Loose Powders -Trish McEvoy - Correct and Brighten Loose Powder SPF15
Maderine 4/12/2011 10:59:00 PM
I purchased this after reading a stellar review on cosmeticscop.com. The price is relatively reasonable (I've certainly paid more for less), though it's on the higher side. The packaging is a small, pretty and plain sifter jar. I bought this on the Trish McEvoy website along with The Point brush, which is a tiny, tapered brush the likes of which I'd never seen before. Shipping was fast and they included some very nice samples with my order. Ok, so how does it work? Let me preface my answer by saying that I seem to have reactions to just about every sunscreen out there, including zinc- or titanium-dioxide formulas. Being fair skinned and freckle-prone, however, I need to find something with SPF that I can wear daily. I read the C&B ingredients as listed on the website; they seemed pretty simple and I figured there couldn't possibly be anything in there that would cause me to get the itchy red bumps that I get with everything--EVERYTHING--else. Unfortunately, that's not been exactly the way it's worked out for me. Not to say that this isn't a great product... This is a feather-light powder, and it's easy to shake just enough into the lid without making a huge mess. I got Shade 1, which is the fairest shade available. It doesn't look super-fair in the container, but it seems pretty forgiving, as if it would actually work for a variety of lighter skin shades and tones. It applies very smoothly and nicely with The Point brush, and it does a good job of evening out my complexion and minimizing the appearance of my rosacea. It is light (maybe light-plus) coverage, though, to be sure. Over a period of time it melts into my skin and looks like I'm not wearing anything, which I really like. I tend to be dry and occasionally have flaky patches, but this doesn't make them stand out like many powders do. It doesn't oxidize or get cakey, and it provides good sun protection. But, and it's a big but: I'm reacting to something in it. If I wear this for one day and cleanse well afterward, I'm ok except for maybe one itchy spot. If I try to wear it for several days in a row...well, let's just say that I never wear this for several days in a row, at least not since the first time I tried it. I love this foundation and the look (and SPF!) I get with it, but it's not perfect as far as my finicky skin is concerned. I'll still use it, and I might even purchase again, but Holy Grail this is not. Ingredients from the Trish McEvoy website: ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: ZINC OXIDE 25%. OTHER INGREDIENTS: BORON NITRIDE, ZINC STEARATE, BISABOLOL, POPULUS TREMULOIDES BARK EXTRACT, SODIUM DEHYDRO ACETATE, ASCORBYL PALMI- TATE, TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE. MAY CONTAIN (+/-): MICA (CI 77019), TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), ULTRA- MARINES (CI 77007), IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499). Um, why does it have quaking aspen bark extract in it? I don't know. EDIT: I wrote this review a year or so ago originally, before the Correct and Brighten powder had its own listing. I went to the TMcE website to order another, and it's no longer there. Alas! Has it been discontinued?
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -NYX - lipgloss with mega shine
Maderine 3/5/2011 4:20:00 PM
I went through a major makeup purge recently and rediscovered these awesome glosses in the process. I have Beige, Garnet, Natural, and Nutmeg, and all are just great. They impart a semi-opaque layer of color with a nice (not glassy) shine, and they moisturize beautifully--my lips always feel better after a day of wearing them than they did prior to application! The doe-foot applicator is kind of long, which was weird at first, but now I'm used to it. The color of the glosses stays true and doesn't feather, which surprised me; I've worn some beautiful-colored glosses by NARS (most notably Bloodwork) that left me looking positively dreadful after a couple of hours, with lines I never knew I had showing up bright and clear. I haven't spent a full day in Garnet, so for all I know that might feather, but the other three do not. With regard to the cherry cough-drop fragrance, it seems that people either love it or hate it. It is strong, but I don't smell it a few minutes after application (and I kind of like it, anyway). I have super sensitive skin, including my lips, and I was a little worried at first that something that had a significant amount of fragrance might be irritating, but the reverse has proven to be true. (I wear L'Oreal Color Juice glosses, too, and they smell every bit as strong if not stronger.) All in all, these are impressive, inexpensive glosses, and I'm glad to have found them (again!).
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Lip Treatments -Eucerin - Aquaphor Healing Ointment for Lips
Maderine 3/2/2011 1:01:00 PM
I know that many people swear by plain old Aquaphor for chapped lips, but it never seemed to do anything for mine. I always got the feeling that it just didn't stick around long enough, I guess. I do use Aquaphor on my hands and face, so it's not that I don't like it, but for heavy-duty chapped lips, it wasn't the magic bullet I'd hoped for. This product, on the other hand, works much better for me. It seems thicker and somehow more adherent. I use it mostly at bedtime, and it keeps my lips soft and moisturized until morning. It has a light, pleasant scent that I can't smell at all once applied. There is a very faint sweet taste that I hardly notice. I like how I can apply it around my lips as well as on the lips themselves, and it moisturizes without causing irritation or breakouts. All in all, a really great product--probably one of the best drugstore lip products I've ever used, in fact.
