Primer/ Corrector -Skindinavia - Makeup Finishing Spray
Paisleyann 5/9/2013 10:04:00 PM
I cant get this to work for me. It looks downright horrid. I've done 3 sprays, 2 sprays, 1 spray, 12 inches, 2 feet, arm length, hell, I've even sprayed it in the air and walked my face through it. It just looks like plastic film on me. But its made in America so 1 lippie for that!
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Mascara -Estee Lauder - Sumptuous
Paisleyann 5/9/2013 9:57:00 PM
I'm actually impressed. I have like 10 lashes on each eye (not really but it seems like that) and this mascara really did make a difference. Nice volume, good length, no clumping, smearing or flaking. I've been on the hunt for a really good mascara since Max Factors 2000 calorie was nixed in the USA so its been a few years and many tubes of really crappy mascaras I've had to endure. I actually said the word "wow" out-load to my mirror first time I used this. I'm not happy its $22 bucks a tube and Estee Lauder tests on animals. My hunt will continue for a better priced mascara that doesn't involve furry critters. But when I gotta look good, this will be my go to tube.
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Powder -Physicians Formula - Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Powder
Paisleyann 4/13/2013 9:20:00 AM
Oh hail no! and I'm a PF fan generally because its made in the USA and not tested on animals, but this is horrid. I bought in Light/Medium (I'm NC/NW25-both work on me) but light/medium was still a smidgen too dark. The tone was fine and the coverage was enough to blur freckles a little,but the finish-oh wow. Now I know what I'll look like in 20 years. This made wrinkles and pores show up that I don't even have yet. It also left this weird plasticky finish. This would be great stage makeup to use to age a character-seriously. I tried this over the PF BB cream (which I like)-didn't work. Then I tried over 6 different foundations/tinted moisturizers-still didnt work. Even over a bare face it looked like crap. So, I put it in a place that it will look the best-the bottom of my trash can.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -FLOWER Beauty - About Face Foundation
Paisleyann 2/20/2013 5:06:00 PM
It's a winner! It has a satin finish with light-medium coverage. Minimal settling into lines and pores (important to us over 40 gals) It sets quick! You have about a 3 inch work space before it drys and becomes impossible to blend. Controlled my oily t-zone for about 3 hours (which is the average for me). I'm a NW20-25 and I chose LF5 based on the reviews here on MUA. It looked really light in the bottle but its a great match actually. It goes on neutral (not really cool like I thought it would). The glass bottle is great with a pump dispenser that you can actually control. The bottle is deceiving though, it looks huge, even though it has the standard 1oz in it. Made in the USA and no animal testing.
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Lipstick -FLOWER Beauty - So Gladiola
Paisleyann 2/20/2013 4:51:00 PM
Really regretting this purchase. It is straight up 60's light coral, with the chalky finish to boot. It goes on dry dry dry and it is bright! Much brighter than the window on the bottom of the lipstick case portrays. The packaging is adorable even though its a little bulky. I love that its made in the USA and not tested on animals (my 2 new criteria for beauty products now). I have managed to make this work, if I fill in my lips first with a darker berry lip liner and top off with a neutral gloss. Its a lot of work to go through when you were hoping for a grab and go lipstick. If your into bright corals, this is your ticket. You will definitely need balm or gloss because its really dry and drags on your lips.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Tabu - Tabu by Dana cologne splash
Paisleyann 11/8/2012 7:10:00 PM
I'm so going to date myself here, but Tabu is about history to me, and it has a long one. My mom use to wear this is the 70's and I loved it as a kid. It was so grown up-warm and sweet. She would waif in after a night out, with the scent of leather, marijuana, tobacco, and Tabu. To me she smelled the divine hippie chic with her long black hair and crocheted sweaters. The when I was in high school and experimenting with clove cigarettes, it reminded me of her Tabu perfume. I didn't want to get get caught smoking (she grew out of hippie chic) so I would steal her Tabu and douse myself with it to cover up the clove scent. Worked like a charm! Now that I'm in my 40's and my (and her) rebel days are over I still have fond memories of Tabu. I'm too conservative to wear it now (I'm a boring Philosophy girl now) but every now and then I'll spray my only bottle I've had for years into the room, and take a little mental vacation to those old "devil may care days" That's Tabu. Mysterious, heavy, sweet, sexy, independent.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Merle Norman - Luxiva Lip Glaze
Paisleyann 10/24/2012 8:07:00 PM
Really liking these. I have in Bear Hug (a slightly shimmering tan nude-MLBB) and Stolen Kisses ( a shimmering berry). The lip glazes so on sheer but definitely leaves some color. They last longer than a lip gloss and aren't as goopy, but the finish is similar-glossy. They are similar to Revlon's lip butters but MN have a better feel, and much more pigment. They are also much more expensive. I bought Bear Hug a year ago for $16 and use it almost everyday and am only 1/4 way into it. Last week I bought Stolen Kisses for $21.50 and a different Merle Norman Studio (Palm Springs) so the prices vary greatly from Studio to Studio. Most all of their products are similar in price range to Clinique. Because they do last a long time, I will invest the money and buy again vs, the drugstore lip butters. Plus the silver tube is really classy
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -The Body Shop - Chocomania Lip Butter
Paisleyann 10/24/2012 7:52:00 PM
Smells delish! just like hot chocolate and does a great job moisturizing the lips. I'm not liking the nude color though...it makes my lips look "dead" so I can only use at night. The jar says to use within 12 months once opened, however it only stayed fresh for about 6 then it went rancid, so use it up quick cause when it goes bad it smells awefull! I know I didn't have "old stock" because I bought the first week it was released.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Mary Kay - Forever Orchid Eau de Toilette
Paisleyann 10/24/2012 7:41:00 PM
This is a warm amber-ish floral scent with a lot on emphasis on vanilla. Why Mary Kay named this "Forever Orchid" is beyond me. Most orchids don't have a scent, and those rare ones that do, can smell like anything but floral. I mean really, when was the last time you smelled an orchid? See what I mean? Who the ell knows what an orchid really smells like? I really do like it though! I prefer to wear this once autumn hits, as its a little heavy for summer. This is also a dead ringer for Victoria's Secret "Sexy Little Things Noir Tease" It's unbelievable how similar they are. The VS one says it black vanilla, frozen pear (does a frozen pear smell different than a room temp pear? hmmm) and blooming gardenia (another useless adjective). This pretty much sums up how MK "Forever Orchid" smells. However, MK is slightly less expensive but VS is more easily accessable with a quick trip to any mall. Both are made in America, btw -nice plus. I usually just order through a MK consultant since she probably could use the money more than Limited Brands who owns VS. Anyway, I do recommend, this is the only warm vanilla base scent I will wear as most others give me a killer headache. This does not.
