Eyeliner -Maybelline - Eye Studio Master Duo 2-in-1 Glossy Liquid Liner - Violet Luster
Sirius 5/17/2013 6:18:00 PM
WORST PRODUCT EVER! I bought this in "teal". Turned out a watery, GREY, eye-stinging disaster. They didn't even get the 90 degree thick to thin applicator right. Went directly in the trash since I couldn't return.
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Lip Gloss -Bonne Bell - Lip Lites in Strawberry Parfait
Sirius 4/8/2013 7:25:00 PM
THIS is the lippie I've been searching for in vain for years. A milky, nude/pink that mutes my naturally medium/heavily pigmented lips. I really struggle to find any negatives. Perhaps a brush applicator rather than a doe foot... I love the strawberry milkshake flavor/scent because I'm a strawberry whore (no matter how fabricated). I love the smooth, not tacky, texture. Basically, this is what I hoped MAC's Underage lipglass would be. But that shit washed my PPP NW15/10 complexion out and wasn't as pink as I had hoped. Plus it was sooooo sticky. The lasting power of this I find to be an 7.5 out of 10 provided I don't lick my lips constantly or eat or drink. However, ladies and gents, this IS a gloss and not a longwearing lipstick. I had some trouble getting my hands on this product so if you're in the same boat, visit bonne bell's website and use their store locator. Voila! At Meijer for $3.19 US. I've posted a pic of the product (coats x2) on my pigmented lips...should be the third pic. The one of just lips :P texture 9/10 color 10/10 staying power 7.5/10 price 10/10 As for a comparison to Nars' Turkish Delight, I sadly cannot comment. Delightful purchase!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Bath and Body Works - Be Enchanted Shimmer Mist
Sirius 12/8/2012 8:13:00 PM
As with all BBW shimmer mists, there is a "trick", or as I like to say a proper way to application. To begin with, Be Enchanted is an amazing scent. I am 30 years old and get compliments on it all of the time. Sweet, but CRISP at the same time. I suck at describing frags so I'll refer you to the other reviews of the fragrance. Application: use a flat surface to rest the bottle on. Depress the plunger in a QUICK, STRONG spritz on the area desired. The result is a regular distribution of glitter. If you haphazardly apply with a slow depression of the plunger you will get a "stream" of product rather than the atomization of the product/glitter you desire. so, press hard, quick, and a surface to stabilize helps. The result is beautiful. small flecks of silver glitter and a BEAUTIFUL fragrance. Thanks! Edit: do NOT rub in with hands as the glitter will transfer to the palms and none will be left on the desired area.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Christian Dior - lip maximizer
Sirius 7/18/2012 1:59:00 PM
Let me begin by stating that I am NOT a fan of gloss. My husband doesn't like it; I hate it when my hair gets stuck in it and it spreads beyond my lip line. I AM however a fan of FULL LIPS...which I do not naturally have. They're not terribly thin, but let's say I always play up my eyes and mute my lips rather than vice a versa. I LOVE dior lip glow. It's a perfect BALM and color for me--consistently. However, I had a gift cert to sephora and I decided to try this. I AM EXCTATIC that I did. I am a biochemist; I don't believe in hype: oh, lengthen your lashes without prosteglandins, oh puff up your lips without injections. BS, I SAY! until I TRIED THIS! I'm five days into the "15 day" treatment period and my husband commented on my NON-GLOSSED lips this morning: "your lips look so supple and full. I wanna bite em." I don't think you can get more convincing than that considering he had no idea i was applying this at night. I love the physical feeling of mint/vanilla; I love the look of the gloss alone or ESPECIALLY with my lip glow (think baby lips--for real, not the brand). Occasionally my hair will get caught, but that seems like such a small negative for so many positives! It doesn't run and my lip area is so much more defined and if I haven't said it already I'm only 5 days in! DELIGHTED with the results and despite the MAJOR price tag( minus one lippie) I'm swapping this for my lip glow and will continue to purchase again. Thanks for reading! :D <----regular smiley with full lips ;)
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Bath and Body Works - Sweet Pea Shimmer Mist
Sirius 5/6/2012 1:27:00 PM
Ladies, there is a trick to getting the shimmer to show. Make sure when you depress the pump, you do so quickly/with a good deal of force. In other words, slowly depressing the pump will result in a stream of gel sans glitter because there's not enough pressure to atomize the glitter containing gel. DO NOT RUB IN. Let it dry as is or the glitter will transfer to your hands. if you find it's just globbing on, you're not pumping with enough force. I would repurchase this...provided they work on the design of the atomizer. I can find body glitter anywhere but sweet pea is an old favorite so I'll put up with the inconvenience. By the way, I got my bottle some time ago and it was 8 fl oz/264mL...lasts awhile.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -DHC - after bath hair treatment emulsion
Sirius 4/19/2012 7:56:00 PM
My hair: 4 inches below my shoulders, fine but I have a ton of strands, wavy naturally, dry/frizzy and badly in need of a trim. My sitch: unemployed, so either have to trim my hair on my own or let it grow unchecked until I have the $ to spend on a good cut. DHC ABTE--my take: can't live without it when I just want to let my hair dry naturally. serves as a detangler, leave-in, frizz control, and curl constructor (because it's so light in texture my waves tend to spiral into loose curls) all with two to three pumps. Nice slip with minimal weight and SOFTNESS TO DIE FOR. since i prefer to spare my lock heat when possible, you can see why i like this multi-purpose, relatively cheap at $14 US(compared to it's a 10 which I believe is somewhere in the twenty dollar range) gem. I also use DHCs deep cleansing oil regularly so the shipping (economy) cost is split between them for a grand total of about $16. Plus, I love the loyalty discounts, points program, ect.
