Foundations -Tarte - Amazonian Clay 12-hour Full-Coverage Foundation SPF 15
RebeccaD 7/10/2012 8:53:00 PM
I've been using this for a couple of months, and I really like it. I had my doubts at first because I am not used to full-coverage foundations, and the formula is thicker than I am used to. But after using it for a while, I have to say I love the way it evens out my skin while still leaving a nice satin finish. A little goes a long way too, so it doesn't take much to work. The foundation spreads across and melds into the skin very easily. I've been using the Real Techniques Expert Face brush to apply it, and I get a very smooth finish. I get good wear out of this. I am not sure about the 12-hour claim, but this definitely lasts a normal day for me even in this summer heat. I have light skin - NC20 for reference - and the shade Ivory is a match for me. The one minus with this foundation though is the limited color selection.
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Blush -Tarte - Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Exposed Tarte Blush
RebeccaD 7/10/2012 8:44:00 PM
I really wanted to love this blush color, based on the photos and reviews I've seen. Exposed is a beautiful matte brown w/ pink undertone. It's exactly the kind of color I've been wanting to give me a neutral flush. I love the formula. The blush itself is soft, blendable, and long-lasting. The color just barely show up on me. I was surprised at this because I have light skin (NC20). Others with my skintone didn't seem to have a problem with it showing up on them, but maybe it has to do with the undertone of my skin because when I apply it I have to layer upon layer it to get any effect. Formula is a hit, but the color is a miss. I will look at Tarte's other Amazonian Clay blushes though to find a color that works for me better.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - 20 Candles On My Cake
RebeccaD 7/10/2012 8:39:00 PM
20 Candles On My Cake is my favorite soft red. I've been wearing it for several years and haven't found a soft red that works on my NC20 skin quite as well. This is the red polish I wear to work when I want to to wear a more high-impact color, but still look professional. I wear it on fingers and toes. The formula for this particular OPI polish is pretty good - not streaky, and I get full coverage with two coats. It does wear well, but it helps that I use a good base coat and top coat. Look this one up, if you're in the market for this kind of color.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -L'Oreal - Voluminous Million Lashes
RebeccaD 12/7/2011 2:13:00 PM
I was disappointed in this mascara. First of all, it didn't live up to its name for me. I didn't find that it added any more volume to my lashes than other drugstore volumizing mascaras I've tried. For a name like "million lashes", I had hoped for better. My bigger problem with this mascara though is that it flaked very badly on me. I used this a few times to give it a chance. But each time by the middle of the the day, my undereye area was covered in mascara flakes. This did define my lashes pretty well, which is the only thing I liked about it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Viva Glam Cyndi [DISCONTINUED]
RebeccaD 2/21/2010 2:38:00 PM
I've been looking for a coral-red lipstick that wouldn't pull too much coral or red, or look garish or too sheer on me. I've been looking for a long time & tested many lipsticks, but finally found what I've been looking for in the VG Cyndi lipstick. For my natural lip tone & overall skin tone, the shade is the perfect balance of coral & red on me. Plus, it's a softer color, so I can wear it day or evening. I love the texture of the lipstick as well. It's soft & creamy w/o feeling the least bit thick or heavy. It's a Lustre, so it feels light on my lips. The lipstick is well-pigmented & has good staying power. In fact, this has better staying power than the other Lustres I have.
