Highlighters -Chanel - soleil tan de chanel
PianoGirl1985 5/10/2013 4:48:00 PM
This is a beautiful, chic product. It looks quite brown in the packaging which at first scared me - I thought I will look "dirty" or even worse, orange. It makes your face look sunkissed and healthy. It's completely matte and because it comes in the cream/thik mousse form it is so easy to blend. I am not sure why people complain about this product to be difficult to work with, I think as long as you have the right tools that's all you need. It will probably not work if you use fingers or sponges. I use my kabuki brush by Real Techniques (the one that folds in half) or my flat top blending brush by the same company. Make sure to swirl the brush in the product lightly and begin sculpting your face, starting with cheek bones.
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Lips -Unlisted Brand - Khroma Beauty Nude Lip Set
PianoGirl1985 5/10/2013 4:29:00 PM
I picked this lip gloss recently at Ulta and was pleasantly surprised. I am not too familiar with Khroma Beauty products, but do know that everyone is after Kim Kardashian's lip look. This is an interesting product. The color I picked is In The Nude and it is a perfect nude: opaque and milky in texture. It does have a plumping effect (you can tell as soon as you put it on because it kinds of tingles your lips, but it does not last too long). The smell is awesome, it smells just like honey. For those of you who are too sensitive to the strong smells you may not appreaciate this one because it smells STRONG. I love honey, so it doesn't bother me at all personally. As for the lasting power, I think it does last quite well on the lips for a lipgloss. It does not penetrate too much into the lip, which always happens with sheer glosses, they just kind of melt away. Not this one. It's a good buy if you're looking for a lip plumper and a good nude shade.
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Lip Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Khroma Beauty Honey Pot
PianoGirl1985 5/10/2013 4:26:00 PM
I picked this lip gloss recently at Ulta and was pleasantly surprised. I am not too familiar with Khroma Beauty products, but do know that everyone is after Kim Kardashian's lip look. This is an interesting product. The color I picked is In The Nude and it is a perfect nude: opaque and milky in texture. It does have a plumping effect (you can tell as soon as you put it on because it kinds of tingles your lips, but it does not last too long). The smell is awesome, it smells just like honey. For those of you who are too sensitive to the strong smells you may not appreaciate this one because it smells STRONG. I love honey, so it doesn't bother me at all personally. As for the lasting power, I think it does last quite well on the lips for a lipgloss. It does not penetrate too much into the lip, which always happens with sheer glosses, they just kind of melt away. Not this one. It's a good buy if you're looking for a lip plumper and a good nude shade.
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Misc Beauty Tools -beautyblender - the sponge
PianoGirl1985 5/7/2013 4:16:00 PM
So I gave the product 5 stars because it is a wonderful tool. It does exactly what it claims. However, I will probably never buy another one again just because how fast it rips apart! I splurged twice on this beauty blender and non of them lasted for more than a month. At that price range I just think there are better alternatives. Stick with foundation brushes!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Essence - Lipstick
PianoGirl1985 5/7/2013 4:13:00 PM
I recently purchased this in the shade 50 Creamy Nude and I really like it a lot. The staying power is surprisingly good, it is also very creamy and feels comfortable on the lips. I was looking for a muted nude color that was not overly pink or concealer shade. This one is very lovely. It works as a perfect base for any lipgloss you may already have. On my lips it looks slightly mauvie nude, but I pair it with Revlon's Color Burst lipgloss in Belini and it's the perfect nude shade. Will definitely buy again.
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Self Tanners -Fake Bake - flawless self tan liquid
PianoGirl1985 5/7/2013 12:20:00 PM
AWESOME product! I have been using Banana Boat tanning lotion which is also streak-free however, I decided not to use it anymore only because it contains 5 types of parabens. I saved some money and splurged on this spray and oh my gosh, I love it! I am NC 20 and I am always afraid to look orange and fake after tanning. After the first application of this stuff my skin turned a beautiful golden, sun-kissed bronzed look. I don't like a deep bronzed look, so I think I will only apply it twice a week. But if you want a deeper color just apply it during a few consecutive days to build a desired tan. To avoid the tan wearing off too fast and unevenly, make sure to maintain it with a gradual tanning lotion, like St. Tropez or Malibu's Hemp tanning lotion.
