Eye Primer -NYX - Eyeshadow Base in White
MoxieSauce 5/13/2012 3:15:00 PM
I purchased this to replace my Jumbo Pencil in Milk. Milk always caused my shadow to crease which was such a bummer because it really made colors pop. This base isn't quite as pigmented as Milk but it is buildable. I still have to take care when applying it near the crease of my lids because this will crease (but not nearly to the degree as Milk). I only reach for this when I am wearing colors that I don't have a matching Paint Pot or other non-creasing cream shadow. If you are new to makeup or you don't already have a large collection of cream shadows I would recommend this. It is a great way to get extra depth out of shadows with out having to invest in several Paint Pots or MUFE Aqua Creams.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Unlisted Brand - Makeup Geek Corrupt eyeshadow
MoxieSauce 5/13/2012 2:58:00 PM
This shadow is hands down the most pigmented and blackest black eyeshadow I have ever come across. That being the case, I would advise you to be very carefule when applying. A little goes a very long way. No need to "load" you brush with this shadow. Just the lightest swipe of the pan will do. It can be a teensy bit difficult to blend depending on the primer but all things considered it is easy enough to wrok with. My favorite way to use this is as a liner. Be advised though... fallout from this shadow is a bear to cleanup so I suggest testing a few of your brushes to determine which will work best. I find my trusty, ancient Mary Kay slanted liner brush works great for lining. It is stiff enoug to keep the line crisp and the bristles hold on the powder to prevent fallout. I would definitely by this shadow again but I doubt that I will ever hit the pan.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - XXL Extensions
MoxieSauce 8/26/2008 5:11:00 PM
I was originally going to purchase the XXL Curl Power mascara when this caught my eye. I have been a long time fan of the Intense XXL formula but it has the tendency to make my lashes go a little wonky. The basecoat (step #1) of XXL Extensions "tames" lashes by "uncrossing unruly lashes and lock[ing] them into place". I don't really have an issue with untamed lashes but any mascara with the word "extensions" in the name is bound to get my hard earned money. The basecoat is more creamy and less fibrous than the Intense XXL bascoat. The brushes are soft and totally round. No flat slides, odd shapes or weird spikey bristles to have to contend with. The second step does a great job covering all of the white base coat on the first coat. It didn't create that faux lashes from a tube effect but delivered solid results. Not much in the way of volumizing though. It didn't claim to do anything for volume but it would have been a pleasant surprise. Overall, I am happy with my purchase. It was about $6 from Walmart.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Pure Luxe Cosmetics - Luxurious Lining Gel
MoxieSauce 7/15/2008 3:54:00 PM
This is hands down, one the best purchases that I have made within the last year! It's that good! PL's site says "Now, it is easy to convert any of your favorite eye shadows into a lasting eye liner by using Pure Luxe's Luxurious Lining Gel! This clear liquid/gel easily mixes with your favorite powder shadow and transforms it into a gel liner. Also a great adhesive for cosmetic glitters, and hard to adhere eye products. Water resistant." This is all very true, even the water resistant part! The gel is about the consistency of glycerin. Not exactly liquid but not a tru gel either. This makes it *very* easy to work with. IME, visine and water are too thin and require a lot of product to achieve that "creamy" texture that is needed to make a good, opaque line in one swipe of the brush. It only takes a small of amount powder when using PL's LLG because it is fairly thick and viscous already. If you are using a glitter-heavy shadow as a liner... I find that patting it on the lash line works best. This is also a potential money saver (wishful thinking, lol). I have passed on purchasing a lot of new e/l because this gel has breathed new life into some of my forgotten shadows. Now every shadow has the potential to double as liner. (Yes... I know that I could been using them as liners all along but I wasn't able to achieve the desired look without much more time and work so I just passed) I gave on 2 lippies for packaging because I only have the sample size. This is packaged in a large "perfume" vial. You know... the ones with the plastic stopper. This can be a little tricky getting into if you hands are moist or oily. I am will ordering a larger size in a bit. I don;t know how these are packaged but if it's any better I will come back and edit.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -NYX - Diamond Sparkle Lipsticks
MoxieSauce 7/15/2008 2:52:00 PM
