Palettes -LORAC - Unzipped
Marasy 3/12/2013 6:21:00 PM
This palette has a gorgeous array of brown shades, but in a way we don't see as often. As everyone else has said, all the shades have a unique rosy tone to them. I have a pale olive complexion with cool undertones, brown eyes and brown hair and these surprisingly look very pretty on me, despite the shades seeming like they wouldn't work for a cool skin tone. There are 3 matte shades, 5 metallic shades and one sort of satiny highlight shade. The only shade I don't use much is Undiscovered, the gold shade, as I find it a bit too warm for my liking. The quality of these eye shadows are just as excellent as Urban Decay. They are very pigmented, including the mattes, soft but not as soft as in Lorac's Pro palette. The packaging is very portable and has a mirror, always a plus. I'm not very fond of the cardboard packaging and would have preferred a plastic or tin case. Overall, I am glad I finally decided to get this palette. I kept waffling back and forth because I wasn't sure if the colors would work on me, and also because I have several neutral palettes already, including both Urban Decay Naked palettes, the Too Faced Naked and Natural palettes, and a Tarte Neutral Eyes Vol. II palette. Lorac's Unzipped is unique to all these. The only shades close to theirs were Urban Decay's Toasted, Hustle, YDK, and perhaps Busted. But these are spread among the two Nakeds, and none are matte. So I would recommend taking a chance on this.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Tinted Moisturizer -Neutrogena - Healthy Skin Enhancer SPF 20
Marasy 3/7/2012 12:05:00 AM
I like this foundation/ tinted moisturizer the more I use it. It provides light coverage, more so than some tinted moisturizers, and looks natural and skin like. I was worried about the Retinol as I hadn't tried anything else with this ingredient before but I have not had any negative reaction to it. I think it really may be improving my skin texture as it has been looking brighter lately but then that could be just getting a full night's sleep. :) I do find it odd that I need to use the lightest shade (Ivory/Fair) as even that shade looks like it would be too dark for very fair ladies, but on me it blends in well.
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Foundations -Neutrogena - Healthy Skin Glow Sheers SPF 30
Marasy 3/6/2012 11:46:00 PM
This product was just okay for me. It is a decent moisturizing foundation, so I used it on days when my skin is a bit dry. But they are not kidding about the sheerness of it; make sure you have a concealer for problem spots. Also I use a powder over it because it does make your skin dewy. I'm not so sure about the "glow" aspect of this; perhaps the dewiness is the glow. A positive thing about it is how high the SPF is, and it is not comedogenic.. Overall, this would be good for those with generally dry skin who don't need a lot of coverage.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Crème -Cover Girl - AquaSmooth SPF15 Make-up
Marasy 3/6/2012 11:30:00 PM
This has been a great foundation for me, especially when my skin is having a dry day. The coverage is light to medium and very easy to build up. Even though it can go on light since it is a cream it covers better than a tinted moisturizer, and looks very natural. I just make sure to put powder on because my skin is oily. It goes on very soft and I forget I'm wearing it. I would guesstimate that it lasts at least 6 hours before a touch up is necessary. Unfortunately I do go through this quicker than other foundations.
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Palettes -Tarte - Soft & Smokey 5-piece Color Collection
Marasy 10/3/2011 9:58:00 PM
If you can still get this kit I say go for it. The eyeshadows are pigmented but still look "soft". They are taupey and neutral but so pretty and not boring.They include Shimmering Buff, Shimmering Sable, Shimmering Cocoa and Matte Coffee Bean. The Lights, Cameras, Lashes mascara is great at separating and gives a natural fullness to your lashes. The eyeliner is a bit wetter than I am used to but does stay on and has not smudged on me. The Amazonian Clay blush in Wonder is a peachy pink with lots of gold shimmer; not the most unique color and a tad too peachy on me but pretty and very pigmented. The lipgloss is a mauvey pink, not unique either but a nice color and moisturizing too. Overall I'm happy with this kit. I hadn't tried their blushes yet and the first eyeshadow palette (Day to Night Couture) I bought left me a bit disappointed but I'm glad I gave them another chance.
