Bronzers -TheBalm - Betty-Lou Manizer
Nirhtuc 3/5/2013 6:12:00 AM
I shall happily hop on the bandwagon- this is a god-send! I have South Asian NC47-50 skin and this makes a wonderful highlighter. I'm thrilled that there are no pinkish, reddish, or orangeish undertones in the product- it's just a nice 9ct glow (not 18ct because that's too bright) that looks lovely on skin colours with an olive or yellow undertone. I think this might look orange on fair-medium skintones and/or skin with red undertones (as commonly seen in pics on online makeup blogs ). I'm not sure yet if it's long-lasting or not, as I've only tried it out today a couple of hours before having a shower. I hope it will last fairly long! My only regret is buying another product and passing this off earlier. I'm talking about Nars Orgasm Illuminator- that overly glittery, useless mess! But that's another story... Update: Wore this for 11 hours today on the tops of my cheeks, and along the centre of my face and it mostly stayed on, so I'm impressed! Also made my almost-high cheekbones pop nicely!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -L'Oreal - Concealer Brush
Nirhtuc 1/27/2013 1:15:00 AM
This is such a great product- like the others have said, it beats the quality of typical 'drug-store' brand products! I have only been using it for a couple of months or so, so I can't really comment on whether the brush is long-lasting or not. However, it has not shedded at all within the time I have been using it. I love how it's stiff but soft at the same time! It's so versatile too- I have mainly been using it to apply concealer (under eyes, tops of cheeks, and sides of mouth), however, I have also been using it for mild contouring and eyeshadow applications too. I bought this from eBay, since they don't stock this in stores where I live, anymore. This is an instant where I feel like thanking the other reviewers for their opinions on this product- thanks so much guys! I'm really loving this brush! : )
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Crème -Scott Barnes - creme foundation
Nirhtuc 1/20/2013 4:47:00 AM
I got this for free from strawberrynet (as a first-time buyer), and boy am I glad that I just got it for free! When I chose this as a free gift from the website, I was feeling quite optimistic because of the good reviews I read about it here. The packaging is quite good- I like the mirror they have included in the compact, however, I think someone should come up with a better packaging idea for creamy face makeup- I accidentally dented the product straight away. I know- I'm a klutz! :S Application was wonderful- I was a bit worried about the colour (chestnut- for reference, I am between NC45 and NC50 in MAC) as it looked kind of too light, but it blended in nicely like a dream. I had a bit of difficulty knowing just how much Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer I had to wear on top, and as it turned out, I didn't really need to wear any! This product looked pretty medium-to-full coverage on me, although it seems kind of sheer when you first put it on. And now for the makeup tragedy: after about 8 hours of wear...CAKEY CAKEY CAKEY! Disgustingly so! I totally looked like I was wearing a mask, so I got terrified of my own reflection in the mirror! There was a particularly horrible spot of clumping smack bang between my eyebrows! don't know why this happened, because I did my usual routine (moisturiser + primer+finishing spray+blotting). I have a suspicion that my very dry skin is perhaps, the true culprit. I think this foundation would fare better on oilier skins- it's so drying it seems like it saps the oils straight out of your skin! I am definitely not going to re-purchase, but will continue experimenting with this one- I'm by no means a make-up guru! Maybe the colour match would look closer in winter, when I turn NC45 again... Still on the hunt for a foundation HG, unfortunately! :(
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Concealers -Bobbi Brown - Creamy Concealer
Nirhtuc 1/17/2013 3:56:00 AM
I think I'm in love! I have found my DH... I mean my HG concealer! I hope our relationship will last though! :S I got this today in the shade 'Almond', with NO help from any BB MUAs- they were all away on holidays, apparently! For reference, I am between NC45 and NC50 in MAC foundation shades. I didn't want to get both a corrector and a concealer, so I put this under my left eye and the corrector in Deep Bisque under my right eye. I like both, but I think the concealer brightened my eyes more and hid my dark circles better, so I ended up buying it! I still think creamy face make up is kind of tricky to work with, and I ALWAYS (because of my clumsiness), keep denting the product by accident! I think those in the makeup think tank committee should come up with a better solution for packaging creamy make up! Or perhaps, I should stop being such a klutz! I love the little mirror, though, and it's not hard to open, so I'm giving the packaging quality a 3. I applied a TINY bit of this in the department store myself at about 9am, and came home at 5pm to find... no creasing at all! It looks almost better than when I first applied it: it's really nice, fresh, and matte- no oily looking shiny cakey-ness like with MAC! A reviewer who reviewed the Bobbi Corrector in Deep Bisque said that finishing it off with Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder (in 02 for us deeper ladies) made a big difference to the look, and I wholeheartedly agree! It's such a beautiful look- everyone