it was sold in a white squeeze tube. I remember really liking the scent & the sudzy-clean feeling this left on my skin. I'm glad I decided to pick this up again on a whim because it is excellent for oily skin. It really does get the job done for people who suffer from excessive oiliness. The only reason why I gave this cleanser a 4 & not a 5 is because it does not have any added bonus to it; meaning it does not exfoliate or provide any additional benefits besides cleansing. However, it really is one darn good cleanser, & that is what it is advertised to be. It claims only to be a cleanser, & cleansing it does! ** I use this with my Clarisonic, & I can achieve a wonderful clean & exfoliated feeling. I highly reccomend using this with a Clarisonic brush.
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Loose Powders -Laura Mercier - translucent loose powder
MYCATSHADOW 11/25/2011 9:00:00 PM
I have 2 comment on this powder because I know how hard it is 2 find a really good setting powder if you suffer from oily skin & have large pores. I have been using MAC Blot powder for a long time. I would say that I go through about 3 compacts a month. That's entirely WAY 2 expensive of a habit 2 keep. I really haven't found anything better than the MAC Blot powder for my oily skin. Most other powders didn't provide enough oil control, plus they all looked very cakey on me. I need 2 use a little more powder than the average person because I am so oily. That in turn, can accentuate pores. So I never had a problem with the MAC Blot powder, but I am just tired of going thru it so fast. I love using the MAC 182 brush & my Coastal Scents deluxe Pink Kabuki brush. That's y my powders get eaten up so quick. I decided 2 give Laura Mercier's powder a try due 2 all the rave reviews just about everywhere. MUA loves it, & so do other You Tubers. Even the Sephora customer service phone reps. suggest it. I know it is quite expensive, but since it is already loose, I don't have 2 grind away @ it with my kabuki brushes like I would with compact powder. I do like the amount of powder that you get. I tried it the other day, & I must say that I was quite impressed. I really didn't have 2 use that must @ all. I used less & got the same results that I normally do with the MAC Blot powder. This powder controls my oily skin pretty well & it camoflauges my pores. I actually think it makes my skin look smoother than the Blot powder. I highly reccomend this powder for anyone that wants smoother looking & matte skin. I don't think I'll be buying the MAC Blot powder anymore. I do love MAC products, but this loose setting powder is phenomenal. It really is worth the money. I use this powder 2 set my MUFE HD liquid foundation, & the combo. of the 2 2gether is fantastic. This is coming from someone that does not have perfect skin.
6 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Dolce & Gabbana - Rose The One
MYCATSHADOW 10/18/2011 12:02:00 AM
This is my 2nd bottle of this fragrance. My first bottle was purchased about a year & a half ago. D&G Light Blue is my signature HG fragrance 4 the majority of the year, however I need 2 purchase something completely different for the Fall & Winter months. I was really liking the Viva La Juicy 4 the last Fall, but I just wasn't 2 enthused about purchasing it again 4 this Fall. There's something about the Light Blue scent that never becomes boring & never lets me down. I always want 2 take a wiff of Light Blue & I've been wearing that scent 4 years. I feel that Rose The One has the same appeal but with an entirely different objective. I just can't seem 2 get enough of Rose The One either. To describe this scent: It's soft & subtle, yet quite long-lasting. It tells the tale of a mild & sunny Autumn day in the woods or a pumpkin patch. It smells of the versatility of a bright warm Fall day, turning in2 a cool & crisp fall evening by a fireplace. One can smell the rose scent in a very soft, sexy, & sultry way. Nothing overpowering about this rose @ all. The base notes appear 2 be somewhat sophisticatedly sweet (like amber & vanilla) & whisked with a breath of warm citrus. All of this backed up by a warm & friendly, young-type of rose. It's the kind of scent that would make a person think of an "Indian Summer" The type of scent that would make one feel that they have just "eased" in2 fall; wearing autumn plums & bronzes, while still possesing just a hint of their summer tan & warm glow on their skin. This is the perfect scent 4 the young & old; as well as 4 the office or the evening. It's just an all around nice scent. Maybe there is something special about the D & G scents, but I find that they work best with most people's body chemisty. If u like vanillas & ambers, citruses, or florals, this perfume will satisfy all of these scent cravings.
