Skincare - Body -Murad - Clarifying Body Spray
Mel_C 5/14/2013 9:46:00 AM
I've been using this for years and really like the product. Towards the end of the bottle, sometimes the spray nozzle would stop working properly, but that never bothered me. I recently just bought a new bottle and I'm not very happy with the new nozzle. Its very strong and there is almost no way to control the massive amount of product that comes out with just a quick short spray. HUGE waste of product and I have it running down my whole body after trying to spray just a little. They may have changed the nozzle in the hopes the new one wouldn't quit working, but I'd rather have the older style nozzle back. I'm pretty disappointed and I'm contemplating whether or not I will repurchase.
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Loose Powders -Bobbi Brown - Pale Yellow Loose Powder
Mel_C 2/11/2013 10:20:00 AM
My review is for the newer skin perfecting retouching powder in yellow. I can only assume its the same stuff since its the same price and same color, but perhaps not. When I visited the counter, I was more interested in the other colors available hoping to add a little pop to my finished look, but the SA insisted I buy the yellow because I have some natural redness in my complexion. I questioned her only because once my foundation is applied, my skin is no longer red. She refused to even discuss the other colors and said yellow is the way to go. Against my own judgment, I bought it. I tried it twice and both times, my face was yellow by the end of the day. Its also pretty pricey for the small jar you get. Horrible horrible powder. I returned it and will stick with my cheap coastal scents silica powder.
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Mascara -Urban Decay - Big Fatty Mascara
Mel_C 1/2/2013 7:46:00 AM
I'm another one of the few that likes this mascara. I also got a freebie from Sephora. I like that this mascara gives me volume without tons of coats. It does tend to smudge on me a little though and that is the only reason I didn't give it 5 lippies. I'm not sure if UD makes this in waterproof, but I might check that out for the smudge factor. I have oily skin and naturally long lashes, so I tend to get mascara up on my brow bone without even trying.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Smashbox - Studio Skin 15 Hour Wear Fdt.
Mel_C 6/11/2012 1:05:00 PM
I've been on a new search for a long-wearing, great coverage foundation and this was one I recently sampled. The coverage is light to medium and buildable, but I really had to build it a lot to get the coverage I wanted. It never did fully cover my cheeks, the middle of my forehead, or my chin, no matter how many layers I applied (they tend to be a little red and need concealor). It seemed to apply smoothly. My face looked decent at home, but once I looked at my face in the light of my workplace, it was very mask-like. I'm sure that is due to the numerous layers I needed to get decent coverage. I have to say it is lasting pretty well, but that may be due to the amount I applied. I'm going to pass on this one, but I think if you only need lighter coverage, it may work for you.
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Liquid -Lancome - Teint Idole Ultra 24h
Mel_C 5/9/2012 12:03:00 PM
Oh I really wanted to love this. I was so very excited when Lancome came out with a newer Teint Idole formula that is supposed to be longer lasting than the original. Not so for me, its worse. I got samples from Nordstrom and have tried it a few days with different primers and even without any lotion in an attempt to make it last. After about 4 hours, it looked like crap on my face, almost disappearing. The coverage is too sheer for starters. The older formula had much better coverage and went on smoother. The older formula was almost "self setting" and didn't require much powder to set, if any at all. The new formula doesn't have any self setting properties. Luckily I still have an old bottle of the original formula, but I'm still searching for the best longwearing foundation. UPDATE: At the same time I got a sample of this, I booked an appt for a make-over at the Lancome counter at the Nordstrom trend show. The MU Artist that did my face was shocked to hear how disappointed I was in the new formula. She insisted the reason I didn't get long wear was because I wasn't able to shake the product in the small sample container or they gave me the wrong color. No way should it have not lasted all day, even though my day is 11 hours with commute. She proceeded to color match me, apply the foundation, and set it with Lancome's Dual Finish powder to add even more staying power. My face was done at noon and by 4:30pm, I looked in the mirror and it was disappearing on my face. If the Lancome counter wasn't so busy, I would have showed her. After having a Lancome MU artist apply this and still not get results, I've lowered by lippie to only one. Don't waste your money.
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -MAC - Pro Longwear Foundation
Mel_C 4/28/2011 8:33:00 AM
I have a very long workday and its been a struggle to find foundation that lasts all day and still looks good. I found it, its MAC Pro Longwear. It applies pretty smooth and the coverage is good without looking mask-like or cakey. I pair this with the MAC Pro Longwear concealer to cover my redness and its perfection. EDIT: After using this regularly for a year, I had to drop the overall down to 4 lippies. The coverage is still great and I still get fabulous longwear, HOWEVER, like many MAC foundations, its not that kind to my face. I get minor break-outs that I'm just dealing with since I haven't found anything better yet.
