Polishes -Sinful - Let Me Go
MaureenAnn 5/15/2013 9:08:00 AM
The color in the bottle is beautiful. It appears to be an amethyst purple duochrome with flashes of gold, silver and rose. Unfortunately it doesn't look anything like that on my nails. It's a very light, sheer silvery color that morphs from pink to blue to light copper. While it's pretty, it's not what I expected. It took 4 coats to completely cover my nails. It was easy to apply, dried quickly and seems to be holding up better than some other Sinful polishes I've tried. Two days and no chips or tip wear. I don't think I'll wear it on it's own again, but I think I'm going to play with this and layer it over cool-toned dark colors and see what happens.
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Polishes -Sinful - Vacation Time
MaureenAnn 5/5/2013 8:19:00 PM
I give this polish mixed reviews. The color is gorgeous. A save rosy/brown neutral that would look good on just about every skin tone. It gives a pop of color but doesn't come across as garish or flashy. Very pretty. Application is easy without streaks, but it took no less than 4 coats get opaque coverage. I also noticed it wears off easily. Also, for some odd reason it doesn't seem to set well on my nails. I applied it in the morning and the shine looked decent all day. When I woke up the next morning, it was dull and matte looking. I applied another coat of color and by lunchtime it was starting to wear again. I've given it a layer of clear top coat and I'm hoping this will preserve the finish. I'd buy it again, but it does take a bit of work to keep it looking good for more than a day or two.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Cover Girl - Outlast Stay Brilliant Forever Fawn
MaureenAnn 4/23/2013 12:44:00 PM
Perfect, safe-for-work nude polish. I'm a MAC NC35 and this matches my skin tone perfectly. Forever Fawn is a gorgeous, sheer but buildable nude color that is perfect for a natural but polished look. This applies beautifully. No streaks or blobs and the brush grabs the perfect amount every time. One coat gives the same effect as clear polish, but with a hint of a nude wash. Two coats provides more opacity. The natural whites of my nails are still visible through two coats, but barely. Brushmarks smooth out beautifully leaving a perfectly smooth coat of polish that looks like a professional manicure. I don't have the steadiest hands in the world so the fact that his applied so well for a klutz like me is nothing short of a miracle. Two days and it's wearing well without chips. A definite keeper. I know a lot of people don't like the packaging, but I don't have a problem with the shorter brush. I find polish easier to apply with a short brush anyway. The large square cap may be cumbersome for some people, but I really didn't have a problem with it. I love the fact that it resembles Chanel's bottles of nail polish, too. A very nice accent on my vanity.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Cover Girl - Outlast Stay Brilliant Bronze Beauty
MaureenAnn 4/23/2013 10:49:00 AM
Pleasantly surprised by this product. My nails have been bare for years so I decided to jump on the grooming train and go back to manicuring. I bought a few polishes at Target and wasn't really sure what to expect of Cover Girl Outlast. I used Cover Girl polishes back in the day and I remembered the quality was fairly good so i decided to give it a shot. Awesome! This color is more of a taupey/pewter shade than bronze, but that's what I like about it. It looks the same in the package as it does on my nails. It's not a mirror finish, not a glitter, and not a satin. Not sure how I'd define the finish, but it sure does catch the light in a beautiful way. Looks nice indoors, but wait 'til you see it in sunlight! Pow! If you like vibrant, metallic shades then this is for you. One coat provided complete coverage with a beautiful shiny finish. I'm currently on day 3 with no chips at all. I'm really rough on manicures so that's saying a lot! I know a lot of people aren't fond of the packaging, but my clumsy manicuring skills weren't really effected at all by the shorter brush and square cap. I tend to prefer shorter brushes for nail polish anyway since I have less of a struggle applying with a short brush. Plus, I think the packaging is really pretty. It resembles Chanel's nail polish bottles and has a nice, contemporary look on my vanity.
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Polishes -Sally Hansen - Nailgrowth Miracle Nail Polish
MaureenAnn 4/5/2013 10:27:00 AM
I haven't used Sally Hansen products in years, but I do remember that the polishes really did strengthen my nails well. After years of going au naturelle, I decided to go back to painting my nails and wanted to stick with what I thought was best. The application process was awful. I bought a sheer pinky shade thinking that it would hide any application goofs. Wrong! The brush picks up way too much polish and no matter how i tried, my nails ended up looking like a goopy, blotchy mess. I tried swiping the brush several times on the bottle neck, but it still dripped from the stem to the brush resulting in a messy overapplication every time. Pity because the color was really pretty, but it was just too cumbersome to apply it well. I still end up having to repaint at least one nail out of 10 when changing color, I think I'm slowly mastering it. Now, for the good points: It's definitely doing an excellent job of protecting my nails. They're so much stronger with this polish than when they're natural. It's also very durable. I've gone an easy 4 days with no chips at all. A miracle for me. I'm still going to be looking for a polish that's easier to apply, but I don't hate this stuff as much as I did in the beginning.