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Lips -Vasanti - Tinted Lip Balm
Maderine 3/2/2011 12:51:00 PM
I got this on a recent trip to Canada, and it was one of those great spur-of-the-moment purchases that happens when all of the stars are in alignment and sunspot activity is minimal. I got the shade Colombia, which is a beautiful brownish rose with no shimmer. It applies easily, color is sheer but definitely there, and it imparts a lovely glossy finish to the lips. I have to apply frequently, which is no problem. It's not as moisturizing as Lancome's Juicy Tubes or the Lipstick Queen Shine glosses, but it's not drying, either. I like how there's no sunscreen in this product, because I can't wear sunscreen on my lips, but I know that would be considered a negative for some. These are so user-friendly and beautiful, I wish I had purchased more colors!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Burt's Bees - Tinted Lip Balm
Maderine 3/2/2011 12:41:00 PM
I'm not a big Burt's Bees fan; except for their Baby Bee line, none of the products I've tried have done much for me. I'm on a huge tinted lip balm kick right now, though (along with the rest of the world), and when I saw this display I had to try it. I don't have much more to add than has already been said: SHEER color (but color--I have Red Dahlia and it makes my lips rosy); need to apply frequently, as with most balms; wonderful faint fragrance but no flavor; no sunscreen, which is great for those of us whose lips can't tolerate sunscreen; no need to use a mirror to apply; reasonably priced. I plan to try another shade and keep these in my everyday rotation!
Can't beat these ingredients: coconut oil vegetable oil beeswax olive fruit oil candelilla wax sunflower seed oil aroma lanolin shea butter castor seed oil cananga odorata flower wax jasmine flower wax ammonium glycyrrhizinate tocopherol rosemary leaf extract soybean oil canola oil
May contain: alumina titanium dioxide carmine (WATCH OUT VEGANS--per Wiki, this could be from either cochineal beetles or from microbes engineered to produce this pigment) iron oxides
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Lancome - Juicy Tubes in Moulin Rose
Maderine 3/2/2011 12:32:00 PM
This is my first experience with Juicy Tubes. I swapped for Moulin Rose and then swapped for a back-up! I love rose fragrances, but many rose lip products (Smith's, BeneFit) smell just too OTT for me. This is a perfect, light rose fragrance. There is a slight sweet taste to the gloss that doesn't bother me. It applies as expected for a standard slant-top tube--sometimes sloppy, sometimes just right. I prefer to squeeze a bit onto a clean finger then apply. It adds a very (very) faint pink tint to the lips, but the gloss and moisturizing properties are great. I wear this when I don't want to think about what to wear and/or when my lips are dry and need some TLC.
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Lip Treatments -Neutrogena - Revitalizing lip balm
Maderine 2/27/2011 5:20:00 PM
I love tinted lip balms and the color of this one (I got Fresh Plum, which turned out to be a warm, sheer, plummy-pink) looked beautiful. It was just as pretty on as I had hoped, and it had a really nice finish--not glossy, not tacky, but just right. Application was a breeze with the oval shape of the product, and I thought I had Holy Grail material for about three hours. Unfortunately, however, that was about as long as this product worked for me. My lips became very flaky and cracked in less than a day, and the more I applied this in an attempt to heal them, the worse they became. I almost never throw products away, but I went home after work and tossed this one. I guess I'm sensitive to something in it--I would guess the most likely candidate is the sunscreen, but I'm not sure.
