Liquid -Make Up For Ever - Mat Velvet PLUS Matifying Foundation
SpiffySarahD 11/14/2012 3:15:00 AM
My skin is very pale, acne-prone, and oily. I have this foundation in shade 15 Alabaster. The color is awesome! I've finally found something that matches my extremely pale skin. Of course, it isn't perfect, but it is close enough (nobody other than me would notice the color difference). I haven't experienced any oxidation with this foundation. It does transfer, but not too badly. This foudation is formulated to "hide imperfections, even out skintone, and mattify with a non-oily, perfectly powdered finish. The result is flawless and lasts for hours." It's also supposed to be a "shine controlling, oil-free, water-resistant, complete coverage liquid foundation." It definitely isn't "complete coverage." It has to be built up a lot to achieve a good amount of coverage, but even then it isn't complete coverage. I feel like I ended up using way too much, which isn't okay, considering how much I paid for it. Even after building it up, it still didn't cover my problem spots very well (acne, redness, uneven skin). Also, it just wouldn't stay put on my nose. It would separate soon after application and look terrible, and be completely gone in like an hour or two. It didn't last very well on the rest of my face either. I noticed it began to fade and slide off my skin after a few hours, making it look splotchy and just generally awful. It still happened even when I used my Smashbox primer and Urban Decay All Nighter setting spray with it! It settled into my pores and accentuated dry spots I didn't even know I had, even after exfoliating and heavily moisturizing my face. No matter how many different application methods I used, and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get it to look smooth. It always ended up looking really cakey. When I first applied it, it looked alright, but it didn't take long before it started looking bad. It doesn't seem to control oil very well either. Revlon Colorstay seems to last better than this stuff does! Pros: -excellent color selection, especially for very pale skin -does not irritate skin -packaging is hygienic and very practical (squeeze bottle with small tip) -no weird smell -easy to remove at the end of the day Cons: -does not last -accentuates problems on skin, rather than covering them -does not control oil -not full coverage/ tedious to build decent amount of coverage -cakey-looking -expensive/ not worth price I was so excited to find a foundation that matched my pale skin, but was extremely disappointed with its performance. It definitely isn't worth the price, in my opinion. I will be returning it.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Beyond The Zone - Waxed Out Mousse Wax
SpiffySarahD 7/6/2012 1:24:00 AM
I love this stuff! It's perfect for whe I want to wear my hair curly! It makes cute, bouncy ringlets in my curly hair! When I get out of the shower, I put a smoothing cream in my hair, then put about a palm full of this mousse on the ends and up the mid-shaft of my hair (I don't put any on my roots because it will weigh my hair down and make it look greasy). I comb it evenly through my hair, then, while my hair is still pretty wet, scrunch it into curls and let it dry. It also smells really good like coconut or something. Because it is waxy, it defines curls and tames frizz. It can be a little heavy for me if I use too much since my hair is thin and really fine. I also have to use something on my roots to volumize them, but I have to do that whether I use this mousse or not. I've also found that if I sleep with this in my hair and I'm not careful to keep my hair off my face, it will cause my face to break out a little. This truly is a great product! It's great for anyone who wants to add some texture to their hair.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Hard Candy - Nobody's Perfect concealer palette
SpiffySarahD 7/6/2012 12:45:00 AM
This concealer palette isn't awesome, but it isn't horrible either. I have the palette in fair." I mostly use the green concealer for redness and the lightest of the skin-colored concealers for acne. The green takes the edge off red skin, but doesn't do much for covering acne. The skin-colored concealers aren't the best, but they work okay for minor blemishes. They're also a little too dark, so if I use them, I will mix them with a different concealer. I haven't really used the other colors of concealer, but I might eventually. This palette is nice if you need light coverage and several different colors of concealer. I don't regret buying it, but I also don't think it would be practical for me, personally, to buy another one since I only use the green concealer and a skin-colored concealer.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Revlon - ColorStay Makeup - Ivory
SpiffySarahD 7/6/2012 12:13:00 AM
I have the formula for combination/oily skin in the color Ivory. I have oily skin that is very sensitive and acne-prone. I usually have a few breakouts and a moderate amount of post-acne hyperpigmentation. My skin is also very pale, and I've had difficulty finding a good color match with drugstore foundations. Sadly, this one is not a good match. It's too orange, plus it oxidizes terribly after a few hours. This foundation claims to wear for 24 hours with a flawless look and a lightweight feel. Personally, I don't think it quite lives up to these claims. It does last pretty well during the day, but I wouldn't say it lasts for 24 hours. It fades as the day goes on, and looks pretty bad after about 8 or 9 hours. It does fade evenly, though, so at least it doesn't look splotchy. It feels really heavy on my face; not lightweight at all. This foundation can be tricky to apply because it dries so quickly. I have tried applying it with a foundation brush, a stippling brush, a flat top brush, and a damp foundation sponge. Patting this foundation on with a damp foundation sponge has worked the best for me. Pros: -Lasts a decent amount of time -Controls oil -good amount of coverage (a little more than medium, but not quite full) -affordable Cons: -accentuates pores and dry skin -very strong chemical smell -causes breakouts -very irritating on sensitive skin -extremely difficult to remove -transfers badly -oxidizes This foundation just didn't work for me. I would not purchase it again.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -NYX - NYX Caribbean Collection - I Dream of St John
SpiffySarahD 7/5/2012 11:15:00 PM
I bought this eyeshadow palette because I'm a big fan of gray and black smokey eyeshadows. I think it's the first eyeshadow palette I ever bought! This palette is affordable and is good quality. The eyeshadows are soft, go on smoothly, and blend well. The pigmentation isn't amazing, but it's still pretty darn good. The colors (from left to right) are: Shimmery white/ivory Shimmery cool silver Matte true black Shimmery gunmetal gray Matte black with a slight brown tone I really like that the blacks have a matte finish instead of having a shimmery finish like the other colors because I prefer to use matte colors in my eye crease. The only complaint I have about this palette is that the eyeshadows can be fragile. I dropped the palette once, causing the ivory to shatter completely, and the gunmetal gray to chip and eventually break apart. I guess that's normal for soft eyeshadows, though. I should have been more careful. Overall, this is a great palette! I totally reccomend it!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No