Concealers -Napoleon Perdis - The One
Marsen 3/31/2013 12:21:00 AM
This is a medium salmon-colored corrector that's supposed to erase dark circles on most skintones, hence it only comes in one shade. Alas, this only works if you're at least an NC25 (maybe) or NC30. I'm about an NC20 and my circles are very dark, a purple-blue shade. While the corrector neutralized the discoloration, it looked like I had pinky-orange concealer under the eyes. I did apply a regular concealer on top and it only made matters worse by further darkening the circles and making the hollowed area look even deeper. It's a pity because the formula is far superior to Bobbi Brown's correctors; it's creamy yet very pigmented and blends beautifully without caking or emphasizing fine lines unlike BB. What I need is BB's Light Peach shade with Napoleon's formula...
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Burberry - Fresh Glow
Marsen 3/20/2013 11:47:00 PM
I wanted to replace my Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors with something lighter...much lighter. Becca's highlighters are beautiful, but as I get older my skin looks better with very light, almost invisible products. Ever since I switched to a BB cream I just want my skin to look like real skin, like you truly have nothing on, but still fresh and glowy. Fresh Glow serves that purpose. I've only used this as a highlighter on my cheekbones, nose and chin. As I use a BB cream I don't need a primer anyway. The product itself is like a gel, very light and blends completely into the skin if you rub it in. Only with a magnifying glass could you see the shimmer particles. To get a highlighting effect, I patted the product onto the skin and used 2-3 layers. It did not disturb my BB cream and since it's also a primer, it dried fast and lasted all day. Compared to Becca's SSP in Pearl specifically, Fresh Glow is much, much lighter in texture and much less glowy, producing a minimal highlighting effect. It really just looks like "freshly washed skin" or that satiny look of babies' skin when it catches the light. I'd probably have no use for it 10 years ago as the effect is very subtle and some might say non-existent, but it suits me now.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Cover Girl - Lip Perfection Jumbo Gloss Balm
Marsen 12/2/2012 2:01:00 AM
The display claims �sheer color, soft shine, soft feel� that create �petal soft lips�. I think this is pretty accurate, though some colors are more sheer that others. I picked up "Blush Twist" and "Watermelon Twist". "Blush Twist" is a sheer nude pink with barely visible gold shimmers that gives a soft sheen and make lips look poutier. It's a very lightweight yet moisturizing formula, so I don't feel the need to rub my lips together all the time and it lasts longer. I can't detect any scent or taste and I am very sensitive to this. "Watermelon Twist" was more pigmented than I expected (I wanted true translucent color), a warm medium pink with no shimmers. It felt just as soft and moisturizing though, just more pigmented. In comparison to Tarte's and Revlon's balms, these are not stains, just gloss balms. Compared to Revlon's butters, these are much smoother and lighter. They are most similar to Clinique Chubby Sticks, but I think only the 2 lightest colors ("Ballet Twist" and "Blush Twist") might be truly translucent as the Chubby Sticks. The rest might be a cross between the regular Chubby Sticks and Chubby Sticks Intense. I like this formula better than regular Chubby Sticks because it isn't slippery and lasts longer on my lips. I believe these retail for $7.99 at most drugstores, but I got them locally at 30% off and paid only $6, a real steal.
17 out of 17 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Giorgio Armani - Maestro Eraser Concealer
Marsen 10/2/2012 1:36:00 AM
I tried a generous sample in the shade 2.5, a medium peachy shade. I chose this shade to help counteract my purple-blue dark circles. The concealer feels very much like the matching foundation, only sliiiiightly more opaque. The alcohol, I was told, is naturally present in the lotus oil used in this line. Surprisingly, perhaps because of the warm weather still, it didn't dry out my sensitive under eye skin or exaggerate fine lines. It did, however, highlight some flaky patches. Because of the light texture, I wasn't expecting much coverage, just a slight blurring of the discoloration under the eyes. And that's exactly what it did, hardly any coverage, but the area looked brighter and looked just like my own skin. I would only recommend this concealer to normal-oily skin types that need minimal concealing and want a very natural, truly no-makeup look.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Brows -Anastasia Of Beverly Hills - Brow Wiz
Marsen 9/12/2012 12:59:00 AM
This is the only brow pencil that ever worked for me. What makes it special is it's so slim that you can draw feathery hairs on the skin that actually resemble real hairs. I've never been able to accomplish this with any other pencil, specially since I have oily skin. Like Anastasia's brow powders, these come in the most natural brow shades too. I use Medium Ash to draw tiny hairs where I'm missing brows and then set the pencil and add fullness with the brow powder. After brushing with a clean mascara wand, I'm left with the most natural, full-looking brows. It is very expensive ($20) for such a tiny amount of product; the lead inside is less than 2 inches long. However, I still feel it's a small price to pay for dream brows.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Wet 'n' Wild - Mega Last in Red Velvet
Marsen 8/25/2012 1:58:00 AM
I recently got into bold lipsticks and Megalast caught my attention. I've been looking for the perfect bright, cherry red and this is it. It's matte, but goes on semi-creamy. I blot it because I like it more as a stain. Stays well, no lip liner needed, I just fix the borders with a lip brush. Naturally, it's drying, but it's not super uncomfortable. For $2, you can't expect a luxury formula, but the color really is great. The other color I recommend is Purty Persimmon, a bright red-orange.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Masks -Unlisted Brand - Yogurt Mask
Marsen 8/24/2012 5:52:00 PM
It didn't do anything when I used it on the face. However, used "down there", it cured recurrent yeast infections that I had for 6 months straight caused by one single course of antibiotics. I had tried several courses of Difflucan, Nizoral tablets, home-made boric acid suppositories, tons of probiotics and nothing cured them. I used plain Greek yogurt and applied it externally for 5 days with a feminine pad, changing 3-4 times a day and wearing it to bed. It repopulated the good bacteria and gave me my sanity back.