should try this! Thankfully, I also bought the brightening powder a week ago from strawberrynet, so I'm all set! : ) I think the best thing about this product is that you only need a little of it to make a sizeable difference to how you look. I struggled and struggled with MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NW40 to cover the hyperpigmentation around my mouth and under my eyes, to no avail. I totally shouldn't have bought it. I pretty much touched my E.L.F concealer brush to the BB creamy pot, dabbed it on, and hyperpigmentation gone bye-bye! It's amazing. The only 'whinges' I have are the price (AUD $46 for such a small amount of product) and the difficulty we Brisbanites have in being able to access an adequate number of stockists out here. We can still buy them online, but it's so important to try them out first! Not sure if I'd buy it again (because of the price and also because they keep coming up with better products progressively), but for now, I would say 'yes'.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Wet 'n' Wild - Mega Liner - Black
Nirhtuc 12/31/2012 11:24:00 PM
I'm familiar with the popularity of this product, and was a fan of Megaliner in Dark Brown (it complemented my brown eyes wonderfully). I've always wanted this in black, so I got one from eBay for about AUD $12 (since this brand is not available where I live). It was a joy to wear for the first month of use. The fairly thin brush applicator made it easy for my clumsy hand to draw thin and thicker lines, cateyes, and my new favourite, the Japanese droopy eye line. A month later, the brush has frayed off significantly, it's a lot harder to do thin lines, and the product has become gloopy and clumpy (despite having stored it in a cool area)... no love! :( The only pro I can think of for now is the ease of removal- yes, it is very easy to remove even just with water. Having said all this, it's probably much cheaper to buy this in countries where it is stocked (I've heard that it could be as cheap as $3 in the U.S.), so I highly recommend Megaliner to beginners! I have just placed an order for a Heroine Kiss Me Make Impact Liquid Wyeliner from Japan- I hope that one will work better for my new eyeliner look!
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Concealers -MAC - Studio Finish Concealer
Nirhtuc 12/31/2012 10:59:00 PM
PLEASE take all the comments about this concealer performing poorly as an under-eye concealer seriously. I bought my own Studio Finish concealer in mid November 2012. The MUA I had was great- she expertly applied SF concealer in NW45 to cover the hyperpigmentation around my mouth and left side of my forehead, applied Studio Sculpt liquid foundation in NC45, and finished it off with Mineralize Skinfinish Foundation in Dark and some Studio Fix Plus spray. The thing is, she seemed to sort of ignore my request for her to put some SF concealer under my eyes (she dabbed a tiny bit there)- I wondered what that was all about. When I went on vacation to my parents' home country (tropical all-year climate), I wore the concealer with no issues- albeit my dark spots could not be concealed as well as I liked... I returned home and wore this out for the first time since my vacation yesterday. Came home, and lo and behold, hello Creaseland under my eyes! It was so cakey- the product had totally settled into my under-eye creases, making me finally look like every one of my 27 years! :S I know NW is supposed to have peachy tones, but I'm not sure this is working well to cover my hyperpigmentation. For reference, I apply the product to the above areas with the L'oreal concealer brush, which I love. I try not to apply too much, but this is difficult when I keep feeling that the dark areas are still too dark. For about 6-7 hours, though, the concealer does do its job well and does not cake up or 'move' around my face ( I use primer, moisturiser, and a Japanese finishing spray). I will keep using it until it runs out, since I paid AUS $36 for it, but won't repurchase. Time to stalk the Bobbi Brown booth again... UPDATE: 17/01/2013: I finally got a Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer in Almond and oh-em-gee!!! Excuse the annoying exclamation marks, but this concealer does so much better at covering my hyperpgimentation, including under the eyes! I also bought a Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder in shade 02 and dabbed some on top of the concealer, and my goodness! I don't look old like I did with the MAC SF concealer! There's no creasing either- just a very nice, velvetty matte look. Try this combo, ladies! :D Now, if only there was a worthwhile way to get rid of all those expensive but useless MAC products I bought like an idiot... :S
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Eye Shadow -Wet 'n' Wild - 8-pan Palette "Comfort Zone" 
Nirhtuc 12/29/2012 4:15:00 AM
After reading such positive user reviews for this palette (especially from women of deeper skin tones), I bought one too. I'm not sure if I've got a 'bad one', but this really does not meet the high standards that have been set here! It's not very workable and is very 'dusty' (for lack of a better word!), not pigmented enough for my NC47 skin, and prone to a lot of fallout. The 'definer' was too messy/clumpy and the packaging is very flimsy and poorly made. I love Wet n' Wild's liquid eyeliners- they are so cheap but does the job well; which is why I was willing to give this eyeshadow palette a go. BUT no buy from me again. I will try Urban Decay and Nyx eyeshadows next...
