Liquid -Chanel - Vitalumiere Aqua
Sparkled 7/11/2012 11:53:00 AM
I see a reoccurring theme here: This foundation gives you blemishes in places you don't normally break out, and cystic acne in people who normally don't have that issue! After sifting through the reviews, this issue seems to occur in girls with various skin types, but mainly combination and dry. I know that VA is supposed to be for girls with oily skin, and that may or may not be the reason why so many of us are experiencing breakouts when we shouldn't! For the record, I have very dry skin. I went to the Chanel counter requesting a luminous, dewy, hydrating foundation. I was a bit skeptical when the very kind SA recommended I try Vitalumiere Aqua. I'd read on the Makeup Board before that VA is usually not the best choice for dry-skinned girls. But the SA matched some of VA in BR10 to a spot on my jawline, and I liked how it felt. She generously gave me a few sample packets of the foundation and told me I could try it out at home after I explained how sensitive my skin is. On a Sunday morning before church, I tried out half of one packet. I would call BR10 a 98% match to my NW15 skin (I wear Ivory in Diorskin Forever). It's ever so slightly pinker than my already cool, pink-toned skin, but I actually liked that! I'm so pale that this shade gave me a little bit of natural-looking color and freshness. "This would be great for the dead of winter when my skin is very dull and even paler," I thought, while applying VA with my fingertips all over my freshly cleansed and moisturized race. I instantly ADORED the finish and feel. The foundation felt thin and delicate, and then it set to a lovely finish. It left me looking luminous and refreshed, and I was absolutely pleased with what I saw in the mirror. I also received several compliments about how pretty I looked that day. I knew that VA must be a keeper. Unfortunately, by late afternoon I had a small, painful red zit protruding from my chin. I rarely ever break out, so I was worried at first. However, I had been quite hormonal, and I was so enamored with VA, that I didn't immediately rule out that it was the foundation breaking me out. I washed it off and tried to treat the zit as best as I could. I did notice after removing the foundation that my skin felt a tiny bit dry and the formula had gathered into little flecks around my jawline - not good. The next day I tried VA again, using a fresh sample. I felt some unusual pain in a weird spot on my nose; I could tell there was some sort of a blemish beneath the skin where my right nostril connected to the rest of my face, if that makes any sense at all! By the day's end, the spot felt VERY painful, and I knew it was cystic acne, something I'd never experienced before. I also noticed a few more painful spots like this on other areas of my skin, and another red dot or two. Horrible! Luckily, I treated my skin quickly and kept it make-up free for a few days to counteract the damage VA had done. It took me about a week to get my face back to normal though. Overall, I am pretty heartbroken about this foundation, for multiple reasons: The finish is stunning, and I can't seem to find anything similar in a foundation that agrees with dry skin! Also, I am a huge Chanel addict. I swear by their eye makeup, lipstick, and perfumes; I had so hoped to add one of their foundations to my makeup arsenal as well. Now I'm a little wary of trying any of their face makeup again, at least not for a long time. I believe if you have oily skin, you should still get samples of this, as VA tends to give people breakouts whether they are normally prone to them or not. As for me, I'm waiting for YSL's new Touche Eclat foundation to be released before even considering a different Chanel foundation. If I do, it may be the original Vitalumiere, provided I can find an adequate color match. But I'll never try VA again, not after this terrible experience.
7 out of 10 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
BB Cream -Dr. Jart+ - Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45 PA+++ 
Sparkled 7/11/2012 11:28:00 AM
I have very dry, delicate skin with pinky-red cheeks from mild rosacea. Dr. Jart's Premium Beauty Balm matched my NW15 skin pretty well. For reference, I have also been successfully matched to both Diorskin Nude and Diorskin Forever in Ivory, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in BR10, Nars Sheer Glow in Mont Blanc, and Benefit Oxygen Wow in Ivory. That being said, the color match is one of the very few good comments I can make about this product. I was given a decent sample of this BB from a Sephora SA. I applied a layer to the back of my hand to make sure it matched my skin, which it more or less did. I patted the balm to clean, bare skin the first time I tried it, and I really disliked the texture. It's not quite sticky per se, but it's not a smooth texture. Also, nothing about this was hydrating for me at all. After about an hour, I rinsed the balm off and tried again. Trial 2: I applied a thin layer of my regular moisturizer, Korres Wild Rose. After letting it sink into my skin for a few minutes, I reapplied some of the BB onto my face, and instantly felt a lot better. Now that my skin was nicely hydrated, I could concentrate on other facets of the balm. I did feel like my skin had a slightly pink-grey cast to it, but it wasn't noticeable to anyone else. I also felt it did a nice job of covering up my redness, but it didn't conceal the small PMS-related blemish I had on my chin. After about two hours, my skin felt, again, sticky and sweaty. I had to run out the door and had no time to reapply my makeup again, so I added some of my favorite foundation powder on top, Diorskin Nude Fresh Glow. Right away, my skin brightened and the stickiness I was experiencing felt controlled. I kept the BB on for about 8 hours, and it held up fairly well, but then again I'd set it with powder 2 hours in. However, I was glad to take it off by the day's end, and I threw the sample in the trash too. I see little point in this product. For $39, I could almost buy another bottle of my HG foundation. While I appreciated that this product has a very high SPF and forgoes using sulfates and synthetic fragrances, I felt it was otherwise useless. I shouldn't have to moisturize under and conceal/powder over a "one step" item that is meant to be multi-purpose and time-saving! I genuinely wanted to love this product, but it was pretty much disappointing. Two stars go to the gentle formulation that didn't break me out, plus the SPF 45. Overall, I would not recommend this item for girls with dry skin who need a balanced BB/foundation formula that won't leave skin feeling both tacky and in need of hydration.