27 out of 28 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Wet 'n' Wild - Natural Blend Lip Shimmer in Spice
Marsen 8/24/2012 1:43:00 AM
Spice 106 is a berry-pink shade. It's quite pigmented when you 1st apply it, but then sort of melts into the lips and sheers out. Staying power is great. Not super moisturizing, but not drying either. The shimmer is barely noticeable, just provides a little glow. This is an excellent dupe for MAC's Cyndi lipstick in terms of color and finish; it is more opaque and a little more pink than Cindy though. Can't beat the $1-$2 price tag!
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Lipstick -Revlon - Colorburst Lip Butter - Cherry Tart
Marsen 8/24/2012 1:41:00 AM
One of my favorite lip butters. It's actually very sheer and leans towards pink instead of a true red on the lips. The silver shimmers are barely noticeable and just provide some glossiness and fullness to the lips. This is a good dupe for MAC's Cyndi lipstick in terms of color and finish; it is slightly cooler than Cyndi and more sheer.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Essie - Fifth Avenue
Marsen 8/24/2012 1:36:00 AM
In my quest for the perfect orange-red Essie, I've accumulated quite a few seemingly identical shades. The quality of all these shades is the same: perfect in 2 coats. Here are the differences: Fifth Avenue has less orange than Geranium and One Of A Kind. 5th Ave is the darkest and most vivid red of these 3 shades. Under direct sunlight, it looks almost neon, but indoors it looks true red.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Essie - geranium
Marsen 8/24/2012 1:32:00 AM
In my quest for the perfect orange-red Essie, I've accumulated quite a few seemingly identical shades. The quality of all these shades is the same: perfect in 2 coats. Here are the differences: Geranium is quite similar to both One of a Kind and Fifth Avenue, however, Geranium has the most orange out of these 3 shades. Geranium is also a jelly-cream ("creally") formula and a very vivid shade. It's also similar to Clambake, but Geranium is more coral whereas Clambake is more of a tomato red and also a pure jelly. I ended up swapping Geranium because I much prefer OoaK and 5th Ave.
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Polishes -Essie - One of a Kind
Marsen 8/24/2012 1:26:00 AM
In my quest for the perfect orange-red Essie, I've accumulated quite a few seemingly identical shades. The quality of all these shades is the same: perfect in 2 coats. Here are the differences: One of a Kind is the lightest red between Geranium and Fifth Avenue; OoaK has less orange than Geranium and less red than 5th Ave. OoaK is the softest red in the bunch, a very demure kinda red, perfect for casual wear.
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Polishes -Essie - Capri
Marsen 8/24/2012 1:23:00 AM
Gorgeous bright orange cream. Very similar to Vermillionaire, but has less white pigment, making it less stark. Compared to Meet Me At Sunset, Capri is lighter and more of a true orange. Compared to Orange It's Obvious, Capri is softer and has less yellow pigment.
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Polishes -Essie - Vermillionaire
Marsen 8/24/2012 1:21:00 AM
A very bright, juicy orange cream bordering on neon. Compared to Capri, it's very similar, but Vermillionaire has white pigment mixed in, making it a much more vivid orange. Compared to Orange It's Obvious, it's lighter and less yellow. Applies beautifully in 2 coats.
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Polishes -Essie - Sandy Beach
Marsen 8/24/2012 1:19:00 AM
This is the perfect sheer nude with the perfect formula. In the bottle it looks like a beige pink, but once on the nail it morphs into "your nails but perfection". I usually apply 3 coats, but could stop at 2. No streaks, super glossy, very clean look. It makes my nails (and hands) look polished, fresh and youthful. I wear this a lot in the summer because it's so effortlessly chic. This is the only nail color I have a back-up for.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No