5 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Tarte - Lights Camera Lashes
MYCATSHADOW 9/14/2011 10:16:00 AM
I'm the most picky mascara consumer. I can always find something wrong with a mascara. I had been wearing the wonderful Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Excess until I realized that I had to keep repurchasing every month becase the tube would dry out on me. I absolutely loved how that mascara made my lashes look. I then went on to L'oreal voluminous & Lancome Hypnose Drama. Both were good, but not great. I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to find a mascara that was just as amazing as the Eyes To Kill Excess but didn't dry out. I went ahead & ordered this Tarte mascara & I'm never looking back! It really does do what it promises. It is like a push-up bra for your lashes! The formula will transform anyone's lashes into perfection, but what's wonderful is that the formulas WON'T DRY OUT!! The price is also considerably less than Eyes To Kill. Tarte's Lights, Camera, Lashes is $19.00 as compared to the $30.00 Eyes To Kill that just dried up @ the end of each month. It holds a curl to perfection & is comfortable for contact lens wearers. I am also loving the cute faux purple croc. tube. I absolutely adore & highly recommed this mascara.
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Other -MAC - Back-2-MAC Recycling Program
MYCATSHADOW 9/2/2011 10:45:00 PM
I absolutely LOVE the Back-2-MAC Recycling Program!! I'm an avid MAC user & I go through products VERY fast. I love the fact that I can get something back for being a loyal customer..... I honestly couldn't care less about the products actually being recyced, I just love getting a free lipstick. I'm really not a "Green" person..... However, I am moved by the Viva Glam movement to help individuals with HIV & Aids. I just wish that there were some Viva Glam lipsticks that I liked! I tried the darker neutral ones & they just don't look right on me. I would actually rather spend the money on a lipstick & have the money go towards the Viva Glam cause over getting a free Back-2-MAC lipstick, but I just love the Plum Dandy lipstick so much!
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Makeup Brushes -Coastal Scents - Divine Powder Buffer Brush
MYCATSHADOW 8/3/2011 5:55:00 AM
This is my new favorite foundation brush. Since purchasing this brush, I literally pushed my 187 stippling brush to the side. I can't say enough wonderful things about this brush. It is so nice to look at. It's quite sleek & professional looking. It's a dense & round skunk brush. I have never come across another brush like it. This brush is truly 1 of a kind. I have been using this to apply my Make Up Forever HD liquid foundation. This brush makes applying my foundationan quite fun! I've never actually considered applying liquid foundation fun until I started using this brush. The brush is also very sturdy & extremely comfortable to grip. I highly recommend this brush to EVERYONE... Inexpensive too!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Other -Unlisted Brand - Sally's Beauty Store
MYCATSHADOW 8/2/2011 4:37:00 AM
I absolutely love Sally's. I make my bi-monthy haul rounds like clockwork. This is beauty supply heaven for those of us who love to use high-quality salon products, but happen to be on a very tight budget. Most of my hair care products come from Sally's. I stock up on all of my favorities everytime I go there. I like the fact that I can buy high-quality salon- type products in bulk for ridiculously low prices. I also like being a club member & receiving a discount on every product that I purchase. Furthermore, club members that spend $25.00 or more in a given moth also receive a special discount coupon. There's nothing not to love about this store.
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Foundations -Make Up For Ever - HD High Definition Foundation
MYCATSHADOW 7/23/2011 3:02:00 AM
I have EXTREMELY oily skin & there are in fact very few liquid foundations that I can use. MAC Pro Longwear & Revlon Colorstay happen to be the only 2 liquid foundations that I would even think about wearing..... UNTIL..... this! I couldn't help but become interested in this foundation namely because of the numerous rave reviews worldwide on this product. Also, the packaging is perfect. If someone were to tell me to design a liquid foundation bottle, then this would be it! THE BEST & most user friendly bottle I've ever dealt with. As for the formula.... It actually blends in with one's own skin. It's as if your skin looks flawless yet natural, & it also doesn't feel like you have anything on at all. I really was floored by this product. I get the same flawless coverage as I do from the MAC Pro Longwear & the Revlon CS, but my face doesn't really look like I'm wearing foundation. Revlon CS does in fact look like I'm wearing foundation, & I'm a pro at blending. This HD foundation is effortless. I feel as if it's mistake-proof. This liquid also dries down to a beautifu, matte & transfer resistant finish. I have very oily skin & I've been wearing this makeup throughout my 1 hour long work-out sessions & then going outside in the 100 degree heat. My makeup still looks good when I get home. How the heck can that be???? The secret is this HD foundation. I know it may seem pricey, but I think that this will be my new HG foundation...
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Giorgio Armani - Eyes to Kill - Excess Mascara
MYCATSHADOW 6/27/2011 7:00:00 AM
I've used & raved about the original Eyes To Kill mascara in the past because of its exceptional volumizing & lengthening abilities. Now I'm raving about the new Megan Fox's Eyes To Kill Excess mascara. IT'S EVEN BETTER!! This mascara does everything that the original one did but this one goes on smoother & smudges less. That's a beautiful thing! Just when I thought that I found the perfect mascara with the original, Excess comes around & blows the original out of the water. I'm so impressed with the new Excess mascara because this formula felt even lighter on my eyes & I had not one clump! I prefer this new formula over the original because it is more comfortable to wear with contact lenses. Most mascaras make my contacts sticky at the end of the day, but definitely not this Excess. I also wore this Excess mascara when I stayed out til 5:30am. My mascara looked just as good then as it did earlier that evening. This mascara even holds a curl to boot! Couldn't ask for more in a mascara.