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Concealers -NARS - Radiant Creamy Concealer
PianoGirl1985 5/7/2013 12:08:00 PM
Umm, wow?! I am so happy that there is FINALLY a high-end concealer that lives up to its claims and actually works! I bought this one in the shade Honey which is a peachy/nude shade and covers blue undereye circles. I unfortunately was born with them so nothing ever gets rid of them completely and I've learned to accept it. I have been using TARTE's maracuja oil concealer in medium diligently and in the beginning it worked wonders. I am not sure if it's because I've used it for so long or maybe it's already reaching an expiration date it just does did not work for me well anymore: made my undereye area dry (even though it's very moisturizing in the beginning), caked up and creased like crazy. I saw a few youtube videos talking about this new NARS concealer and just decided to give it a try. It works ladies! You only need a little bit and it brightens the area, does not slide off, lasts forever and there is barely any creasing. My under eye area has some lines due to the construction of the eye, so every concealer always settled in those lines, but not this one. Definitely worth the money, even if it's the only high-end product you can buy!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Essence - Silky Touch Blush
PianoGirl1985 5/7/2013 12:01:00 PM
This is such a nice blush, wow! So cheap and is so well made. I purchased a color "Adorable" it is a baby pink with a warm undertone. I usually do not like shades like that since it doesn't look too good on my yellow undertone NC 20 skin, but since this one has a warm undertone it looks beautiful. It is not chalky at all. I swiped it with my finger and all I could think of the texture is: Revlon's Nearly Naked setting powder. If you have tried it you'll know exactly what I am talking about. It is very smooth, soft and silky. The only downfall is the color choices, I wish Essence would make more!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Urban Decay - De-Slick Oil Control Makeup Setting Spray
PianoGirl1985 5/7/2013 11:48:00 AM
I wanted to like this product, but for some reason it just did not live up to its claims. It comes in a very nice bottle (I bought the new version that is in a white long lean spray bottle). On the first application it feels quite interesting on the face, almost like a tightening effect, although it did not feel uncomfortable. I applied this over my FLOWER BB cream which is already an oil controling product. All it did was to make the BB cream appear dewy, but not greasy. I loved it at first, since I do like a dewy finish, but if you have an oily skin you will know that very soon the dewiness turns into a sleek ball. After about 2 hours I noticed that the BB cream began to slide off my face in the T-zone area. I literally had to take a make-up sponge and press it all back in to get read of streaks... I am going to give this product another try over a powder foundation, since GossMakeup Artist on Youtube claims that by spraying a setting spray over powder foundation makes it appear less matte (less cakey) and gives the face more of a natural look. If this does not work, I will have to return the product back to Sephora :(
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Fragrances -Tocca - Graciella Eau de Parfum
PianoGirl1985 5/7/2013 11:36:00 AM
This is an INCREDIBLE scent. I do not like any of the Tocca's perfumes (you can find them in either Sephora or Anthropologie), but once I received a sample of this and just fell in love. It is such a nice, fresh, innocent smell that is also subtly sexy. Just perfect for a Spring/Summer. It does make you think of a soft cashmere scent that is sweet and elegant I am definitely going to ask for this perfume in a full size for my birthday!
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Pressed Powders -Essence - All About Matt Fixing Compact Powder
PianoGirl1985 5/6/2013 10:15:00 PM
This is a great product ladies! I have been waiting to purchase this and finally got my hands on it today and I even talked my friend into buying it too, even though she is more of a high-end makeup gal. She was looking to buy a translucent powder and almost bought one from NARS and good thing I stopped her because the NARS one was over $30 (ridiculous if you may ask me). This compact is quite big and I prefer it in a pressed powder form. It is definitely white, but appears colorless on the face. I have used two high-end products like it before that I still have in my collection: the infamous MUFE HD powder and Laura Mercier brightening powder, which I do like but will never repurchase again because of the price. This Essence one is so cheap ($3.99!) and works JUST as well if not better. I am not kidding you. After being outside the whole day and walking through the rain my makeup looked pretty "beat up." I was about to go out on a date with my husband and had no time to reapply my makeup. A few swipes of this powder made my face completely matte and flawless. Save yourselves some money ladies and grab this product while you can! **UPDATE** OK, so I did give this product a glowing review, but I had to take off a lippie due to the staying power. It still makes my face flawless and matte, but if you live in a place where temperature is over 80 and up and constant sun shine, this will not prevent your face from getting oily. I still got oily after 4 hours of wearing it..
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Revlon - Wild Watermelon Lip Butter
PianoGirl1985 5/6/2013 10:00:00 PM
Wow this is an awesome shade. Usually red lipsticks do not look good on me at all. Maybe it's because my skin is quite light, not sure really. When I picked this shade up, at first it looked pink in the tube, but once the cover came off I saw how bloody red it looked, so I naturally freaked out. However, on the lips it looks very fresh, very juicy and not too red. Like a true watermelon! To make it even more stand out and look even MORE juicier I topped with Revlon Colorburst lipgloss in Peony. Just amazing.
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Eye Shadow -Maybelline - Barely Branded Color Tattoo
PianoGirl1985 4/25/2013 1:13:00 PM
My new HG eyeshadow base. It's very neutral and gives just enough shimmer to keep the eyeshadow from looking "blah." It reminds me of Clinique's eyeshadow duo in "Mink" (the champagne shade). I hit the pan in that Mink eyeshadow and am so glad to find a MUCH cheaper replacement with this color tattoo.
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Eye Shadow -Maybelline - inked in Pink Color Tattoo
PianoGirl1985 4/25/2013 1:04:00 PM
This shade is fabulous. I usually do not like shimmery pinks because for some reason they make my eyes look tired instead of sophisticated. Well I was pleasantly surprised when I tried this. It's a very warm color, but not intense therefore it does not make my lids look "red." I use it as a base with Wet N Wild eyeshadow trio in Sweet as Candy. With a pop of a black eyeliner and separate false eye lash trio in the outter corner of my eye makes a perfect cat eye.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Maybelline - Color Tattoo 24hr Cream Gel Shadow
PianoGirl1985 4/25/2013 12:54:00 PM
I cannot stop buying these things! First I had to try Tough as Taupe to use as a base for smoky eye looks, and since then I purchased 3 more and impatiently waiting for the new limited edition collection to arrive at my local Walgreens. These are very versatile and easy to work with. I never use them alone, since I enjoy blending different shades together for a seemless look, these are a bit tricky to blend if you only use color tattoo (in my opinion). But as bases they work great and make even a cheap, poorly pigmented eyeshadow pop.
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