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Styling Products -Frederic Fekkai - Technician Glaze
MaureenAnn 6/3/2006 11:01:00 AM
I've tried so many hair serums and balms over the years and had no luck at all. I've been growing out my hair for a while and the longer my hair gets, the frizzier it appears - especially when the weather is humid. Every serum I tried made my hair look dirty and weighed down. Finally in desperation I tried Fekkai's Technician Glaze and the results were incredible. It gave my hair a very polished look without weighing down my waves. It also gave my hair a healthy shimmer. It didn't look dirty/shiny, but it did make the hair shaft look smoother and very healthy. My highlights really looked amazing. This stuff is a definite keeper. It only takes 2 or 3 drops on medium to long hair so a 4.2 oz bottle will last me for some time. It's definitely worth the money. As for the scent, I really didn't notice it. It definitely didn't scent my hair, but that's fine w/me.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -mark - Fig Basil
MaureenAnn 1/5/2006 7:43:00 PM
A coworker of mine at a day-care center is an Avon/mark rep and I'm always checking out the mark catalogs for inexpensive goodies. Fig Basil EDT was on sale for 50% off so I figured I'd buy it without trying it because it was such a value. When my package arrived I sprayed some on right away. A few minutes later, we were rounding up all the kids for "circle time" when one of the little girls came up to me and said "Miss Maureen, your hair smells soooooo pretty!" (I always spray fragrance in my hair instead of on my skin). Within seconds the entire class swarmed around me to get a sniff and they were as close to intoxicated as a 4 yr old can get. I was hooked right then and there. My husband likes it, too! The packaging is very sleek and modern looking so it looks cute on my vanity. The scent is definitely strong w/fig notes but the basil note isn't as noticeable to me. It's more of a sweet scent than herbal, but I still like it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -mark - Karmala [DISCONTINUED]
MaureenAnn 12/18/2005 12:26:00 AM
I've never really had a signature scent in my life, but after wearing Karmala for a few weeks I think I may finally found one. I'm not great at describing scents, but to my nose it smells like a smokey, incense-ish type of vanilla with a hint of a warm floral note. It's feminine without being overly cutesy or floral. Compared to other Mark fragrances, the staying power is great, too. I'm a huge fan of Instant Vacation and Hollywood Pink, too, but I've found their staying power to be pretty inferior. Karmala seems to subtly stay with me all day. At $20 fro 1.7 oz, it's a great value, too. The only thing I didn't like about it was the bottle. I found the all purple bottle & cap to be rather blah. The Martha Stewart in me found a great remedy for that situation, however. I ordered the Karmala gift set a while ago and it came with a gold toned charm. I glued the charm to the bottle to spruce it up a bit and now it's downright adorable. I've already ordered another set and I've barely made a dent in the one I'm using now. I like it that much!
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Scrubs -Olay - Regenerist Thermal Skin Polisher
MaureenAnn 12/12/2005 7:10:00 PM
I started using this about a month ago and didn't really have any high hopes for great results, but I'm happy to say I'm pleasantly surprised. This product is probably not for all skin types, but so far it's doing wonders for my complexion. First, a bit about me. I'm 43 yrs old w/very few lines/wrinkles, but I definitely have uneven skin tone due to sunbathing in my 20's. My skin type is combo to oily and acne prone. Within the first week of using the Olay Thermal scrub, my skin tone evened out dramatically and my makeup went on much smoother. It's been a month now and my skin tone looks like it did in my early 30s. Sun damage and dark spots are much less noticeable and my feels much much softer and smoother. It's definitely worth the $12.99 I shelled out at Target to buy it. As drugstore items go, it's definitely expensive. But if someone were to buy this at a high-end dept. store makeup counter, nobody would think twice about the cost. IMO, it's a great value since it really delivers results. When you first use it, the texture feels odd. It's a bit greasy and gritty at the same time. As you start to rub it in, it heats up on it's own. I actualy like the heating sensation but it felt wierd the first time I used it. As you start to rub it in, the heating sensation diminshes fairly quickly. I rub it in for about a minute, then lit it sit on my skin so the glycolic acid can do it's thing. Then after I rinse it off, I do a quick wash with a light facial cleanser to remove any residue. If I don't cleanse lightly after using, it does feel a bit heavy on my skin when I step out of the shower. My biggest gripe is the packaging. It's packaged in a plastic squeeze-tube with a flip cap. The product is so thick that it doesn't allow air to go back in the tube. If it did, I could stand the tube on end so the last bit of scrub could be squeezed out. I have to squeeze pretty hard to get the last bits out of the tube. Other than that, I'm really happy w/this product and I sincerely hope Olay doesn't plan to discontinue it any time soon.