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Liquid -Lancome - Teint Miracle
Sirius 10/14/2011 10:03:00 PM
Update: because I love the finish of this foundation so much I exchanged the shade Ivorie 4 (N) for Ivorie 1 (N) and it does match better but still pulls slightly pink! ugh. and it still gives me an oil slick complexion after about an hour. STILL a no-go for me. darn. :( I've been on a feverish hunt for a foundation to wear on my wedding day. I gave up looking for one sans SPF and am highly skeptical of "high def" makeup in general thanks to a HORRIBLE experience with MUFE HD foundation which settled in EVERY line on my face and dried it out horribly. Since this is a big day, $ was not a huge factor for me. So aiming for a "mid range cost and sensitive skin friendly" make up I zeroed in on the Lancome counter. Oh Lancome! You broke my heart with this product. Truly. Upon initial application I was enamored. "luminous, dewy, medium coverage, light feel" yes. Yes YES! My zeal got the better of me and I purchased a bottle in Ivorie 4 N (I wear NW15 in mac--pale and neutral to cool toned). My heart sank when I went out into the sun and WOAH my face was pink. Nice "neutral" Lancome. Sarcasm aside, shade selection was a chore and ultimately a futile one for the warms pulled orange and dirty and the neutrals pulled pink. The biggest let down was the 1 hour transition from "dewy" to "reflective". I don't have oily skin. Not by any stretch of the imagination. When I go bare faced I NEVER need to blot--even in the summer. but holy hell this stuff made me greasy. Breakdown: -beautiful and sanitary packaging. -lovely finish initially BUT setting the product with powder ruins the effect. sad. -setting the foundation with powder does ZERO to ameliorate the dreaded oilies and prolong wear. sadder. -good shade variety however in my experience (and apparently almost everyone else's i've gleaned) finding a match proved impossible. go figure. -SHOCKINGLY poor wear time. 3 lippies for the packaging the coverage and the 10 minutes of poreless awesomeness. Nothing miraculous. that's for damn sure.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Cover Girl - Eye Enhancers Trio - Shimmering Sands
Sirius 4/20/2011 8:49:00 PM
I recalled the name of this palette while in the cosmetics aisle at wally world. However, I was put off that it was CoverGirl given my lack of success with their shadows in the past. It was cheap so I figured, why not?
WOW! The shadow is silky and blends easily. The perfect cool neutrals for my NW15 complexion. PERFECT for work/everyday. I agree that using all three shadows may be a bit too much shimmer for some; in general it's good to add a matte shadow into the mix to keep the look "dimensional."
The packaging is sturdy. A winner! Continue to photo...