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Lipstick -Merle Norman - Luxiva Lip Color in Penny Lane
Paisleyann 10/6/2012 10:19:00 PM
Slightly frosted (not like 80"s frosted) warm peachy rose. I have bright pigmented lips so this is shade is just a 1/2 tone lighter than my lips and works out great. It's a nice everyday color that goes with everything. I know Merle Norman changed their packaging and all the new Lipsticks are in the small silver tubes (as was the tester), but mine came in the gold tube and smells a little off...so I must have got the old stock. It still works fine, just tastes bad.
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Sunscreen -Clinique - City Block Sheer Oil-Free Daily Face Protector Broad Spectrum 25 SPF
Paisleyann 10/6/2012 9:53:00 PM
I like that this is an all physical sunscreen (since that's all I can wear). I like that it has antioxidants and no fragrance. I like that I didn't get tanned all summer using it. I'm just finishing the tube which lasted all summer..... ........but I don't like it. It's too heavy, thick, and makes my pores look larger. And yes....this is the Sheer City Block. It also leaves this strange cast to my face like a pearlessence. It doesn't look healthy.To be fair, I have been using physical sunscreen for years, and most are like this, it just sits on top of your skin. This one just felt heavier. I'll go back to my trusted Trader Joe's Enrich SPF15. I thought I would try something different, but Traders Joe's at $4.50 may be basic, but its light, effective, and doesn't make you look ill.
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Conditioner -Philosophy - Amazing Grace
Paisleyann 10/6/2012 8:39:00 PM
I bought this and the 3 in 1 shampoo and lotion in the 2 oz travel size for a camping trip. I wanted to smell clean and Amazing Grace always smells so good......until this conditioner. I had just bought the set from Sephora 2 weeks before and I think it went rancid, it smelled like old olive oil. The body wash and lotion was fine. Well since I was camping, I had no choice but to use the conditioner...my hair is so thick and coarse there was no way I could just shampoo alone-I'd never get a comb through it. So I use the stinky conditioner anyway, hoping the product was still good, even though the smell went bad. Overall, it did an "ok" job. I got a comb through it, but the rancid smell kinda clinged to my hair and it looked really frizzy. So here I am in the middle of nowhere with stinky but clean frizzy hair. Whats a girl to do? So I took some of the lotion and applied it to my hair like a serum. Worked like a charm! My hair smelled good and was de-frizzed. SO....I cant say much about the conditioner (I got a bad batch obviously) but the lotion was GREAT! By an "amazing grace" I got through the trip with decent hair! I gave this a rating of 3 instead of 1, since it still sorta of worked
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Mary Kay - Bella Belara
Paisleyann 10/6/2012 8:17:00 PM
Bella Belara (in the pink bottle) is a nice scent for just about everything, work, dates, day, evening, grocery shopping, BBQ's,-ok maybe not for your wedding day or a camping trip but just about everything in between. Its casual, yet sophisticated , and 50/50 balance of fruity and floral. It doesn't remind me of any other perfume and that's a good thing. It's not my HG but it is my "everyday" fragrance. Well done.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Victoria's Secret - all victoria's secret fragrances
Paisleyann 10/6/2012 7:54:00 PM
Hmmm....Victoria's Secret...the "sexy big sister" of Bath and Body Works. Who DOESN'T have some type VS body mist or lotion in their bathroom somewhere? We get them and BBW anti-bacterial soap every year for Christmas from our co-workers. Nothing says "I don't know you real well so here's a safe present" like Victoria's Secret. ****BUT**** VS does a pretty good job in satisfying everyones taste. They are a little heavy on the Tutti-Frutti stuff....most of the Fantasy line smells like fruit punch...cherry fruit punch, peach fruit punch, pear fruit punch etc etc. This is why its such a "safe" gift. If you get the wrong fragrance name..no worries!-cause it all smells the same. VS higher end line is actually all different, its where the big girls come out to play. Bombshell is my favorite and Sexy Little Things Noir Tease Both are completely different, Bombshell for day, Tease for night...its all you really need from VS fragrances....everything else is for gift giving.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -E.L.F. - Studio Blush in Twinkle Pink
Paisleyann 8/26/2012 7:45:00 PM
Most women in their 40's do not wear glitter, especially big chunky gold glitter 3rd graders use to decorate wreaths. I bought this by mistake-the tiny window of the box didn't look like something from the craft store. The glitter just comes from swiping the brush onto the pan-very little actually makes it onto the cheeks, then you can easily flick them off with the brush. Whats left is a nice matte pinky-peach that has some really great staying power. You'll also have quite a bit of pixie dust all over your bathroom sink.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No