Blush -E.L.F. - Baked Blush-ALL
Shulamith 9/21/2012 12:06:00 AM
I feel cheated, which is ridiculous because this is such a cheap product. Given the poor pigmentation, this is next to worthless. I'm surprised because I was impressed with the studio matte eyeshadows. Very disappointing..
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Eye Shadow -Sonia Kashuk - Instructional Eye on Neutral Palette
Shulamith 8/12/2012 3:54:00 PM
This is one great palette--the colors could not be better. You can use it for brows and liner as well as shadow. I think the color, texture and intensity are fine, especially for a non-pro brand. I thought the instructional insert was sort of stupid so I pulled it off and now have a blank tray, which I could glue other colors to if I cared enough. My go-to neutral palettes are the Krylan and Viseart, which are much more pricey than this one, but this is the perfect back-up for my purse and travel. It's heavy on browns and has only one grey tone but that 's fine with me. About the packaging: all the labels pull off rather easily so you have a nice nonbranded item. Sonia Kashuk is one of those brands that I want to like but never do because the textures or whatever always disappoint me. This product is the first real winner I've bought in the line.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Brows -Milani - Brow Tint Pen
Shulamith 8/12/2012 2:42:00 AM
This is identical to my NYX browliner, which was running 9.99 at Ulta. Milani's version is 5.99, which is even better. The only items comparable are by Anastasia and Laura Geller and run over $22. That's a lot of money for a product that lasts six weeks if you're lucky because, let's face it, felt liners are here today, gone tomorrow.. Nevertheless, some will not enjoy this product because it's not meant for everybody and shouldn't be used in place of powdered brow color but along with it, as the first step. This product is for women with missing or invisible brows who need to draw the shape in lightly with a marker and then build it up with brow powder before a applying a coat of sealer to keep the faux brow on all day. Also, it takes a bit of practice to be able to wield it lightly but effectively--the point is to draw in individual hairs, not color a large area. I love it and will never be without it.And I've waited along time for it to be available at a friendly price point. So, three cheers for Milani and let's hope it's not taken over by Loreal or Proctor & Gamble.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair Color -Ion - Color Brilliance - Semi-Permanent
Shulamith 8/7/2012 10:08:00 PM
I have very thin, porous, curly hair and this stuff is great for covering my grey although it may take a second treatment to darken the silver hairs around the hairline. With hair like mine, it normally lasts close to a month. It helps that I use conditioner rather than shampoo to clean my hair. I have brown hair with a red cast (which I hate) and to cover the grey, I use an ash or dark blonde. Anything in the brown family will result in a deeper color, which is okay if that's what you're looking for. I can get three treatments out of a bottle. I wonder if some of the naysayers are using too much. I agree that it's inexact in terms of the result but if you want precision, go to a hairdresser. As long as my hair looks healthy and the grey is covered, I'm happy.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Unlisted Brand - Leichner Camera Clear Tinted Foundation
Shulamith 1/17/2012 5:02:00 PM
In brief, this is a very nice, old school, cream foundation with an off-putting floral scent that is pretty much a deal breaker for me. The only way I could find to neutralize it was to blend it with primer or moisturizer before applying it to my face. It is interesting that it does an excellent job on dry skin even though there is nothing high tech about its ingredients; however, if you add a silicone primer, you have the best of both worlds. I think this is interesting as a historical artifact but, until they get rid of the scent, I see no compelling reason to use it.
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Crème -Unlisted Brand - Mehron Celebre HD Pro Cream Makeup
Shulamith 8/25/2011 4:46:00 PM
Here I come to rain on the parade of gloriously favorable reviews. First gripe: it took me four purchases to come up with the right match--somewhere between L2 and L3. I have older skin that is not wrinkly but has a lot of discoloration in the eye area, redness around the nose and mild melasma under the cheekbone. Silicone-based foundations (Face Atelier, Temptu, Maybelline Dream Mousse) can give me close to perfect skin--Mehron Celebre is just okay. It's very oily although it is easy to thin it out with moisturizer or primer. Convenient little container that travels well. The look is okay and not overmade up or orangey but not my favorite look for sure.
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Brows -NYX - eyebrow marker
Shulamith 8/4/2011 6:18:00 AM
Laura Geller, Anastasia and Josie Maran sell comparable--if not identical--felt tip markers for brows from $20- $25. This one goes for $10 at Ulta and is even cheaper on the NYX website. It comes in two colors--a light and a dark brown--and has a tiny brush that is much finer than those of the felt tip eyeliner pens. It took me a while to get the knack of using this but now that I have the technique down, I wouldn't trade it for anything. I use it to sketch in my super pale and skimpy brows before adding a coat of brow powder and sealer. If you're of an artistic bent, it's fun to use. It really allows you to draw super fine hairs and you can do a lot to make misshapen brows into symmetical ones. I use the light brown, which is more forgiving of mistakes. I've used every brow pencil known to man and this is far more graceful in what it allows you to do. Note: while I love this pen and I love the price, I've also used the Kanebo Kate brow pen, which I purchased on ebay, and it is truly the Rolls Royce of brow pens. Expensive, though and this one is a fine substitute.