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Liquid -MAC - Pro Longwear Foundation
MYCATSHADOW 6/23/2011 3:16:00 AM
I usually rave about Revlon Colorstay foundation but today I'm going to rave about Pro Longwear SPF 10 foundation. Pro Longwear is the only other foundation besides Revlon CS that I find to be absolutely perfect for my skin. I was doing the Revlon CS 4 some time now in order to save money, but I just recently went back to the Pro Longwear & I've never been more pleased... I feel as if one likes Revlon CS, one will also fall in love with Pro Longwear. Pro Longwear is SOOOOOO LONG-WEARING!!! My face still feels clean & fresh by the end of the day. I have also NEVER broken out from Pro Longwear. Pro Longwear happens to come in a convenient pump bottle, therefore allowing me to use less product & keep a clean bottle. Pro Longwear also contains SPF 10, whereas Revlon CS only contains SPF 6. I don't care much about SPF but I do know how important it is to most foundation users. I'm feeling as though I'm actually getting a better economic deal with Pro Longwear because the pump doesn't waste any product. This is a definite must-have foundation for people searching for a truly long-wearing liquid that also promotes a clean & fresh feel.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -MAC - Makeup Remover Wipes
MYCATSHADOW 6/20/2011 5:41:00 AM
These are the best wipes on the market for those of us who like to wear long-wearing foundation & heavy eye makeup. I was using the Neutrogena wipes & then switched to Beyond Belief wipes. Both of those wipes are quite good, but I find that I can get away with using LESS of the MAC wipes for makeup removal. These wipes are moist & gentle enough to allow eye makeup to easily glide away instead of having to use a bit more pressure as with the other brands. Less pressure around the eye area is very important. The more pressure you use, the more chances of wrinkling the delicate eye area. I also find that makeup removal seems to take a little less time with these wipes as compared to the other 2 brands. Also, these wipes dry to a clean satin finish after just a few minutes, & I happen to have extremely oily skin. I have not broken out at all from these wipes. The last important factor that I'd like to enlighten some MUAs about is the cost efficiency of these wipes. I buy the 100 count bulk wipes for $26.00. That's 100 wipes as compared to the Neutrogena 25 count for about $7.50. The Neutrogena wipes are actually more expensive than the MAC ones if you do the math. Think about it... I'll use an extra 2 more Neutrogena sheets than I would MAC ones, & then I'll go through the 25 sheets in no time. It only makes sense for me to buy the MAC 100 count wipes since I happen to use them every night. I'm really getting more for my money with the MAC wipes, spending less time on my makeup removal, & I'm also using less wipes per removal session. I highly suggest these little suckers, especially if you're an everyday makeup user.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Estee Lauder - Double Wear (old formula)
MYCATSHADOW 6/13/2011 12:52:00 AM
I purchased this because of its long-lasting reputation. I was matched by an associate, & did like the way the makeup looked. I wore it the next day & I still loved the way it looked. However... The problem with this makeup is that it slides off my face after about 6 hours. A large amount of makeup would wipe right off any part of my face where my hand might have briefly brushed against it. I would then have a bare spot on my face where my hand had just touched. Definitely not for me.... I went right back to my Revlon Colorstay foundation the very next day, & haven't looked @ any other foundations since! I do not suggest this foundation for people who have very oily skin. It does give a beautiful finish, but it made my skin look very sloppy by the end of the day. Doesn't even come close to Revlon Colorstay.
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Makeup Brushes -MAC - #187 Duo Fiber Face Brush (Stippling, Skunk Brush)
MYCATSHADOW 6/4/2011 3:29:00 PM
This is the world's most adored makeup brush... It is the standard for which all other brushes like it try to replicate. So many reviews & opinions have been made from makeup gurus all over the world about this brush, & all of them are positive. I'm not going into detail about how much I like this brush because everything that I think about this brush can be read by 1,000 + other reviewers here on MUA. This brush is that good. I just feel that I should add my quick 2 cents in about this brush because I do use it every day & I believe that it is indispensible for liquid foundation use. I happen to use Revlon Colorstay foundation & this is THE BRUSH to use for it. No other stippling brush comes close. This brush also has a million uses to boot. No makeup junkie should be without the 187...
