Mascara -Clinique - Lash Power
Simoneelise 3/12/2013 6:39:00 PM
This is the best mascara I have ever used for at the beach or pool. It's not marketed as "waterproof", but the problem I have with all waterproof mascaras is that in high heat and humidity they leave dark smudges on and under my eyelids, which looks terrible. This tubing mascara held up amazingly well through 2 weeks in the tropics, including daily snorkeling. It never smudged. It has a funny little brush, but I had no issue with that. You're not going to get crazy volume, but the fact that I can actually have visible eyelashes (they're naturally very fair) at the beach with no smudging and not even requiring makeup remover will keep me buying this for summer and trips in the future.
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Bronzers -Too Faced - Royal Oil Coconut Oil Body Bronzer
Simoneelise 3/6/2013 10:22:00 PM
This oil gives a great bronzy shade to my skin, just like my natural tan but with a nice shimmer/sheen. The smell is wonderful, and not "fake" smelling; I'm sensitive to many (if not most) fragrances, but this one doesn't bother me. It's also a little bit moisturizing (my skin is dry). On the down-side, I paid $44 CDN @ Sephora, which is pretty expensive. The biggest CON is that it's messy!! I can't think of any way around this, but I'm still giving it a 5 because the PROS outweigh the CONS. I used this on a vacation to the Virgin Islands and it was perfect for that purpose. However, it will leak and make a big mess in luggage - so take a small container of it in a ziploc bag. A little goes a long way. I hope the smell doesn't turn on this, because this bottle will last me a long time.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Lancome - Color Focus Kitten Heel
Simoneelise 9/4/2012 9:12:00 PM
I think I have finally found my perfect "pink" eyeshadow! This is a lovely rose-gold shade. With green eyes with flecks of gold, the golden sheen on this one is very complimentary. I have tried many versions of "pink" shadow, and most make me look tired or sick, but this one does not. It doesn't have the perfect formulation (I prefer the smoothness and pigmentation of most of my Nars and Urban Decay shadows), as I do have to layer it for intensity, but unless I find the same shade in a better formula I will continue to buy this.
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Lipstick -Sephora - Pantone Tangerine Tango Cream
Simoneelise 3/31/2012 9:53:00 PM
I'm very happy with this lipstick. I went into Sephora and looked at all the items, and this was one of the items I ended up with. The shade is gorgeous, and very flattering if you have a fair but warm complexion and warm blonde hair. The two lipsticks I have that come closest to this shade are Revlon Siren (a bit lighter) and Stila Charlotte (much sheerer, which allows for pink in the lips to come through a bit making it less orange and more coral). I'm sensitive to smells, being a migraineur, but this one doesn't bother me much; it's light enough, though I prefer no scent. Texture is nice and creamy, very rich feeling, although it seems to quickly turn dry on my lips. Staying power is medium. I adore the look of the packaging - very artsy, but it is bulky for a lipstick. Overall I consider this one a winner from the Pantone collection and would even consider buying a back-up, if I didn't have so much makeup already! I give it a 4 rather than 5 because of the drying effect and bulky packaging.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Tarte - LE - SmolderEyes Amazonian Clay Waterproof Liner Collection
Simoneelise 12/8/2011 7:19:00 PM
Very disappointing. I love the green shade, and I like the blendability, which I think is good for a shadow pencil (compared to 4 other brands I own), but the staying power is terrible. After just a few hours it had almost disappeared. Even my Annabelle (cheap) shadow pencil lasts longer than that.
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Polishes -Essie - Glamour Purse
Simoneelise 10/24/2011 7:48:00 PM
This reminds me of a lighter version of OPI You Don't Know Jacques, which I also own, but find a bit too dark for me most of the time. This shade works at the office on not-too-long nails. I'd call it a warm, chocolatey medium taupe. Great shade for fall. I've taken off one point because I find the formula is not as smooth as my other Essie polishes. It has more "drag", almost as if the polish were old and starting to thicken. With a second coat it evens out fairly well and a good top coat smooths out any imperfections.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Wet 'n' Wild - Mega Liner - Brown
Simoneelise 10/24/2011 7:43:00 PM
These liquid liners are fantastic for anyone who prefers a brush applicator. The brush is thin and flexible, and the formula is smooth, allowing for either a very thin line or as thick as you'd like to go with more applications. A staple of mine is the dark brown shade, but I tried this one to see how it compares. I would not call this "brown", "bronze" would be much more accurate. At first I didn't like it because compared to the dark brown (almost black) shade, this didn't seem pigmented enough - hence the 4 rating rather than 5. However, I find I use it quite often for a daytime / office eye, as it is very subtle and pretty. For a liquid liner Mega Liner is one of the best I've tried in my 20+ years of wearing liquid liner, and the price is fantastic.
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Lipstick -Stila - SPF 20 Shine Lip Color - Charlotte
Simoneelise 7/8/2011 2:01:00 PM
This is a great spring and summer lippie. It looks like a horrendous bright orange in the tube, but it applies sheer and can be built up as desired. I don't usually wear dark or bright shades to work, but this one I do wear with a sheer layer. The pink in my lips turns it from the orange it appears in the tube to a coral shade on my lips. It brightens up a pale / tired complexion. It may not look as good on cool-toned girls, though. My skin is pale but definitely warm. Another thing I like about it is that it lasts quite well, leaving a stain on the lips. If I were to improve it I would maybe give it a bit more shine. Although it's called "shine lip color", I don't find that to be the case. However, it looks great with any shade of sheer pink gloss over top, or clear gloss. I hope Stila hasn't discontinued this because my previous favourite Stila lipstick shade was discontinued a couple years ago.
