Polishes -OPI - Fly
Savvy9 2/15/2012 6:58:00 PM
I bought the set of minis even though I didn't love all of the colors. It's a great deal with the ulta $3.50 off coupon. Teal is not a color I usually wear because I remember the 1980's and I don't think it compliments my brown skin, but it really does look great and not at all dated. I wish all OPI formula's were like this one. Opaque at 2 coats and dried before I could eff it up using the same top coat I always use... orly in a snap, I think... I am considering purchasing the full size of this color. I cannot say how long it lasts before chipping.
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Mascara -Rimmel - Volume Accelerator Mascara
Savvy9 1/3/2012 1:41:00 PM
This mascara does give a lot of length and volume, but it is way too much work to make it look good. I found it to be thick and clumpy at the first use so I know after it "matures" it's going to be impossible. I love the packaging and shape of the brush grabs and wings out my lashes very nicely. Because of the shape there is no cheating on my left eye I have to turn the brush the correct way to get the full affect. First, I have to blot off some product on paper. Then I use this mascara followed by another underwhelming Rimmel mascara, Lash Maxxx, to get kinda defined, thick and long lashes, but I always have to clean up a little transfer on my brow bone. If I accidentally get a touch on my lower lashes they look stupidly overdone. I can't attest to the color or ability to hold curl because I have black, naturally curled lashes. I can see this being great for someone with very sparse, fine and short lashes, but for me the results are not worth the effort.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Urban Decay - Half Baked Eyeshadow
Savvy9 1/2/2012 8:33:00 PM
I have two from different palettes and I've finally decided I don't like it. I want to like it because I think golds look nice on me, but not this one. I also love the way it looks on other people in tutorials. I think it is a finish issue. It's too frosty for me. I'm getting up there in age *ahem* 31 and it leaves my lid looking crepe-y. Not good. I have other golds with satin finishes that look better on my skin... I'm not even that wrinkly yet it just accentuates every line!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Illamasqua - Tweak
Savvy9 12/17/2011 5:53:00 PM
Holy pigmented!! I wanted to try another Illamasqua blush because the last one I bought was so pretty... just not for my skin color. This seems to be the same issue. The packaging, formula, finish and texture are gorgeous, but the color is a bit much for me. even with the lightest hand I can't make it look anywhere near natural. I'm going to try it a few more times, but I will probably end up swapping it too. =( I want to love these blushes on me. I will definitely buy more of them until I find my color. Unfortunately, my closest Sephora is like 30+ miles away so I really only shop there online =/.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -MAC - Fluidline Eye-Liner Gel in Blacktrack
Savvy9 12/17/2011 5:43:00 PM
I really loved this liner at first, but over time I realized there are other gel liners that work better for me. I always start using these potted products from the side. I can't bring myself to destroy the surface of the product haha. So I know I am exactly halfway through the pot. It is still creamy. It tends to smudge and fade because i have oily lids. I have to layer it so It won't look streaky when I do a thicker line. With other liners I have I don't need to prime and set with a powder in the outer third of my lower lash line like I do with this one. I now reach for my grease paint stick and a brush if I want a black cream/gel liner look and I use blacktrack as a base so it doesn't go to waste. I really like the other fluidlines I have I am just disappointed in this black. I think I will try a cake liner next.
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Polishes -OPI - Japanese Rose Garden
Savvy9 12/13/2011 7:02:00 PM
I just had my nails painted in this color at the salon and I love it. I'm not a fan of pinks, but I've been wanting to find one that is flattering against my skin tone. This is my favorite so far. It's not too bright or too pale. It is age appropriate without being boring. I loved the color at one coat, but it was gorgeous with two. The only issue is... I've only had it on for 4 hours and I'm getting chips, dents and scratches in it all over. I realize that my hands are always busy with something, but come on. I'm hoping they just had an old bottle... it applied so nicely though... I'm going to pick it up anyway and hope for the best... maybe the top coat was old... =( Oh well I really love it =)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -MAC - Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15
Savvy9 12/10/2011 11:43:00 PM
I bought this foundation for $19 at my local CCO in NW33. I have the studio fix concealer in NW30 so I figured at that price why not give it a shot. I have a hard time getting a good color match because my skin tone is very uneven and I'm Puerto Rican... I tan very easily and get much paler in the winter so I am used to mixing my own foundation. This color is perfect, right now. I'm not too sad that I probably won't be able to find it again because I'm moving to Austin from Chicago in a few weeks and NW35 will probably be just fine. I have acne prone oily skin and this covers existing breakouts without the need for concealer. It has not caused more break outs. I use EVOO to remove it and then a cleanser followed by toner. It does not vanish or oxidize on me during the day, but it doesn't hurt to blot and powder once or twice. I have not tested the color transfer issue. The coverage is a bit heavy for everyday, but can be thinned out with a moisturizer. I hate that there is no pump. Tapping it out on the back of my hand is a pain and I foresee a spill happening at an inopportune moment. So far I am really enjoying it and have set aside my YSL and Chanel.