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Fig. 1
RebeccaD 8/29/2009 4:53:00 PM
Fig. 1 is an eggplant-purple shade, more of a medium-deep color than a bright one. It's a warmer purple shade, which looks much better on me than bright purple (light yellow skin). I mainly use this in the crease, & it's a great contrasting color for my brown eyes. It's a Matte2 shade, & I like these much more than MAC's regular matte e/s. I find those chalky & a little hard to blend, but the Matte2 shades I have (Fig. 1 & Copperplate) are much smoother. They are a *tad* dusty, but not bad at all & nothing I'd consider a problem. Fig. 1 is easy to blend & pigmented as well. Since this is matte, I like to wear it w/ a lid shade that has a little shine or shimmer to it. My fave lid shades to wear w/ it are MAC Woodwinked, Bobbi Brown Bronzed Pink & Chantecaille Quartz.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Woodwinked - veluxe pearl
RebeccaD 8/29/2009 4:03:00 PM
This is a great e/s! I was on the fence w/ it for so long b/c I was worried it would be too warm for my complexion (light yellow skin / LM Warm Ivory, brown eyes) & turn orange on me. I was worried for nothing though. The e/s really accentuates my eyes. I love the antique gold color; it enhances my brown eyes w/o it looking like I foiled my lids in gold. The e/s is also very smooth, applies evenly & highly pigmented. Woodwinked does have shine to it since it's a veluxe pearl, but it isn't disco-ball shiny to me. Plus, when I wear this I usually wear it w/ a matte or satin shade in the crease. I can wear Woodwinked w/ so many other colors - taupe, bronze, gray, purple, plum, green. It's a lot more versatile than I thought it would be. So, I feel as comfortable wearing this to work (conservative office), as I do going out. It all depends on what I wear w/ it. I can wear it w/ a soft matte shade in the crease for work, but wear it w/ a purple shade to make it dressier & more fun for when I go out. Glad I finally bought this.
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Conditioner -Kenra - Mango Butter Moisturizer
RebeccaD 8/29/2009 3:55:00 PM
I have fine hair w/ an oily scalp & dry ends, so finding a conditioner that moisturizes w/o weighing down my hair was tough. I started using Kenra's Mango Butter Moisturizer (from the Platinum line) a year ago & haven't looked back. Initially, I was leery of this b/c of the word "butter". I was worried it would be too heavy, but it isn't. It provides the right amount of moisture to my dry ends w/o weighing down my hair. The product is thick & creamy, but the texture isn't a heavy cream. It's more between a lotion & a cream, in my opinion. My hair is silky & smooth after using this. I wash my hair most days (b/c of oily scalp) & use this every time after I shampoo w/ no build-up. You don't need to use a lot of product at a time either to get the job done, so one bottle will last a good while. It does have a mango-ish scent, but it isn't overwhelming. The packaging is nice - basic & functional, which works for me. It has a twist-up cap to dispense product, & it works fine. If you have hair like mine, check this out. Downside is that this conditioner is $19 USD per bottle. Not the most expensive out there, but not exactly inexpensive either. I usually buy at Ulta w/ a coupon.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Scrubs -Yes To Carrots - C the Body Carrot Rich Moisturizing Body Scrub
RebeccaD 8/16/2009 1:12:00 PM
This is a really poor scrub. It barely exfolitates. If you have sensitive skin, I could see this being an option, but the scrubbies in it are pretty wimpy. I like the creamy formula & squeeze tube. I haven't had good experiences w/ scrub in squeeze tubes b/c it can be difficult to squeeze out product, but I didn't have problems w/ this tube. However, I think the reason for that is b/c it's a weaker scrub. Anything w/ substantial scrub beads or salt or sugar particles wouldn't squeeze out as easily. I'll stick to salt & brown sugar scrubs. I usually make them myself w/ olive oil & maybe an essential oil. I just don't think this Yes to Carrots scrub is worth the $10 I paid for it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Julie Hewett - Sin Noir
RebeccaD 1/10/2009 8:46:00 PM
Wow, now this is one sexy lipstick. Sin Noir is a deep wine-red shade that is matte & opaque. It's a glamorous color, & I usually wear it to evening parties or other special occasions. I actually wore this to various holiday parties this past year & on New Year's Eve. Sin Noir is the perfect red for me. I have dark brown hair & fair skin, & I think this type of red suits me so much better than a bright blue-red or a tomato red. Since this lipstick, as w/ all of JH's Noir lipsticks, is matte & opaque, your lips need to be smooth & moisturized in order for the color to go on cleanly & to prevent feathering. If your lips are in any way dry, the lipstick just won't look as good & will actually accentuate the dryness. The lipstick is really good quality - it lasts, even through normal eating & drinking; doesn't feel heavy on the lips; & applies evenly. Since Sin Noir is such a strong color, I wear a lip liner w/ it. You do want to make sure it's perfectly applied. I don't wear the coordinating Sin Noir lip liner than JH sells though. I just wear a nude lip liner. It does the trick & doesn't change the lipstick color either. If you like this type of red, I'd recommend checking out Sin Noir. Even if you don't, I'd recommend checking out JH's Noir line of red lipsticks. All are matte & full coverage, & all are beautiful, sexy reds.