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -L'Oreal - Le Kohl Pencil in Black
Nirhtuc 3/21/2012 11:01:00 PM
I can't believe this has some bad reviews here! It is the best eyeliner I have used- much better than the colorstay pencil eyeliner in my opinion. I wonder if the others got pencils from a bad batch or something, because mine is excellent. I'm a pretty clumsy makeup applier- I only started wearing makeup about 5 years ago, but this eyeliner is very easy to use, and is very pigmented. I like doing the 'cateye/winged' look and can do that quite quickly with this eyeliner. I also recommend wearing it under the liquid colorstay eyeliner in black (felt-tip). My only gripe with it is that it needs sharpening quite often. Other than that, total HG pencil liner here! UPDATE (1/1/13): After 2 years of use, the pencil has become dry and not very useable anymore. I have also seen what the other reviewers meant: so much product was wasted because of sharpening, and it ultimately dried out and creating big tugging problems later down the track. I am replacing it with Rimmel Scandal Eyes. Oh well! Le Kohl was good while it lasted!
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Fragrances -Davidoff - Davidoff Cool Water Frozen
Nirhtuc 9/26/2011 1:00:00 AM
I like it, but it's quite boring and generic-smelling. Smells just like... frozen water!
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - So...? Kiss Me
Nirhtuc 9/26/2011 12:59:00 AM
Something I would wear on a date. Very girly, flirtatious, and kind of sexy too. They've blended the notes very well, because I have trouble picking out specific notes. It just smells like a well-dressed young adult woman, wearing lipstick. Fruity and foody at once, but only slightly reminiscent of vanilla and musk- it doesn't resemble food. I would recommend this to women 30 and under, or older women who are young-at-heart!
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Fragrances -Elizabeth Arden - Mariah Carey - 'M'
Nirhtuc 9/26/2011 12:58:00 AM
I got this as a complimentary sample from someone selling me their Nina Ricci Nina fragrance. I expected it to smell like one of those rich old lady perfumes and got quite a surprise! First putting it on, it was all harsh chemicals and alcohol- my sister remarked that it smells like a hospital... After a couple of hours, you get the heavenly smelling drydown- all creamy marshmallows layered with incense. I'm very puzzled about the frequent comments about how people can't smell the incense, because I think it's very prominent! Being someone from a religion where incense is frequently used, I can't say I hate the smell of incense, but I'm not really a fan of smelling like I just went to the temple! Nonetheless, the marshmallows are just too lovely to forgo. I will be getting a 30mL bottle of this! Update: I was trying to remember what the marshmallow note reminds me of... the small cupcake dolls from the 90s, with the big hats and skirts you can fold up to make a cupcake! Yummm! : )
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Escada - Rockin' Rio
Nirhtuc 9/26/2011 12:57:00 AM
This one is like a flashy guy who really impresses you at first sight, but once you get to know him, you realize that you'll never want to be more than friends with him! I got it for full-price too- I shouldn't have! It smells like candy, fruit-punch, and pina colada (galorrreee)! Like twenty bikini-clad teenage girls having a beach party or something. I did get this when I was still a teenager, so that might explain why I loved it at the time. Sillage is good and it's quite linear on me- there weren't any detectable notes/layers- it's all just one big party from start to finish! I don't hate it- it's just not one I'll keep close to my heart!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Clarins - Par Amour Toujours
Nirhtuc 9/26/2011 12:56:00 AM
Very polite and reserved, very boring. This one's all about gentle florals and non-offensiveness. I'm glad I only got miniatures of this. Par Amour Toujour: The ultimate wallflower fragrance!
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Fragrances -Valentino - Valentino V
Nirhtuc 9/26/2011 12:55:00 AM
I'm glad I only got a couple of samples of this, because it's not my type of fragrance. Reminds me of a gorgeous, charming young...man. It could be a unisex fragrance- I think it would smell great on a man or someone manly... just not on me.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -The Body Shop - White Musk Line
Nirhtuc 9/26/2011 12:54:00 AM
This review is for the original White Musk perfume- with the black lid. I've smelled the white cap version and it's much lighter and more feminine. I only got this because of the plethora of overwhelmingly positive comments about this, but I really (a thousand times) don't like it! I loved the 90s White Musk by Impulse and was expecting something similar when I got this, to no avail! It smells far too masculine and chemical for my taste. I'm a floral/fruity/gourmand lover and this one gives me a headache faster than you can say 'oh no'!
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