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Clarisonic - Mia
MYCATSHADOW 5/6/2011 9:53:00 AM
I've owned the cute little pink Mia since March. I believe that it's time to review this adorable complexion brush... This is THE BEST complexion brush that money can buy. Yes it is expensive, but it is definitely worth every penny. Prior to the Clarisonic, I was using a regular stiff Face Secrets brush from Sally's that served its purpose well. However, they changed the bristles on that brush to pathetically soft & flimsy bristles. I then took a look @ Shisheido's ( I KNOW I MUST HAVE BUTCHERED THIS WORD!) complexion brush, but that felt even flimsier than the Face Secrets brush. My husband surprised me 1 day by bringing home the cute little red Sephora complexion brush. Same problem.. Just as floppy & as totally useless as the other 2 brushes. Back went the surprise little red Sephora brush. (Mind you, my husband always knew that I wanted a Clarisonic Mia but he said that it wasn't within our budget & he is actually right. It is very expensive) So I then proceeded to waste money on the "SORRY EXCUSE OF A BRUSH" by Olay. Total junk! $29.99 down the drain. I'm still mad about making that purchase til this day. However, my cats enjoy being buffed with it. To make a long story short, I just put my foot down & said enough is enough. I told my husband that I was getting the Mia no matter what. End of story. He said it was probably just an over-priced buzzing piece of plastic that I'd most likely not like & return. He was certain that I was going to say that it was total junk. (He really was hoping that I'd return it..) To his dismay, it is the most efficient, durable, deep cleansing, stimulating, cutest looking complexion brush known to man... It's all that & then some! An absolutely great investment. I happen to use the NORMAL brush heads & I can't imagine now being without this gadget. The hype is real. It will make all of your treatments & serums work way better. It stimulates blood flow, promotes cell renewal, & is extremely safe & gentle. It is also not flimsy in any way, shape, or form. The handle is also ergonomically correct & easy to use. I highly recomend this brush to anyone & everyone of all ages & skin types. This pink pet is my favorite shower buddy!!! Don't bother with any imitations. Clarisonic is the one & only original.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Peter Thomas Roth - AHA/BHA Acne Clearing Gel
MYCATSHADOW 5/6/2011 9:21:00 AM
I'm going to be doing a 2 piece review on this product.... A present & a future review on the progression of results.... I just purchased this gel for the first time yesterday. I have very oily skin with large pores. In order for my skin to look & feel normal, I must deep cleanse, exfoliate, & close my pores on a regular basis. If not, my skin ailments will definitely show through. I've been battling with terrible acne & oily skin since I was 14 years old. I am now 32 & a rigid skin care regimen is just a way of life 4 me. Just like some people have certain minor (meaning not life threatening) medical problems that they must medicate & attend to 4 the rest of their lives, a person with severe cystic acne must also act accordingly. Acne acts like any other chronic ailment. Once you have it, you have it 4 life. There is no "Break Time" from your regimen. Having said this, I tried this gel last night & woke up to normal skin today. Face felt softer, pores significantly reduced in visibility, old acne scars a lot less noticeable, & my active break out totally gone. This all just happened in 1 night. I will keep MUA posted with next weeks results. For now I gave it an excellent rating cuz of the drastic results in just 1 night. I'm curious to see what my results will be with continued use. However... A word to the wise...AVOID EYE AREA! & in order to see long term results with any new skin care regimen, one must be diligent & consistent with continued useage. So far I definitely suggest this gel for anyone that has uneven, oily, acne-prone, or large-pored skin... (Just made up a new word... PORED...) EDIT: It's been a while because I 4got that I had promised to follow-up on this product. Just remembered now... I'm giving this 2 stars because I can no longer use this product due to my extremely sensitive eyes. I would aply this product to my face @ night & my eyes would sting & become EXTREMELY photo-sensitive all throughout the next day. The first time was still bearable, but the next 2 times were absolutely PAINFUL!! My eyes were so sensitive that my contacts felt like they were scratching my eyes. My eyes would also tear if I did not have sunglasses on, & even the dim light in a restaurant was brutally painful on them. All of this ceased when I stopped using this product. I believe that the concentration of the glycolic acid is too much for eyes. Now I know that it is not meant for one's eyes, but how can it be avoided when your head hits the pillow each night? Product would come off my face & onto the pillow where it would then get stuck into my eyes. Now I NEVER have problems with products with lower glycolic acid concentrations. This 10% concentration just tears my eyes a part. Since glycolic acid removes layers of skin off of one's face, it is actually doing the same to the eyes if it comes in contact with them. It took 24 hours for my eyes 2 go back to normal after I stopped using this product. So even though the ressults are amazing for the skin, I had to give it 2 lippies because I was in hell for the duration of its use. Definitely not worth it @ all. I absolutely do not reccomend for ANYONE that has sensitive eyes or for contact lens wearers. Even though I do not wear contacts @ night, it was a real project trying to get them into my eyes the next morning due to the pain & discomfort. STAY AWAY!!!
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