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Lipstick -Julie Hewett - Lulu
RebeccaD 1/10/2009 8:32:00 PM
Lulu is another lipstick in Julie Hewett's Bijou line of sheer lipsticks. This one is bright pink. Not quite fuchsia, but close. However, the sheer coverage make this bright pink more wearable on a day-to-day basis than one might think. I'm not much of a pink lipstick wearer, unless it's a soft pink, but this one is fun to wear. It brightens my fair complexion & actually brightens my mood a bit when I wear it. Like JH's Celeste shade, Lulu is another "happy color". I typically wear this w/ a neutral eye, black-brown eyeliner & soft pink cream blush. When I wear Lulu lipstick, I like it to be the focus & keep everything else simple.
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Lipstick -Julie Hewett - Celeste
RebeccaD 1/10/2009 8:23:00 PM
What can I say about Celeste lipstick, other than this is just a happy color. Celeste is a soft pink / peach shade w/ a sheer finish & no shimmer or frost. Like Olivia stated in her review, this shade is what you think of as a "spring time" color. It looks bright in the tube, but it really is sheer on the lips. In fact, I wish it was a little less sheer. This does show up on my lips when I wear it on its own, but I wish it showed up a little more. However, if I wear it w/ Julie Hewett's Hue # 009 lip liner (soft peach w/ a little brown to it), it shows up more & looks better on me. Although the lipstick formula is sheer, it wears pretty well. But it does wear off if you eat or drink. Overall, a great lipstick, except for the one caveat I mentioned.
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Lipstick -Julie Hewett - Biba
RebeccaD 1/10/2009 8:15:00 PM
This is pretty much the only nude lip color that I've found to date that looks good on me. I wear this regularly, at least twice a week. The shade itself is a cross between pink, peach & beige. A good shade for the office, casual days or to wear w/ a dramatic eye look. This combination of colors works really well w/ my coloring, giving me a nude lip that enhances my features rather than making me look sickly. It's a sheer formula, but the lipstick still has plenty of pigment & wears well. It will wear off if you eat or drink, of course, but otherwise the color stays true on my lips. The lipstick has an ever-so-slight sheen to it as well that looks great. So, the nude color doesn't look flat. There is a very light orange blossom scent. It's pretty inoffensive, & I have to put my nose pretty close to the tube in order to smell it. It's just light & pleasant. A fine, quality lipstick, & I would repurchase when / if I finish the tube.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Revlon - Steel-her Heart
RebeccaD 10/13/2008 11:25:00 PM
This is a really nice metallic gunmetal gray nail polish. I happened to pick up this at Ulta, while looking for a color like this. I immediately loved color in the bottle, & I liked that it didn't have shimmer in it, only the metallic sheen. The quality is pretty good too, better than I remember Revlon polish being. They used to be goopy to me, but that was a few years ago! The first coat can apply just a bit streaky, but by the second coat I get even color on my nails. No goopiness either. It wears pretty well. I can get five days of wear out of it, with topcoat, before it begins to chip. Good price too. I think the regular price is about $4.50, but I paid a little less for it (used an Ulta coupon). Check out SHH if you want a fun, trendy polish for less.
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Eyeliner -Laura Mercier - Black Violet kohl pencil
RebeccaD 10/12/2008 4:13:00 PM
I'm not too happy w/ this eyeliner. First of all, I love the color. It's a gorgeous black-purple that is dark enough to give me the definition I want w/o looking stark, but also has enough purple to make my brown eyes pop. However, I'm not happy w/ the quality. It fades & smudges very easily. I don't have particularly oily lids, & I do wear an eye base. Yet, by mid-day, I find that this eyeliner has faded significantly on me. It smudges way too easily. I like an eyeliner I can smudge, but this downright smears. So, whenever I wear this (usually to work), I have to bring the pencil w/ me to reapply mid-day. I don't need to do this w/ any of my other eyeliners, so I find it a pain that I need to do it w/ this one. I'll finish the pencil, but won't repurchase.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No