12 out of 13 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Brows -Prestige - Brow Building System
Shulamith 8/4/2011 1:07:00 AM
Kudos to Prestige for trying to do something for women with sparse brows but this didn't quite work for me, probably because of a clumsy applicator. It's a double-headed mascara brush with a fiber-filled tint on one end and a clear sealer on the other, I chose the light brown, which is a lovely taupe. It did add a little bulk to my brows but made them stiff and the mascara wand didn't really allow for specific placement in sparse areas. An eyeliner type applicator would work a lot better. Edit: I took another whack at this using a tiny wedge brush and a super-skinny liner brush and brushed them against the mascara wand to pick up some color. Then I applied the brushes to specific areas of my brows. The results were much better. I was able to fill out the tail end of my brows and an overplucked area toward the top. My preference would not be to use this for the entire brow but to use it after sketching in the brow shape with a feltip brow pen to add hairs and make the brows more symmetrical. This sounds like a lot of work but it took me about five minutes and the transformation from scrawny brows to filled out ones was truly gratifying. Will update when I see what the staying power is.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Highlighters -Smashbox - Light Cast Detail Highlighter
Shulamith 9/27/2009 6:35:00 AM
I agree with the reviews that this is unsatisfactory as a highlighter. The problem is that it doesn't contain very much pigment, just sheen. So why the five star rating? Because this is a solid gel with a high silicone content that is absolutely wonderful as a base for lipstick, eye makeup and concealer. You can even use it to set your brows. It's particularly good for older women who need a silicone product to fill in furrows and wrinkles before applying color to the eye and undereye area. .Also, it feels fabulous going on and my very sensitive eyes and skin do not react to it. I like the idea of combining a blob of it with a light shadow to create an under brow highlight or pale shadow--it plays well with other products.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Almay - Pure Blends Makeup
Shulamith 9/19/2009 1:53:00 PM
This is a product I bought, only because it was closed out and cost next to nothing. I don't mind that it's a tinted moisturizer as I like to wear something light under mineral foundation. I did mind the feel, which was chalky and a little greasy. I was all set to pitch this when I got the idea to transfer it to a pump bottle and combine it with some silicone primer. The two blended nicely, and the foundation is now quite usable for days when I want light coverage. Much prefer the pump bottle to the tube it came in. Water (Aqua), Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil (Jojoba), Squalane, Glycerin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil (Sweet Almond), Euterpe Oleracea Sterols (Acai), Sucrose Laurate, Cetyl Alcohol, Cellulose Stearic Acid, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract (Acai), Citrus Junos Peel Extract (Yuzu), Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract (Lotus), Cymbidium Grandiflorum Flower Extract (Orchid), Viola Tricolor Extract (Wild Pansy), Carica Papaya Fruit Extract (Papaya), Phospholipids, Aniba Rosaeodora Wood Oil (Rosewood), Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil (Carrot), Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Stearate, Alcohol, Silica, Sodium Borate, Caprylyl Glycol, 1, 2 Hexanediol, May Contain (+/-): Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, 77492, 77499)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -L'Oreal - Extra-Intense Liquid Pencil Eyeliner
Shulamith 9/19/2009 5:07:00 AM
It's all been said before but all the raves are on target. This creamy, longlasting pencil rivals any high-end product including MUFE. The reason it's so smooth is that it's silicone-gel based. Ingredients:Isododecane, Cyclopentasiloxane, Peg/Ppg-19/19 Dimethicone, Synthetic Wax, Hydrogenated Polydicyclopentadiene Nylon-12, C20-40 Alcohols, Perfluorononyl Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate Polyhydroxystearate Sebacate, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate, Polyethylene, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Tocopheryl. May Contain: Ci 77491, Ci 77499, Ci 77492/Iron Oxides, Mica, Ci 77891/Titanium Dioxide, Ci 77510/Ferric Ferrocyanide, Ci 75470/Carmine.
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Eyeliner -Mally Beauty - 24/7 Professional Eye Lining System
Shulamith 9/19/2009 4:56:00 AM
I think I bought this on the strength of Mally's charm. The kit is nothing special and comes with excess packaging--a metallic vinyl pouch that I found unnecessary. Although Mally talks about the three products having special adhesive qualities, it's the same adhesion you get from setting any cream powder. The same concept can be duplicated for far less money with a Styli-Style waterproof pencil, a jar of Ben Nye's neutral set powder, and a matte powder shadow, brow powder or cake eyeliner in the same shade as the pencil.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Studio Line Fan Brush
Shulamith 9/3/2009 11:42:00 PM
Really worthless--the bristles are too limp and sparse.
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Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Studio Complexion Brush
Shulamith 9/3/2009 11:38:00 PM
The brush head is a little large for blush and it's not firm enough for sculptural effects. I think it's adequate but barely so.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Studio Powder Brush
Shulamith 9/3/2009 11:35:00 PM
All it took was one good yank and the brush head and handle separated on the same day that it arrived. As a brush connoisseur, I''m lukewarm about this one. I tried it with liquid foundation and it worked adequately. It also worked for dusting off powder but not for applying powder to the face.
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