Primer/ Corrector -Too Faced - Primed and Poreless Pure
Prncs06 5/10/2012 6:25:00 PM
Primed and poreless pure is colorless, fragrance-free, and oil-free formulated primer, specifically for sensitive and/or oily skin. I have not tried the original primed and poreless, so I'm sorry, I can't compare to it. I have both sensitive and oily skin, and have been afraid to try many primers because of how easily products break me out. I can safely say this product does not cause break-outs. I did not notice the strong scent, but I'm also not terribly sensitive to smells. Has a soft, gel-like consistency that feels nice and is easy to spread. The product says it minimizes pores, fine lines and imperfections- I have to disagree there. I can still clearly still see my giant pores. And, since the primer is completely colorless (not just white- I'm talking clear), it does absolutely nothing to cover imperfections that I can see. My makeup looks the same whether I use this primer or not. I DO agree that my makeup lasts longer, which is quite nice, and it does seem to help keep me from getting oily as quickly. I apply only to my t-zone. I like it enough to use the rest of the tube, but for $30 an ounce with what I consider just average results, I won't be re-purchasing. Still searching for a primer that will work for me!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -MAC - Cleanse Off Oil
Prncs06 5/5/2012 7:33:00 PM
Wish I had discovered the product sooner. Bought this after I found myself breaking out from shiseido sun protection liquid foundation. Figured out pretty quickly that I simply wasn't removing the makeup well enough at night. One night of using cleanse off oil significantly improved my skin and cleared up the recent breakout just by fully cleaning it. I love this stuff and doubt I will ever stray from it now. I use one or one and a half pumps to clean my full face. I pat in with dry hands, on a dry face, then rinse with warm water using circular motions. Easy, quick, effective. About twice a week, I also follow up with my proactiv three step- but the rest of the time, I only use moisturizer afterward, which is a near miracle with my sensitive, oily, acne-prone skin. This product has been a game-changer for me and is a definite must-have.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Chanel - Illusion D'Ombre - Illusoire
Prncs06 4/29/2012 8:59:00 PM
Illusoire is a beautiful grayish purple with silver shimmer. Has a hint of taupe, but really leans on the gray side for me. I like to stare at it inside the pot- the way it catches the light is unbelievable. It is a pricy shadow at $36, but I regret nothing. For one, you can wear it on its own, and the texture is unlike any other. Spongy, soft, smooth, easy to apply to the lids. I like to wear it all over the lid, applied with fingers, with black liner. For me, Illusoire is not dark or defined enough to serve as its own liner, so instead something I'm loving recently is wearing a champagne or nude on the lid, black liner, and a swipe of Illusoire peeking above the black liner. Gorgeous, unique, worth the splurge.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Givenchy - Gloss Interdit Ultra-Shiny Color Plumping Effect
Prncs06 4/11/2012 9:51:00 PM
Love, love, love. Shocked this gloss doesn't have more reviews. Where do I start? I am a lip gloss and chapstick girl, and these have become my HG. I literally threw almost all of my other glosses away because I know I will only use these. I had quite a few Clinique glosses before, and they are insanely sticky- these aren't sticky at all, yet they shine, shine, shine! They also last several hours on me, even after drinking my morning coffee. That's not to say the color won't transfer to my mug at all- all glosses do and this is no exception- but it doesn't completely slide off and/or vanish into thin air like others I've tried. The most impressive thing about this gloss is the fact that I forget it's on my lips which is a MIRACLE for me. I used to constantly fuss, reapply, smack, lick, and need chapstick every 10-20 minutes, but I can apply this gloss and ignore my lips for hours. I have Lilac Confession (06) and Capricious Pink (02), and they are both to die for! Lilac confession is a pigmented light purple, but not shockingly purple- it has such a strong yet wearable purple tint to it. I wear this on its own and it's pigmented enough that I need nothing else! In fact, my co-worker ran out and bought one the very first day she saw me wearing it. Capricious pink is a soft, glistening pink that does seem a bit sheer compared to the lilac. I can wear it on its own as a light wash of shine and hint of pink, but really prefer to wear it over another color just so there's more pigment. Another thing I love about these is the smell. They smell like delicious, sweet vanilla candy, and I love getting a whiff while I'm applying. These cost me $27.50 a pop, but to me it's absolutely worth every cent. Get these if you love gloss! I'll be going back to get all the colors, one by one! Oh yeah, one note- it claims to be lip-plumping, but other than making your lips shine, I don't think there are any plumping effects at all.