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Concealers -MAC - Pro Longwear concealer
Mel_C 4/28/2011 8:31:00 AM
I really love this concealer. The only reason I didn't give it a 5 is that I don't care for the packaging. The pump is nice, but I always waste product since its very difficult to control how much comes out. I also dropped one and it hit my cabinet just right and the glass shattered :( I use this product to cover the redness on my cheeks, chin, and nose. I do not care for it as an undereye concealer though. I used to use Bobbi Brown's touchup stick, but this works so much better and lasts all day.
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Liquid -Lancome - Teint Idole ULTRA [DISCONTINUED]
Mel_C 10/29/2010 10:12:00 AM
In my hunt for a long-lasting medium to full coverage foundation I tried Teint Idole Ultra. The color match was great, the application was very smooth, but it didn't have the lasting power I need. I have a very long workday (11 hours with commute). I understand that is a tall order for any foundation, but I had high hopes for this one. I'm still giving it 4 lippies because I still wear this for days when I don't need a long-lasting foundation since it looks so great on me. I only need a little bit of setting powder because it does dry semi-matte.
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Liquid -Revlon - PhotoReady Makeup
Mel_C 10/29/2010 10:07:00 AM
I'm somewhat surprised at the bad reviews for this. I know everyone is different, but this works great for me paired with silica powder to set. I have a long workday and need something that will last. Photo Ready paired with silica powder is a big win for me. The coverage is decent, smooth in application, and looks very natural on me. I tried EL DW based on the great reviews and many recs, but found it to look almost 'mask like'. The Revlon PR gives me great coverage without looking like I have too much foundation on. Its a win!
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Liquid -Estee Lauder - Double Wear
Mel_C 10/29/2010 10:04:00 AM
I tried DW based on a friend's rec and all the good reviews here. I need a long-lasting medium to full coverage foundation. I've been wearing it now for a few weeks and I don't think I'm in love. At first I thought I found my HG, but now I'm not so sure. The coverage is great, almost too thick though because I find it hard to blend. Maybe I need to try it with a damp sponge, I'm currently using my fingers. My workday is long and by the time I get home, my face doesn't look all that great. I use silica powder to set my foundation and maybe they don't play well together. I went back to Revlon Photo Ready, but might bring out the DW on occasion if I don't swap it.
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Lotions/ Creams -Ulta - black cherry body lotion
Mel_C 12/3/2009 9:01:00 AM
I bought my mom some Ulta lotions one year for Christmas. Since then I've bought her BBW lotions and some random etailer lotions. She told me she loves the Ulta ones the best! I have some as well and thought I would write a quick review for the Ulta body lotions. The scents are lovely (my mom's fav is the black cherry), and they apply very nicely. The only thing I would change would be the shape of the bottle.
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Treatments -Philosophy - Never Let Them See You Shine
Mel_C 12/1/2009 10:59:00 AM
I'm surprised this is listed under treatments and not primers, but either way, this didn't do much for me. I'm super-oily and I didn't notice anything remarkable about this product. It applied easy, didn't affect my make-up applilcation (or break down my foundation), and I like the tube, but the product wasn't worth the cost.
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Pressed Powders -Urban Decay - De-Slick Mattifying Powder
Mel_C 12/1/2009 10:56:00 AM
I'm oily and alway searching for the best products to keep the oil at bay. I have a long work-day so its a challenge. I really love this powder. It doesn't matter how many times I re-apply it thoughout the day, it never looks cakey. I blot my face prior to application so I don't know how it would look if I didn't. I don't use the poof that came with it, but I keep it in the compact to protect it from breaking/cracking. I use Sephora's compact powder brush to apply and it works well.
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Polishes -OPI - Paint My Moji-toes Red
Mel_C 7/13/2009 12:24:00 PM
I'm looking at my nails and trying to figure out why I don't really love this shade....after reading others reviews, I figured it out. Its just too warm for my cool/neutral skintone. The shade is a warmish coral/red/brickish creme. The application was wonderful and I love the pro-wide brush. Unfortunately, the shade just isn't for me.
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Sunscreen -Banana Boat - Sport Performance™ Sunblock Lotion SPF 50
Mel_C 6/11/2009 10:00:00 AM
I gave this 3 lippies because it really is a great sunscreen as far as protection goes, but unfortunately it caused my skin to break-out. If you have sensitive skin, you might want to rethink this one.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No