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Treatments -Bumble & Bumble - Bumble and Bumble Creme de Coco Masque
Simoneelise 7/8/2011 1:53:00 PM
I've been using this once a week for a few months now. For me this deep conditioner is just "okay". It smells nice and the texture feels nice, but I have not found it to do anything special for my hair. Results are no better than Pantene standard conditioner (the cheapest conditioner in my collection). I leave it on for the recommended 10 minutes, wrapped in a towel, but the greatest benefit I get is the nice smell, which remains on my hair for the rest of the day. Given the price, I was expecting more. My search for a deep conditioner continues...
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Gels/Soaps -Philosophy - Orange Jelly Bean 3 in 1
Simoneelise 7/8/2011 1:48:00 PM
Mmm, I'm loving this shower gel for summer. I went to Sephora planning to buy Sugar Chick, but I didn't care for it as much as I thought I would. This one, however, is just like an orange jelly bean - sweet and tart, nice and citrusy. This is in my top two Philosophy 3-in-1's, along with Cinnamon Hot Dots.
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Palettes -NARS - Portrait of Paradise Blush Bronzer Trio (LE)
Simoneelise 5/20/2011 11:15:00 PM
Albatross and Laguna were on my wish list, so I decided to get this before it sells out, and I'm happy with my decision! Albatross is lovely, as expected. Today I used it as a highlight on the cheeks and browbone. I imagine it would look great with a tan, but the golden sheen works with my NC20 colouring also. Laguna worked well as a contour, but I hope to experiment with it more and report back on just how it compares to my favourite bronzers. The surprise for me in this trio is Orgasm. I've read many reviews over the years, and they are not all positive. I believe the shade in this trio is a little different from the single Orgasm. I compared them in the store and the one in the trio seems a bit more pigmented and a tad more pink. It looks great! Again, I hope to test it out more and compare it to my favourite Nars blushes (Amour, Luster, Deep Throat). Overall, I'm glad I bought this, in spite of the high price. It would have cost more to buy 3 separate items though, and the convenience of having a trio is fantastic.
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Treatments -Avene - Eluage Cream 30 ml
Simoneelise 3/28/2011 6:13:00 PM
This product was a flop for me. I have been using it every night for a few months and have seen absolutely no change in my skin. I have no wrinkles other than fine expression lines between my brows, and extremely fine (but I notice them) lines across the forehead. There has been no change in these expression lines, and for that reason alone I will not repurchase this. The price is not too bad for a wrinkle cream, if it had worked. I don't care for the smell - I don't know why Avene chose to use fragrance in this, as I have other Avene products that are completely unscented. It's also impossible to tell when the cream is running out, with the opaque packaging. I will probably try other wrinkle creams in the future, as this was my first shot at it, but Eluage has failed what I consider to be a decent trial period.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Siren
Simoneelise 3/28/2011 6:07:00 PM
I have just recently discovered Revlon Super Lustrous lipsticks. I would have never tried them if it weren't for reading reviews on MUA, and the fact that they were on sale for $3.99 at Shopper's Drug Mart (in Canada), so I figured I could take the risk at such a low price. This shade is fantastic! I have nothing quite like it in my collection. It can be applied sheer for a stain-like effect, or colour can be built up. It has no shimmer at all, and is a warm orange, which appears like a deep coral when applied to my lips in a single coat. It lasts well, and is perfect for this spring's orange makeup trend. If you want to try the matching orange lip and nail trend, Essie Geranium looks good with Siren. So far I have worn it with a bronze eye (Stila bronze smudgepot) or gold eye (UD half-baked shadow and dark brown eyeliner) and bronzey blush (MAC get-away bronze), but I plan on trying other combinations.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - Cliniderm Cream
Simoneelise 3/16/2011 9:18:00 PM
The name on the tube is "Cliniderm Soothing Cream". I have gone through two tubes of this. I use it only in the winter or when my skin needs extra TLC. It has a very thick texture, which isn't the nicest since it makes it difficult to spread and feels a bit like vaseline on the face! However, it is completely fragrance free and does live up to it's "soothing" name. I usually use it on extra dry patches and it fixes them up quickly. It has never caused any sort of irritation. The price is reasonable. I never use this under makeup. It's the one cream I keep in the medicine cabinet so that it's on hand when I need it.
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Hair -Joico - K Pak Sun Milk
Simoneelise 3/1/2011 6:08:00 PM
I have tried other sun-protection hair products but they always make my fine, dry hair greasy. This one I am loving. I just used it on a cruise and my hair is not as "fried" as it usually gets. But what makes it even better is that it has a fantastic light fragrance (to me it is a pineapple scent, or maybe like a summer cocktail), and it smooths down the frizzies. I can also use it on dry hair and it never weighs it down or makes it greasy. The only problem is that I can't seem to find it anymore. I purchased this bottle last summer. If anyone wants to swap theirs, let me know!
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