I'm actually really sad that this didn't work for me, because it was truly pretty on. I don't want this review to discourage anyone from trying it, and believe me when I say I wish I could wear it, but if you're sensitive to chemical sunscreens, be careful.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Styli-Style - Lip Innovations Timeless Lipstick Demi-Matte
Maderine 2/20/2011 5:56:00 PM
I picked this up on a recent trip to Canada as Styli-Style isn't sold where I live. I frankly thought that it would be another mis-step in my world of matte lipsticks--I've tried them all, from MAC to Sally Hansen to Wet-n-Wild to Revlon to Estee Lauder to Tarte and on and on--but I am amazed with this product. It isn't too opaque, which is great for me as I prefer more of a natural look and this allows the color of the product (I got Matte Cafe) to "work" with the color of my lips. It is, indeed, matte, but not the Ruby-Woo matte that makes my lips flake and crack. It's not a moist matte, either, but more of a natural-lip matte. It wears reasonably well--about on-par with other non-matte lipsticks. It doesn't bleed, it fades evenly, and best of all it doesn't cause my lips to dry out and feel miserably chapped. I wish I'd purchased every color when I had the chance! I thought Styli-Style was cheap, dollar-store quality makeup. Maybe it is, I don't know. But this product is terrific! I'm including a link to the manufacturer's web site for any interested parties because I want to share the love: http://www.stylistyle.com/StyliStyle-Lip-Innovations-Timeless-Lipstick-DemiMatte/M/B00275WE7S.htm
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Lansinoh Lanolin
Maderine 10/27/2010 9:46:00 PM
I've been through a lot of Lansinoh with my two boys (FWIW, it makes a GREAT barrier diaper-area ointment, too), but I only recently started using it on my lips and cuticles. This stuff is a MIRACLE. I put it on at night before bed and it's still there in the morning. My lips hardly dry out and flake anymore. If I use it on my cuticles 3 times a week or so, they look amazing, too--and I wash my hands about 20 times a day, not counting dishes/cleaning. I have QTICA's cuticle cream and like it, but my cuticles like Lansinoh better.
I have read that even those allergic to wool can use this, as it's super-purified...that said, I'm not sure I'd rub it all over my lips without doing a test-patch first, if I were allergic.
Anyway, I love love love Lansinoh. My $7 tube has lasted me more than a year, and I've probably got 2/3 of the tube remaining. I don't have ANY other lip treatment that works this well or is this affordable over time. I wish it came in pretty colors so I could wear it to work, but alas, you can't have everything. (I would actually wear it to work if I weren't a lip color addict, truthfully--there's no yellowish cast, just a gentle sheen. It's thick and gloppy, true, but if that's the price I have to pay for smooth, happy lips, so be it.)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Tarte - LipSurgence Natural Matte Lip Stain in Envy
Maderine 10/3/2010 2:01:00 PM
I love lip stains and am always looking for something wonderful that I can use in the morning and not worry about again until noon. So far, however, I've not found exactly the right thing. When I first saw this Tarte "stain" (not really a stain, more like a waxy lip pencil), I thought it would be worth a try. But $24 later, I am so disappointed with it. "Envy" is a beautiful color and it looks great when first applied, but contrary to the claims that these pencils increase moisture content by 6000% (I kid you not; see here for proof that Tarte made this ridiculous claim: http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P266116&categoryId=C12001), it is actually incredibly drying to my lips. I put it on in the morning and 1 hour later I'm either chewing on my lips or I have to go hunting for a gloss or balm to put over it. Adding a gloss or balm, of course, causes the product to last a shorter period of time on the lips, making this no better or longer-lasting than any other lip product.
The packaging is a disappointment, too. After no more than 4 uses, the product broke off at the base (inside the twist-up tube) and is now impossible to use unless I take it out of the tube and use my fingers to apply. For this price, I would at least expect the packaging to be reliable, but no.
It's too bad that this didn't work for me, as the color is truly beautiful. But besides that, I guess I'm disappointed in myself for believing the claims from Tarte regarding the magical nature of this lip product. I'm a 40+ year-old scientist, for heaven's sake. I should know better.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -Stila - Pretty in Paris Palette
Maderine 9/4/2010 10:48:00 PM
Does this look like the Spiced Chocolate quad from MAC's Cult of Cherry collection to anybody else but me? I was ecstatic to find this palette!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Unlisted Brand - Tazorac
Maderine 8/30/2010 11:09:00 AM
I love, love, love Tazorac. In the last 10 years or so, I've tried Differin (did nothing for me), Retin-A (burned, hurt, made my skin flake and fall off...even after months of use), and then, finally, Tazorac. An MUA friend told me to start by using it once a month, then go to once every two weeks, then once a week, and so on, until I found the frequency that worked for me without causing irritation. I use it about 2 times a week now--sometimes 3--and it has done wonderful things for my aging skin. My skin is more plump and moisturized, with fewer flaking episodes or breakouts. My pores are smaller and the very fine wrinkles I have here and there are definitely less noticeable. As an extra benefit, it really helps keep my rosacea under control, as well. I still peel and flake from time to time, but it's minor, and nothing like as awful as with Retin-A.
The one thing I think is important for all users to know is that the CREAM has mineral oil in it. So if your derm gives you the cream and you feel like it's making your skin oily, it probably is. My skin is dry, so I like the cream formula--it is actually somewhat moisturizing for me. But if your skin is oily, give consideration to trying the GEL, which has no mineral oil in it.