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Clinique - Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel
Prncs06 4/10/2012 12:42:00 AM
Works perfectly for my oily skin. I'm impressed and pleasantly surprised. I have also used the dramatically different moisturizing lotion in the past, but can only use it at night, because it takes forever to absorb into my skin and gives me a greasy sheen. I only braved the moisturizing gel after reading countless positive reviews from my fellow oilies, and I can't believe my greasy face has ever lived without it. It's light, absorbs quickly, and provides just the right amount of moisture in one small (pea-sized!) pump. I have acne-prone, sensitive skin, and have not experienced breakouts. Cute packaging, perfect for oily skin, easy and hygienic pump, lasts forever (4.2 oz/bottle)...HG. Whenever Clinique has a cute gift-with-purchase, I snag one. Typically their gwp's are for purchases of $23.50 or more, and the 4.2oz gel is $24.50. Perfect!
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Highlighters -MAC - Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade
Prncs06 4/10/2012 12:25:00 AM
Beautiful, subtle highlighter. This is my first MSF, and I'll be honest that I pretty much bought it because it looks pretty in the pan. Those purple/green/beige swirls are just stunning. I thought this would just be eye-candy in my collection since I already have and love a few theBalm Mary Loumanizers, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I like Lightscapade. I find myself reaching for it daily. Swapped next to each other, Lightscapade definitely has a lighter-colored, less golden sheen (more neutral, maybe?) than Mary Lou- and the flashes of green, yellow and purple in Lightscapade are so subtle, but make all the difference. They're very fine shimmer particles, but they blend and complement each other so beautifully. Looks amazing on the skin! I have read some complaints at how 'blech, beige' this MSF is, but I actually find that to be part of its beauty. Mary Lou is much more obvious and golden, and beautiful in its own way, but it has really taken a back-burner to Lightscapade for my everyday office look. I wish it were permanent!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Kat Von D - Tattoo Liner
Prncs06 4/6/2012 10:50:00 PM
Purchased this liner in trooper (black) and lap dance (plum/purple). Long story short, Trooper: LOVE!! Lapdance: don't do it. - Colors. Trooper is a nice matte black and pretty self-explanatory. Lapdance is a dark, matte plummy purple that is extremely flattering for my dark brown eyes. Just gorgeous- if only it had staying power (further explanation below). - Application. The brush tip (it's not felt) applies so smoothly. It's not stiff at all, but it's not flopping everywhere and making messy smudges, either. Great for precision (but soft) application- perfectly hugs the curve of your lash line. It's pretty much what I've wanted every other liquid liner to be, application-wise. Trooper applies like a dream, but Lapdance is annoyingly sheer and requires buildup. - Staying power. The black has great staying power- pretty much budgeproof. A+ on Trooper. Lapdance, however, DOES NOT. Something about its formula is different than that of Trooper (besides the obvious). If it gets wet at all, it rubs right off! Not ideal for my annoying as heck hooded monolids. Any liner I wear is not only hidden but rubbed all day long inside that little hood- so it has to be budgeproof. Beware if you require waterproof liner like me- it won't stay on. - Drying? Trooper was fine, but had to exchange Lapdance. It was dried out the first time I opened and tried to use it. This was a little over a month ago, and the replacement is fine so far, but I'm nervous about how long it will take for them to dry out. Maybe the first was just a fluke, but imagine my disappointment at opening up a brand new $18 dud. Overall, love everything about Trooper. Sleek packaging, great application. Lapdance leaves too much to be desired, even though it's a gorgeous color. As long it doesn't end up drying out quickly (seems okay so far!), I will repurchase Trooper, but not Lapdance, unless they fix the formula.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Coty - airspun loose face powder translucent extra coverage