8 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Primer -NARS - Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base
Sparkled 5/27/2012 7:12:00 PM
I am SO angry about this primer. It's absolutely perfect. The silky texture, the doe-foot applicator, the fact that it intensifies any color and keeps every single shadow locked in place for hours all make it HG worthy. I was thrilled to give $24 in exchange for a powerful, easy-to-use product, no questions asked. It deserves 5 stars, and had I written this review weeks ago, it would have received all 5. Two weeks later, I have milia all over my eyelids as a result of using this daily. I'm livid because everything I'm reading online says you must have your doctor removed the larger cysts for you, or else you risk damaging the skin, or worse, even your eyes. I have one little cyst amongst all the tiny dots and it's pretty noticeable, with or without eyeshadow. So now I have to pay to have it removed. I'm so mad. For the record, Too Faced Shadow Insurance has many of the same ingredients (especially the first 4 or 5) and a similar incident happened to me. Except this time, the milia is worse. I'm now going to turn to MAC Paint Pots, as I can't trust any other eyelid primer on the market (UDPP, Bare Escentuals Prime Time, etc were all disappointing. Didn't cause milia, but didn't do the job either.) If you have sensitive skin at all, avoid this at all costs. Someone on MUA warned me when I first bought this that she's allergic to one of the sea plant ingredients in it, and I took my chances. Now I wish I'd listened. Please don't make the same mistake if you have skin issues or a history of allergies.
13 out of 18 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Christian Dior - Rose Caprice #475
Sparkled 3/11/2012 1:59:00 AM
Girls, please don't allow the review below to sway you from at least trying this color yourselves! Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but I find the reviewer's comments not a little insulting. Pink Caprice 475 (aka Rose Caprice 475) is a beautiful lilac-pink that comes in a creamy, luxurious, moisturizing formula that lasts for hours. Maybe this color could be described as "tacky" if you piled on five layers or wore it to an arraignment, but it's honestly a very feminine, refreshing shade that compliments a bevy of eyeshadow looks and skin tones. The color of Pink Caprice does its name justice! Whim and whimsy, and a bit of impulsivity cleverly characterize this gorgeous jolt of eye-catching but incredibly girlish shade. It's hot pink and lavender tinged and cool blue all at once. With a touch of gloss, it's VERY wearable with a neutral eye and some flushed cheeks. If you're feeling bold, pair Pink Caprice with a smoky purple eye and some glowing skin skin. I promise you, this is a shade you WILL get compliments on; it lights up your skin, brightens your teeth, and draws attention to your face in the best possible way. It isn't theatrical, and if you're scared, wear it as a stain to start.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Cremesheen - Play Time
Sparkled 3/11/2012 1:23:00 AM
I've purged my entire MAC lipstick collection this past year. I've found that I prefer the consistency, creaminess, and hydration of several other lines, including Hourglass Femme Rouge and Dior Rouge. Some MAC lipsticks are wonderful, but others are dry, and others still don't last very long. Play Time is the only lipstick I kept, and I will be so sad when I finish the tube! The color is very unique; there are similar shades that MAC has released that are also LE and discontinued (Asian Flower comes to mind). No other line has released this same slightly shiny, creamy purple-pink, or at least I haven't found one yet. I love that there's a tiny bit of sheerness to the color, but it's very buildable. I always get compliments on this shade, and I've found it actually compliments a wide variety of eyeshadow colors, from BE Celestine to NARS Lhasa to Dior Smoky Pink. I only removed one star because the color could last a bit longer on my lips, but otherwise this is a very hydrating formula and an unusual, special shade. I just hope MAC releases another color like it with a similar texture and hydration!
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Liquid -Christian Dior - Diorskin Forever Flawless Perfection Fusion Wear Makeup (new - 2011 version)
Sparkled 3/10/2012 4:06:00 AM
This foundation is wonderful, beautiful, and for me, a miracle. I have pinky-redness in my cheeks and very dry skin. Aside from my cheeks, I'm very fair (NW15) and had a difficult time finding a foundation that: - Matches my neck - Moisturizes without making me look too dewy - Evens my skin tone - Doesn't break me out - Lasts at least 6 hours I tried MUFE HD, Laura Mercier Moisturizing Foundation, Chanel VA, and several other highly rated foundations, and Diorskin Forever beat them all. I found an exact color match in Ivory. My skin feels comfortable, and as if I'm wearing nothing on my face. My redness is instantly covered and my face looks virtually flawless. Unlike my horrible experience with Bare Minerals, Forever has never broken me out or irritated my delicate, sensitive skin. I can wear it all day long and it doesn't transfer, nor does it really fade. This is my holy grail foundation, and if it were to be discontinued tomorrow, I'd find some way to purchase at least 4 bottles to tide me over until I mournfully began searching for something new! *Crosses fingers and prays that this day will never come* I highly recommend this foundation, $46 price tag and all. When your face looks this perfect, it's worth the price!
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No