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Mascara -Givenchy - Eye Fly
Sirius 4/15/2011 10:10:00 AM
Update: This mascara blows. It's awesome when it's new but useless after two - three weeks. What a shame. Original review/rave: I really have nothing negative to say about Eye Fly. Sure, the price is steep, but this mascara is worth every penny and has certainly ended my search for an HG (which btw has cost me more $$$...and wasted it than any other product search). I have this in black (NW15, brunette/auburn hair, green eyes). It's phenomenal. Why so special? Because it gives me gorgeous lashes in about two seconds--tedious application is a thing of the past. The look: fluttery, soft, and long. I don't care for my eyelashes curled, but this does add a slight bit of curl. Don't purchase it for that reason though. 1 coat gives me a natural look and I find 2 coats borders on "dramatic". I HATE the look of "overdone" lashes as it tends to close my eyes in. 3 coats might be pushing it. The formula: soft and true to color. Dries quickly on lashes...by the same token it also dries quickly on the brush when it's out of tube. Hence, I'm glad application is quick so I can get that little bugger back in it's home (I don't want to waste a drop of this stuff). The brush: perfect. Not oversized or too small. Agile and gets to the corners nicely. Packaging: lovely, sleek and high end in appearance. I'd expect nothing less from Givenchy and they deliver. Tube is a cubic shape (no rolling around desk), and transparent. the end of wand is a light blue (shiny "foil" effect) lacquered with the givenchy symbol. In sum, HG for me (a girl would rather under-do than overdo her makeup), gives a beautiful fluttery, long, SEPARATED effect with a nice rich black color, dries quickly on lashes and application is a breeze. NOTHING, not YSL, not Lancome, not "the falsies", not full and soft, I mean nothing compares. Will repurchase solely from now on. I want to give everybody "butterfly kisses" when I wear this! :D
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Neutrogena - Revitalizing lip balm
Sirius 4/1/2011 4:12:00 PM
I purchased this in "healthy blush" and I ADORE it! This may be one of the VERY few products I've given 5 lippies overall. The shape is ideal: slim so it fits in a pocket easily. Use the tapered ends to get the bow of your lips and the wider part to apply to the rest. The smell (no taste, really) is reminiscent of melon and cucumber and I find it quite pleasing. The color, "healthy blush" is a cool, sheer pink with a hint of frost. Now, I DESPISE frost in a lippie. Had I known there was even a hint of it, it would have deterred me from getting this sight unseen. BUT, this "frost" is different than anything else I've tried in a very good way. It makes my lips glow from within and look FULL without being overly shiny or tacky looking. I find the balm moisturizing and my lips do FEEL NICE while I'm wearing it and after it wears off. I can about three hours between applications which is fine with me because a) fits in my pocket :P b) can be slapped on like chapstick (no mirror necessary) and c) I love the smell. The only drawback is that if you accidentally twist up too much product you have to push it back in the tube manually or with your lips. Love it, love it, LOVE it. Will def repurchase.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -L'Oreal - Double Extend Eye Illuminator Mascara
Sirius 3/4/2011 11:57:00 PM
I bought this product in the shade intended for use on green eyes-- a *dark* forest green (color is barely perceptible on brush and not visible when applied) with copper shimmer. Cons: -spherical brush on the shimmer side. would prefer a longer skinny wand with short bristles to make it easier to either pack the glitter on or simply apply to tips. -you absolutely MUST apply the shimmer to a WET coat of base mascara in order to ensure the long wear of glitter with minimal fallout. However, more than one coat of the dark mascara is necessary to achieve ideal length and volume. I apply one coat of base to both eyes and let dry mostly followed by a second coat of base to one eye IMMEDIATELY before applying shimmer coat to the wet layer on the same eye. rinse and repeat with other eye. -takes SLIGHTLY longer to apply than a regular mascara, though that's sort of a given with the two step application. - can't tell the base is green at all...doesn't bring out the green in my eyes specifically but... PROS: - the result is a GORGEOUS and captivating effect that manages to retain an elegance and subtlety appropriate for daytime looks as well as dramatic looks. - the brush and formula of the dark base mascara are HG for me. I find myself reaching for this as a plain mascara often. Imparts length and volume; definition leaves a little to be desired buuuut... -while the round shape of the shimmer brush is annoying if you want to tip the lashes, the firm bristles of it function as a separator as well as sparkle applicator in the event of clumps in the base coats -allows my near-thirty aged self to wear age appropriate glitter as I love it dearly but am paranoid that I'm too old for it. Overall I'm in love with this product. To recap: does NOT make my eyes appear greener, but calls attention to my eyes with beautiful and brief flashes of fluttery shimmer. No "illumination" per se. HG mascara with or without added shimmer--notable length, volume and separation (from glitter brush though) I wish the proportions of the product were more appropriate. say 75% of the product should be put on the base side and only 25% of the volume should be aliquoted to the shimmer. I'm still in love with it though! Bravo L'Oreal! Beautiful! :D
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -La Prairie - Light Fantastic Cellular Concealing Brightening Eye Treatment
Sirius 11/19/2010 9:19:00 PM