Prncs06 3/31/2012 10:52:00 PM
HG, hands down. Airbrushed oil control at a great price. Mac blot doesn't hold a candle to Coty Airspun for me, and is 3x the price, too. Mac blot caused breakouts for me, but I kept using it anyway because of the wonders it did for my oilies. Well, never again will I suffer through the cystic acne Blot gave me when a $7.99 product from my local drug store does (dare I say) even better than Blot, without the breakouts! My face is thankful for Coty Airspun, but sad I didn't learn about it earlier in my grease-ball life. Imagine all the shiny-faced photos that will haunt me for life simply because I never knew to look down at the tiny Coty shelf in my Walgreens *sigh*. As for packaging and scent, the scent is definitely noticeable upon application, but I really don't mind it. The packaging I found mine in is the round, plastic casing with a puff and softer holes. I really don't have a problem with this, either. I do actually use the puff to apply the product, then buff away the excess with a large powder brush. Maybe I'm not supposed to, but I also use this to set concealer under my eyes- and really haven't noticed much creasing from it. Comes with tons of product. The finish this powder gives is smooth like porcelain, and definitely lasts longer than any other I've tried. I want to shout Coty from the rooftops...Oilies, unite!
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Highlighters -TheBalm - Mary-Lou Manizer
Prncs06 3/31/2012 10:37:00 PM
Love this so much I bought two back-ups (for a fraction of the price at Marshall's), even though the amount of product you get in one is enough for a lifetime! Tons of product, and a little is all you need to give yourself a healthy, luminous finish. Love the subtle, non-glitterbomby glow. Not too golden, not too white, nothing orange about it- perfect on my nc30ish skin. I'm very oily, but this highlighter still works for me without turning my face into a greased-up disco ball. Yay life and yay theBalm.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -TheBalm - shady lady eyeshadow in Shameless Shana
Prncs06 3/31/2012 9:30:00 PM
In love with this bronzed copper brown. Purchased this in a set at Marshall's for $12.99 (absolute steal!). Buttery, soft, glowing sheen but without any giant glitter chunks. Oh, and pigmented! Flatters my brown eyes as an easy wash of color- if I want it more intense, I'll add UD Darkhorse or theBalm Caught in the Act Courtney to the outer V. The exact color is not quite the same as any of my other bronze/copper/bronzes- it's so rich and beautiful. Lighter and more coppery than UD smog; more reddish-toned than UD Underground; browner and darker than UD Shag and L'oreal Amber rush. I don't typically hit pan on anything because of my extreme makeup buying addiction, but I might get close with this one. If I do, I'll repurchase. At full price if I have to, but more than likely I'll spend the rest of my life trolling Marshall's for more theBalm. Can't get enough!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -BeneFit Cosmetics - Dallas
Prncs06 3/28/2012 9:38:00 PM
Really enjoying this blush for a natural flush. I do not use it as a bronzer, but I agree that you definitely could- I use it swept across the tops of my cheekbones as a traditional blush. The color is neutral and brown looking in the package, but it's magic on the skin- the glow it creates is hard to describe, and I don't mean that it's shimmery, because it's quite matte. It just gives a very natural, subtle coloring that I find I can wear year round, with any eye makeup. I also own Tarte Exposed, and I do find them similar in color- but Dallas is 10x more pigmented. I don't own any other Tarte or BeneFit blushes, but in comparison, the Dallas formula seems a lot softer. When I dip my brush in, the powder breaks up and picks up on the brush quickly, so much so that I often need to tap off the excess. You definitely need to use a light hand with Dallas, whereas Exposed seems more tightly packed- I can literally swirl my blush in it and it doesn't "powder". Not saying this is good or bad- just a difference. I said that I would repurchase, but I agree with other reviews that I doubt I will need to since it's so pigmented, and I use so little product each time. Purchased BeneFit Dallas from a blog sale, so it arrived without the brush.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Maybelline - Baby Lips in Peach Kiss