This is expensive for me, but I agree with previous reviews that it's a heck of a lot cheaper than buying a bunch of high-end skincare products that won't work half as well.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Wet 'n' Wild - ColorIcon Palette in Lust [DISCONTINUED]
Maderine 8/3/2010 10:23:00 PM
I am shocked at the awesomemess that is this palette. I have Lust and Vanity and both are every bit as amazing as everyone says. I have other e/s by MAC, Tarte, NYX, Mary Kay, Jill Stuart, mark, Prescriptives, and Bobbi Brown, and this stands up to them all (and beats most) in terms of depth of color, intensity, consistency, and generalized gorgeousness. What a drugstore jewel!
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Liquid -Clinique - Almost Makeup [DISCONTINUED]
Maderine 8/2/2010 1:24:00 AM
Oh, I loved this foundation so much. It was easy to apply, melded seamlessly with my skin, evened out my blotchy redness (rosacea) and blotchy brownness (sun damage, which we'll euphemistically refer to as freckles), and left a dewy, perfect canvas for the rest of my makeup. I had expected a much more casual, TM-like coverage from the name of the product, but this covered extremely well for me. It was absolutely beautiful...until the rash.
I'm not smacking down this product, because for a dry-skinned person with rosacea or irregular pigmentation, it would probably be amazing. But for a dry-skinned, sensitive, reactive person with rosacea, it was a no-go. After two or three days of wear, I developed an intensely itchy rash on my cheeks. I quit wearing the foundation and calmed my skin down with hydrocortisone. After 3-4 days or so, my skin was back to normal. I tried Almost Makeup again, because it had looked SO good, and KAPOW! Instant rash! It was truly hideous, not to mention uncomfortable.
As good as Clinique's products tend to be in the hypo-allergenic department, this one didn't work for me. If you have finicky skin, I'd urge you to try wearing it for a few days before purchasing, or purchase at a place that will let you return it if your face turns red, itches, and then sloughs off in big patches like mine did.
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Powder -Trish McEvoy - Mineral Powder Foundation ALL
Maderine 8/2/2010 1:09:00 AM
This review is for Trish's Correct and Brighten Loose Mineral Powder SPF 15. I purchased this after reading a stellar review on cosmeticscop.com. The price is relatively reasonable (I've certainly paid more for less), though it's on the higher side. The packaging is a small, pretty and plain sifter jar. I bought this on the Trish McEvoy website along with The Point brush, which is a tiny, tapered brush the likes of which I'd never seen before. Shipping was fast and they included some very nice samples with my order.
Ok, so how does it work? Let me preface my answer by saying that I seem to have reactions to just about every sunscreen out there, including zinc- or titanium-dioxide formulas. Being fair skinned and freckle-prone, however, I need to find something with SPF that I can wear daily. I read the C&B ingredients as listed on the website; they seemed pretty simple and I figured there couldn't possibly be anything in there that would cause me to get the itchy red bumps that I get with everything--EVERYTHING--else. Unfortunately, that's not been exactly the way it's worked out for me. Not to say that this isn't a great product...
This is a feather-light powder, and it's easy to shake just enough into the lid without making a huge mess. I got Shade 1, which is the fairest shade available. It doesn't look super-fair in the container, but it seems pretty forgiving, as if it would actually work for a variety of lighter skin shades and tones. It applies very smoothly and nicely with The Point brush, and it does a good job of evening out my complexion and minimizing the appearance of my rosacea. It is light (maybe light-plus) coverage, though, to be sure. Over a period of time it melts into my skin and looks like I'm not wearing anything, which I really like. I tend to be dry and occasionally have flaky patches, but this doesn't make them stand out like many powders do. It doesn't oxidize or get cakey, and it provides good sun protection. But, and it's a big but: I'm reacting to something in it. If I wear this for one day and cleanse well afterward, I'm ok except for maybe one itchy spot. If I try to wear it for several days in a row...well, let's just say that I never wear this for several days in a row, at least not since the first time I tried it.
I love this foundation and the look (and SPF!) I get with it, but it's not perfect as far as my finicky skin is concerned. I'll still use it, and I might even purchase again, but Holy Grail this is not.
Ingredients from the Trish McEvoy website: ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: ZINC OXIDE 25%. OTHER INGREDIENTS: BORON NITRIDE, ZINC STEARATE, BISABOLOL, POPULUS TREMULOIDES BARK EXTRACT, SODIUM DEHYDRO ACETATE, ASCORBYL PALMI- TATE, TRIETHOXYCAPRYLYLSILANE. MAY CONTAIN (+/-): MICA (CI 77019), TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), ULTRA- MARINES (CI 77007), IRON OXIDES (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499).
Um, why does it have quaking aspen bark extract in it? I don't know.
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