EDIT: still loathe this. Gave it away. looking for something better and about 60 bucks cheaper? try neutrogena's brightening eye perfector. superior to this in every way. Ugh...I'm with the reviewer who called this the LaPrairie crap stick; AND I'M REALLY SAD ABOUT IT!. I BARELY have circles. However, I'm a perfectionist when it comes to my complexion so I thought, "hey liz! treat yourself! after all MUA reviewers give this a solid thumbs up!" Am I missing something??? This did NOTHING to cover the barely there circles that I DO have. This did NOTHING to cover ANYTHING be it a blemish, a freckle, or isolated redness. What DID it do? one might ask; well, it settled straight into my lines, it made it impossible to pull off a "concealer-only day"--every time I used this product I felt the need to use full face foundation. every day???? probably not. The need for full face foundation stems from the fact that the finish is NOT natural. AT ALL. I found the "powdery finish" cooed about by other reviewers to be completely unflattering and one-dimensional. Yes it felt nice to the touch-- like velvet in fact. but to the eye. yikes. Too few color choices. I would have liked something in between 01 and 02...and I went with 02. oh, and the brightening effect is gone within a half hour. PLEASE save your money. This is my second purchase from LaPrairie, and my second return to LaPrairie. I really don't understand the hype...boo. but on the plus side, I have 70 bucks in my pocket to get a CORRECTOR and brightening concealer, brush and powder from the BB counter. It looks infinitely better than this watery crap. Aged me about 10 years.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express The Falsies
Sirius 7/30/2010 10:28:00 PM
As a certified mascara junkie, I've tried and continue to try almost every mascara that comes out hoping to find my drug store holy grail. Up until now I've been a complete YSL faux cils snob. I looooooove that mascara; despite it's claim to provide the look of "faux cils" I still was not surprised to find that the name was an exaggeration at best. why? because I'm a freaking adult and I understand that gimmicks are used to sell cosmetics. On to maybelline's "the falsies." I think I'm in love. at $7.49 a pop, you don't get much better than this. It gave me incredible length, definition, and some volume. While not identical to YSL, I'm shocked to find that it's certainly on par with it. The one thing I love about both mascaras is that they provide a nice looking lash line QUICKLY. I don't have ten minutes every morning to make my lashes look perfect--primers, eye lash curlers, and combs are just not for me and my tight time frame. A few swipes of falsies on each eye and I'm good to go. Is this HG? we'll see how long the tube lasts. But unlike many of the reviewers on here, I have reasonable expectations from my mascara and just because maybelline tells me my lashes will look "false" after using their mascara doesn't mean I take them at literal face value. For what it is, it's a good mascara. For a "faux cils" look, stick with your actual falsies and glue.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -Wet 'n' Wild - Eye Impressions- Pop Art
Sirius 9/15/2009 3:01:00 PM
In theory, a nice summer palette. In practice, WnW dropped the ball BIG TIME. I'll start with the only redeeming quality of this product--the packaging. It's nice and heavy with a nice mirror. It comes with a combo sponge tip applicator and brush applicator. So the packaging isn't flimsy which is nice. ON THE OTHER HAND, even with a healthy dose of UDPP the creme "shadows" crease like hell and then fade into obscurity within 45 minutes of application. It's not like I'm doing anything out of the ordinary that would make me sweat or my lids oily. Nope. Just at work. I did like the effect of the mega glow bronzer/illuminator on my skin. However the disgustingly tacky consistancy and the ginormous blemishes it left in it's wake nipped my use of that portion of the palette in the bud thus rendering every single product in the compact useless. I don't expect a lot for dirt cheap WnW products, but dammit I've had SOME luck with their products in the past! This just plain sucks. Ladies and gentlemen, don't be sucked in by the alluring colors in the packaging--they don't last long and they feel nasty on your face. Spend the 3 bucks on an energy bar instead.
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Treatments -Neutrogena - Ageless Restoratives--Total Skin Renewal Power Cleanser
Sirius 8/11/2009 8:37:00 AM
In short this is the Wave's more mature, focused, and powerful cousin. It's a vibrating (two speeds) exfoliator/cleanser--more powerful than the wave in terms of the motor and more exfoliating in terms of the actual puffs. I bought this "starter kit" with a $20 coupon I received from Neutrogena when my Wave Duo pooped out on me after 2 weeks. It is a bit more expensive than the wave at around $27 US. Also, the exfoliating renewal puffs are more expensive at $20 for 24 puffs--I've had the cleanser for about 2 weeks and still haven't used up all 12 puffs that came in the kit. *I've found that the puffs can be reused with your own cleanser.* Unlike the wave, this is not meant to be used daily which disappointed me since I really loved the thorough daily cleansing the wave provided. SOLUTION: *use the wave refills with this for everyday cleansing. The attachment mechanism is identical.* after two weeks my complexion has improved in clarity, and tone. i get compliments on my "glowy" skin which is new for me. I can't really comment on any diminishing fine lines, however my pores are MUCH smaller in appearance. If you've been toying with the idea of purchasing a wave, I would give this device a shot as the vibrations are notably more powerful as previously mentioned. Tips: -if you would like to use for deep cleansing, use the wave refills (i suggest using your own cleanser though), otherwise it's GREAT for every other day exfoliating. -if you have a wave and want more exfoliation, try using the puffs for this device every other day. the refills are interchangeable. -save some $ by reusing the skin renewal puffs (I wouldn't use more than 2-3 times though) Ladies and gents, my acne-prone, oily complexion looks wonderful and glowing after 2 weeks of use and my skin was ridiculously soft after one use.
11 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No