Prncs06 3/28/2012 9:17:00 PM
This is the only baby lips I've tried so far. I agree with most of the other comments I've seen- yes, it's moisturizing. Yes, it's a lovely nude color with a bit of peach - nowhere near as pink or near the crazy shimmer the Revlon lip butter (Peach Parfait) has. Also, for me the baby lips balms are a lot more like a chapstick or balm to me (like lip smackers) than the Revlon lip butters are, so that's a plus for my always chapped lips. I liked the feel of the product as well as the look on my lips. However, I did not care for the smell! Normally I wouldn't say that products with scents bother me, but something about this product's smell really turned me off. It's a little fruity but with a slight plastic-y smell that just doesn't sit right with me. Too bad, because I think this is a great product otherwise. If I didn't have a million other lip products, I would go ahead and keep using it despite the smell- but since I have plenty of replacements, I doubt I will use this product again. Still, the smell won't keep me from trying other baby lips colors.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Clinique - City Block Sheer Oil-Free Daily Face Protector Broad Spectrum 25 SPF
Prncs06 3/25/2012 12:17:00 AM
Purchased this for use as a makeup primer. I did not have any of the application problems other reviewers have described- no pilling, and I did not find the product to feel heavy or apply unevenly. Unfortunately, this product broke my face out considerably. I attempted applying it over moisturizer as recommended by the Clinique SA, but it still caused cystic acne. I have sensitive, oily, acne-prone skin. Disappointing, since a friend of mine uses this stuff religiously and makes her makeup look like perfection! Maybe the fact that she has extremely dry skin (total opposite of mine) makes the product better-suited for her skin-type, not sure. So although it does not work for me, it definitely works for others. I believe it's her HG primer/sunscreen! I passed off the remainder of my tube to her. As far as packaging, I liked it- travel-friendly and easy-to-use squeeze tube. Be sure to shake well before using!
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Makeup Brushes -Sigma - Mrs. Bunny Essential Kit
Prncs06 3/9/2012 10:32:00 PM
I hate to bring down the rating, but I did not have a great experience with this kit. It's beautiful and I love the color scheme, but the quality was sub-par! I own other sigma sets that have held up fine to use, but, unfortunately, my bunny kit had multiple flaws. First, the eye shading (E55) brush bristles are warped. Instead of being nicely rounded, it almost comes to a small point on one side and is obviously flawed. I noticed it as soon as my kit arrived, but decided it wasn't a big enough deal to warrant the hassle of returning or exchanging my entire kit! I emailed sigma customer service, but never heard back. It wasn't important enough to me to press the issue, so I just let it go. Fast forward three months later. Since this is my travel kit, I don't use these brushes every day. I've used the brushes less than 5 times, and washed them less than 3. I treat my brushes well and never allow water to drip down toward the ferrel. Despite this care and lack of using the brush, my large powder brush (F30) handle detached from the ferrel and fell off! Unacceptable since I've never even remotely abused them. I was past the point of returning, so just glued it back together. Very disappointed that there were multiple defects in one kit. Such a shame, because the kit is stunning, and the rest has worked as expected.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Sigma - SS150 Large Powder Brush
Prncs06 3/9/2012 10:16:00 PM
Got this in the make me up kit, which I generally like. Soft and applies setting powder well for me- but yes, sheds like crazy. Love the kit overall, but could do without this brush (and a couple others). I treat my brushes well, and wash them approximately once every two to four weeks. I've probably washed this thing about 15 times now, and I still have little black fibers depositing on my cheeks. It's not so bad that I can't use it, but if I had a time machine, I would go back and never buy it. Aside from the shedding, the brush is cute and a nice size. Overall I still recommend the make me up set.
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