I adore NYX as a whole but just like other brands, it has it's hits and misses. I am sad to say that the Diamond Sparkle l/s are a miss for me. NYXcosmetics.com says "Diamond Sparkle Lipsticks give your lips that multi-faceted sparkle and shine that they have been dying for"! The DS l/s does in fact deliver sparkle and shine. Unfortunately it also delivers frost... And not the good kind of frost either. I'm talking the circa 1985 "Dallas" - with the hair to match, kind of frosting. Mmm... yeah. Not quite the look I was going for. The l/s is moist and feels fairly comfortable on the lips. I can't speak on the durablitly of it. I have yet to wear it for more than 30 minutes. I have only worn it during my mu experiments. As far as the gritty texture some have reported... I find that some shades are more gritty than others. I gave this 3 lippies because quality-wise, the DS l/s is decent. The gritty-ness of some of the shades seems to be the nature of some of your more "sparkle heavy" l/s imo. This is something that I have experienced in a lot of other brands. There are 24 shades to choose from so if you look good in frosted lips then there is probably a shade that will tickle your fancy. I withheld 2 lippies because I think that NYX should have to put a black-box label on the l/s warning that use of this lipstick may result in "Big @$$ hair and people asking you "Who shot J.R."? Skin type= Combo with the occasional hormonal breakout. Tone= DDD w/ golden undertones, NC 50
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Shiseido - Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion SPF 55 PA+++ [DISCONTINUED]
MoxieSauce 6/4/2008 8:26:00 AM
When I decided to add SS to regimen on a regular basis this was the first and only one that I bought. I went off of the reviews and the resident sunscreen gurus on the SB also recommend this on a regular basis... Who am I to blow against the wind? We all know that ss and mu don't always play nice together. Some ss have the tendency to make mu ball up during application or just slide right off shortly there after. Or just simply make you look bad... I usually morph into an extra from Star Trek after I apply ss. Apparently brown skin+blue ss sheen= purple iridescence... This may be a good look for clubbing but poolside...not so much. I was amazed at how well this performed! No blue sheen! I let it sink in about 5 good minutes before I put on my mu. It does double duty as mattifying primer also. It controls shine most of the day. When I do get a little shiny, it's a "Hey. Isn't she glowy and healthy? She must drink a lot of water" shine and not a "Daaaanng! That chick must eat a lotta bacon!" shine. Daily use is slightly drying to my already combo-dry skin. Making sure I use a good night cream takes care of this easily enoughttvhough.
16 out of 17 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Clarins - Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch
MoxieSauce 6/4/2008 7:22:00 AM
This is what Clarins has to say about Instant Smooth... "The perfect marriage of make-up and skin care for a spectacular beauty effect. A magical melting, invisible texture perfectly smoothes the skin by leaving an imperceptible veil over its surface. Wrinkles and fine lines are visually minimized to guarantee a flawless complexion". That's a lot of hype to live up to and Clarins does a great job of doing so. So far they have come closer to giving me a "flawless complexion" that any other primer has. I apply this to my forehead and the area around my nose where I have a few few visible pores. My foundation goes on smoother and my pores are definitely minimized. My foundation looks great all day with this. On lazy days I can get away just applying ISPT and a bit of mineral foundation mixed with silica powder (either MUFE Hi Def or PL silica [wrote a review for PL. Do yourself a favor and order a sample]) This gives me a great natural look. The one thing that bums me out about this product is the jar it comes in. I'm not usually a germaphobe but I can see a jar lasting long enough to brew up something good and nasty. Clarins does provide a cute, wee spatula to scoop it out with. In all honesty though, I fully expect to lose the dang thing on the jungle that is my dresser. It doesn't do anything as far as mattifying but it doesn't claim too either so I guess I can't be mad. There is no SPF added to this primer. But this makes total sense. It probably takes about 2-3 weeks of daily use to get close to the 1/4 tsp of product that is needed to achieve the SPF stated on products. Since you only need a dab of, a jar will last quite some time. A jar costs $28 USD . I expect this jar to last anywhere from 6-12 months so it costs about $4.66 to $2.33 a month. Overall... Clarins has a winner! The product does what they say it does and is def HG material. A sample has made it to the ever-ready, just in case, travel mu kit. Skin type= Combo with the occasional hormonal breakout. Tone= DDD w/ golden undertones, NC 50
15 out of 15 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No