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Misc Beauty Tools -Urban Decay - the revolution eyelash curler
Marasy 10/3/2011 9:02:00 PM
I initially really liked this lash curler - until I realized it guillotined the outer corner of my lashes on my right eye! Its not noticeable that I have stubby lashes on one corner, but I'm not really sure I want to risk using again. I did like that I could get my outer and inner corners curled, (a pet peeve of mine is not being able to curl my the corners) and didn't give you that kink in your lashes, just a soft natural looking curl. The cons, other than previously stated: It can be a little time consuming to work with because I do end up re-curling a couple times on each eye. Also when I first bought it it felt a little stiff, like I really had to squeeze down hard to get it to close but I put WD-40 on all the hinges and loosened it up. In addition, the bottom does not line up exactly with the bottom rubber pad, and the hinges are a little wobbly. I'm guessing my eyelashes were cut off because they ended up lying on bare metal instead of the rubber. I can manually realign it easily but not while its on my eye. So I'm undecided on this curler.I don't regret buying it and don't plan to return it because I want to continue to work with it. I like the concept of it and it does work quite well but the design needs to be tweaked a bit. I'm still not sure if I can forgive it for chopping off my eyelashes...
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Misc Beauty Tools -Remington - Smooth & Silky Epilator Kit EP 6025
Marasy 8/15/2011 2:09:00 PM
I am new to epilating and was so desperate to try something else that I bought the Remington without reading reviews and because it was the cheapest ($60) at my Target. The reason I became so desperate is because I have had an issue with my legs becoming incredibly itchy for three years now. I did not know what was going on with them but I thought I had some sort of eczema except the descriptions I read online were not matching up to my symptoms. I mentioned to my doctor that my legs were very itchy and without looking at them she prescribed a $30 small bottle of lotion that did not help. I switched soaps, tried no soap at all and still they were itchy. My legs were also getting large raised sores that itched. On top of that, I was scratching them and leaving scabs and red areas on my legs. I cut up some of my dad's old socks and put them on my legs to keep myself from scratching. I had just bought maxi dresses because I was starting to accept that my legs were hopeless. This is all recent, in fact my legs are not healed yet from all the damage that I and apparently a razor have done to them. Finally on a visit with my brother he noticed I was scratching again and took a look at my legs. He exclaimed 'Oh, that's how my face looks when I use a straight razor.' Apparently our hair grows in so thick that it irritates the skin (making it unbearably itchy) and causes ingrowns, leading to those large sores I was getting. He recommended that I try something that would make the hair grow in finer, like waxing or maybe even an electric razor since that was what he was using on his face. It doesn't seem to cause as much razor burn as a straight razor for him. So I just bought the Remington last Thursday, used it the same day and now it is Monday. I think there may be hope. I used this on my legs as soon as I got home, and it did take while and did hurt. (My legs had a weeks' growth at the time so I was especially furry). This so far has not caused any horrible itching, though it has only been a couple of days. While this does not make my legs feel as smooth as a razor since it can't seem to grab the tiny invisible stubble, it makes my legs look better than they ever have with shaving. With shaving my legs would always have that dark hair under the skin look, and it wouldn't feel particularly good either, the hair would break the surface within about 24 hours. So lots of planning ahead with outfits, and actually this summer I have worn shorts only once in public, dresses maybe three times. And I live in the desert, where it really is too hot to wear jeans year round. I tried this on my arms and underarms as well, and boy is it painful, at least this first time. But my arms turned out pretty smooth and my underarms very smooth as well. It has been 4 days and I don't need to epilate my underarms again yet. This is a miracle for me. Before I could get away with one day of going sleeveless, then would have to wait two days to shave because the hair would grow in fast but be too short to shave without major irritation. So overall, this epilator is potentially a life saver. I will have to wait and see what happens when the hair removed by the epilator grows in again, if it will be incredibly itchy as before. I have been doing touch ups on the hair that is still growing in from when I shaved a week before and so far I have not been itchy. I am making sure to exfoliate well since removing hair from below the surface can lead to more ingrown hair, but I already had that problem with shaving. I guess my whole point is: if you are having issues with shaving, try the epilator. It is a bit time consuming and painful (at least initially) but a more long lasting solution. And no dark shadow on your armpits and legs!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair Color -L'Oreal - Feria in Violet Soft Black
Marasy 8/6/2011 11:09:00 PM