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Cleansers -St. Ives - Apricot Face Wash -- Blemish and Blackhead Control
Savvy9 12/10/2011 11:11:00 PM
I am thrilled to have found this product at Big Lots for $3. It works for me! I have so many half empty cleansers in the graveyard under my bathroom sink, high end and drugstore, but NOTHING that was $3. So here is the real deal. I started to break out horribly about a week before I am "due" as usual, but then I started using this and within 2 days of using it twice a day I was clearing up. Even the huge cystic ones were shrinking down and no longer red. I am still getting a few tiny whiteheads and I still have blackheads, but nothing I can't hide or treat with a mask/oil cleansing. I still have 3 days to go. This is pretty much unheard of at this time of the month. I will be stocking up ASAP. It is important to hydrate and exfoliate with this product after a few days it does feel like it's over drying and my face felt tight with a little flakiness, but I'm drinking more water and moisturizing and I love that I am not getting as oily throughout the day... my skin looks remarkably better with and without foundation already.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Illamasqua - Powder in Beg
Savvy9 9/25/2011 8:44:00 PM
I loved the color in the pan, the packaging and the finish. It is very pigmented and the texture is lovely, but it didn't look good on me. I'm NW30. I wore it a few times and it did nothing for me so I swapped it. Hopefully, it is making someone else luminous and gorgeous.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Clinique - Acne Solutions Spot Healing Gel
Savvy9 7/31/2011 2:51:00 PM
I've been using this product for four days and I am seeing impressive results. I did not pay full price for it. I paid... $11 or $12 at my local CCO. I previously used Burts Bees spot treatment which is reg. $8 but I went though the product so fast because I had sooo many blemishes (I could draw a topographic map of my cheeks) and i didn't like the roller ball application it seems unsanitary. I'm going through this more slowly and getting better results. It does sting and It really does dry out your friggin skin! I would put a little on the tip of my finger dab and repeat until that spot on my finger started to dry up and peel! So yeah um apply directly or switch fingers! It does not do much if anything for black heads. For that I do an oil cleansing and then use clinique level three clarifying lotion to sanitize and tighten the open pores. It does feel like it sits on my skin so i don't like how it feels under makeup, but it can live with it in hope that soon I won't really need it.
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Polishes -Essie - Over the Knee
Savvy9 7/31/2011 2:41:00 AM
I wasn't expecting to love this color. I picked it up as my rewards item from Ulta thinking "hey this looks work appropriate" not at all like when I wear china glaze for Audrey with black shatter over the top hehe... but anyway once I put it on I was in love. It's such a sophisticated color and compliments my skin color beautifully. I used two coats and I have no complaints about goopyness or streaking. I will finish this bottle.
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Fragrances -Viktor & Rolf - Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb
Savvy9 7/24/2011 1:17:00 AM
I got two samples of this in a swap and just put it on for the first time... I want to make love to myself. That is how good it smells. I'm going to sell my kidneys now so I can afford to buy a bottle.
9 out of 10 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Royal Assets: 6 Smokey Eyes
Savvy9 5/23/2011 8:14:00 PM
I have had this for a loooong time and bought it at a CCO. I recently picked it up again... because I hadn't used it in a while and wanted to try a variation of a look I do with the Naked palette. I really love the packaging. I think its pretty. Maid of honor is really soft so it has a pretty good dip in it.I mostly use the left side. The right side can look a little ashy on me by the brown shimmery color really helps warm it up and make the whole palette wearable. I love the versatility of it. I can do a night time vampy look with it or something subtle for the office. So this little palette is going to get a lot of love again.
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Polishes -Orly - Close Your Eyes
Savvy9 5/23/2011 7:53:00 PM
I was instantly attracted to this color in the bottle but as soon as the nail tech finished... I was disappointed. It is much too metallic for me. I thought it would be a deep shimmery color and really cute for a pedi, but IMO the color looks like something one of my aunts would have worn in the 80's. Did the collection also have an electric blue with a metallic finish because if that is the look they were going for I would call it a success. I went over it with another Orly polish that was clear with shimmer and it looks a little better but over all I wish I had picked... anything else. It does, however, apply and dry very nicely. I do like the formula.
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Concealers -MAC - Studio Finish Concealer
Savvy9 5/15/2011 5:27:00 PM
I picked this up last night in NW35 and so far I am really liking it. I was using a less expensive drugstore product that worked well enough at first but then I started to notice that I needed to reapply often. I use concealer mostly to cover blemishes, but I like this for under the eye as well. Pixiwoo often uses this concealer with a 224. I use it with a deluxe crease brush that I think is the badger by crown. It is reasonably priced, doing the job and hopefully it will work with just a light cover of powder over the summer... or I will have perfect skin. The packaging is okay but I'm not a big fan of creamy products in a pot. For example I love greasepaint sticks but not a big fan of paint pots.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No