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Lipstick -Laura Mercier - Quartz
MaureenAnn 8/28/2005 2:17:00 PM
This definitely isn't a shade for everybody, but with my skin tone and coloring it's definitely a holy grail lip color. My skin tone is medium/olive and I have golden brown eyes & hair. I need a strong lip color to keep me from looking washed out and LM Quartz definitely fits the bill. I'd describe it as a rich burgundy brown w/a fair amount of shimmer. The shimmer isn't gaudy and it livens up what could be an otherwise dead looking lip color very well. It's fairly long wearing and doesn't have a greasy consistency. I know alot of people complain about the crayonish scent that LM lipsticks have, but it doesn't bother me in the least. The scent fades immeaditely after applying and it doesn't have any discernable taste at all. As for the color, if you're coloring is fair w/cool undertones, then this shade definitely isn't for you. It has the potential of looking way too goth on fair skin tones. However, on my coloring it works beautifully. My biggest gripe is the price. $20 for a lipstick? Sheesh! The packaging isn't the least bit riche looking IMO so I just don't feel a $20 price tag is justified. If it wasn't for the fact that I could never find a drugstore knockoff of this lipstick, I'd probably stay clear. However, since it looks so great w/my coloring I can't afford NOT to have it.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Bath and Body Works - Breathe Fragrance Mist - Romance
MaureenAnn 7/13/2005 11:58:00 AM
Gorgeous vanilla/spice scent. One of B&BWs finest fragrances to date. To me it smells like a spicier version of Warm Vanilla Sugar. It's definitely a more sophisticated scent than WVS and I'll definitely wear it during the cooler weather. It doesn't seem like a summery scent to me, but it will be perfect foor the cooler fall & winter months. At $16.50 for 3.3 oz., I think it's a bit pricey for a B&BW scent and it could be longer lasting, but all in all I do like it enough to purchase it again. I also like the sleek, minimalist packaging. It's packaged in a simple glass cylinder bottle and looks very chic on my bureau.
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Sunscreen -Bath and Body Works - True Blue Spa - Zero Tolerance SPF 50 Sunscreen
MaureenAnn 7/9/2005 12:14:00 PM
Yay! Finally a sunscreen with a high SPF that doesn't smell like a chemical plant or leave you feeling like you've been rolled in Crisco. Woohoo! I love how easy this is to spread on. It melts in to the skin effortlessly and doesn't leave any noticeable sticky residue. Perfect for beach days. I also love the fact that it has a really pleasant scent - a bit like tangerine - and doesn't have that icky sunscreen odor. So far it's been wearing well on me. I don't notice a significant decrease in protection if I don't reapply frequently. A huge plus for me. I haven't put it through the water resistant test yet since it's been too danged cold here to go swimming this summer, but when I wear it outside one application lasts for hours. Purchased during the June sale for $6 - 50% off the regular price. I think $12 might be a bit excessive for sunscreen but for a product this good I definitely would pay full price. My only rant is the packaging. It's got one of those stupid flip-up caps that always allows the product to leak and make a mess. If they'd put it a different type of dispensing cap on it, it would be perfect.
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Fragrances -Cover Girl - Navy
MaureenAnn 7/9/2005 12:08:00 PM
I've worn Navy off and on for years and I really like it. A good friend of mine is a high-end fragrance snob and will only wear Boucheron. It's very expensive, but smells really pretty. Well, one night we went out to dinner and she was wearing Boucheron while I was wearing Navy. Our dates thought we were wearing the same perfume. I never noticed until then that it smelled identical - at least on us. It's hard to describe this fragrance - definitely has floral notes, but there's something musky/incensy going on in there, too. For the price, it's a great fragrance.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Tinted Moisturizer -Wet 'n' Wild - Ultimate Sheer Tinted Moisturizer in Nude
MaureenAnn 7/9/2005 12:06:00 PM
For $2.99, this stuff rocks. I didn't expect much from this product, but I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I like it. The coverage is more like a foundation than a TM, but it's still very natural looking. My skin looks dewy but not oily and the coverage is very good. It evens out my skin tone beautifully and my skin looks glowy when I wear this. Having an SPF of 15 is always an added plus. My only rant is for the packaging. It's really hard to shake the product and blend it so it does require some effort, but once you give it a good shaking, you'll see it's worth it. Definite repurchase for me.
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Eye Shadow -Milani - Sheer Sand
MaureenAnn 7/6/2005 8:34:00 PM
What a dud! Like naerly every other reviewer stated, this shadow leaves no pigment behind whatsoever, just loads of tacky-looking glitter. I'm salvaging this to use as a damp-liner under my black eye pencils, but that's about it. If I apply it with a damp taper brush and really work it in, then top w/a black eye pencil, it's not a bad night look. Too bad the applied color doesn't resemble the shade in the pot at all - it would be a gorgeous color if the pigment showed up. Oh well, it was only two bucks so no big harm done.
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