Wow is this color totally misrepresented by L'oreal. On the box is pictured a deep cool toned violet-black color. My hair turned out to be deep burgundy, not at all a blackened purple. It is a pretty color but I generally don't keep my hair burgundy long as I feel it is harder to coordinate makeup and clothes with a color like this. Hence why the color on the box looked attractive to me. And I agree, the conditioner does not feel conditioning well at all. That's what I get for breaking my ban on animal tested products. I'm going back to Revlon Colorsilk, with the no ammonia and good conditioner.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Urban Decay - All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray
Marasy 7/3/2011 4:03:00 PM
I have less than a third of my bottle left so I think it is time for me to review this. I have oily skin and live in a dry desert. This product has a dual purpose for me: making my skin not look so powdery; sometimes I put too much powder on, and this makes it look like normal skin again, a satin finish.The second purpose it for setting my entire makeup look, so shininess does not ruin it. This does both excellently. My friend always comments on how my makeup doesn't smudge. I cannot say how well this works in humidity but it works great in an air-conditioned environment and also outside when it is over 100 degrees. I do still have to blot in the early afternoon but my face is not nearly as shiny as it would have been otherwise. I would definitely purchase this again but may try the De-Slick Oil Control since it is formulated for oily skinned girls, and also for a more matte finish. I kind of wish they would make the bottle more pretty though, like a giant version of their Primer Potion Genie bottle would be neat.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Essie - Aruba Blue
Marasy 5/29/2011 10:03:00 PM
Aruba Blue reminds me of the color a new car might be, a slightly metallic sapphire blue. This somehow glows as well. I tried it on one fingernail on each hand and liked it but I may like it more on my toes. I also don't like how they are putting stickers on the bottles because it does make it look cheap, but I peel off the stickers. I do like the name of the polish on top of the bottle though. I hope they don't discontinue the embossed glass bottles, I like how classy and simple they are.
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Polishes -Essie - Buy Me A Cameo
Marasy 5/29/2011 9:50:00 PM
Buy Me A Cameo is such a pretty pinked taupe with silver frost. The frost isn't ridiculous or juvenile. Unlike typical Essie polishes however, this can chip quite easily. Its not as noticeable as darker shades but you will have to touch up or remove this color after a couple of days. Still, this color is unique to me and worth the extra effort.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Essie - Nice is Nice
Marasy 5/29/2011 9:22:00 PM
I had been waiting to find a nice pastel lilac for quite awhile. Only recently I have had access to Essie and once I saw this color I had no problem spending eight dollars on it. This was my second Essie polish. I had previously tried a similar color from Revlon and it was so streaky and horrible to work with that I gave up after a couple attempts. Nice is Nice, however applies easily with no streakiness and is opaque in two coats. Also I notice Essie polishes don't seem to take long at all to dry, something I appreciate since I often forget to give my nails ample time to dry before I smudge it. This is such a pretty, feminine color, a good alternative if you're not into brighter purples but tired of natural colors.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Essie - Coat Azure
Marasy 5/29/2011 9:07:00 PM
This is a pretty medium sky blue that is not too bright but not so muted it looks blah when on. Actually I tested this on my husband's toes ( he's such a good sport) and I only needed one coat for it to look opaque. In the bottle you can see a tiny bit of silver shimmer but once on it is hardly noticeable, it is just enough to brighten the shade up a bit. I'm a little afraid of too neon a blue (just seems unsophisticated to me for some reason) but this is gorgeous. Oh, I am new to Essie and I have to say I really like the embossed brand name in the glass bottle. Nice and simple but classy.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - I Vant To Be A-Lone Star
Marasy 5/29/2011 8:52:00 PM
I Vant to be a Lone Star looks like a pale, greyish muted sky blue with a slight pearlescent quality in the bottle. On me however, it turns more into a muted light sky blue with not much hint of gray to it. It is also much more pearlescent than it appears. Though it is not as gray as I expected, I really enjoy this color especially for spring and summer. I do not already own any light blue polishes and am glad I have this one as it isn't a pastel or bright light blue. I have a pale olive tone and this looks nice and cheerful on my toes.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Silver Shatter
Marasy 5/29/2011 8:43:00 PM
This is my first shatter and I like to use it to spice up nearly any color when I am starting to get tired of it. I am glad this has a metallic finish as well instead of a creamy one, makes it more interesting. For me, it was quite easy to make it shatter as long as you apply in even coats, and not too thick. Also I put it on after a coat of Seche Vite, and it shatters fine. The silver does have a matte finish after it dries so you will probably want to apply a top coat.
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