Foundations -Philosophy - the supernatural airbrush canvas
Sugar76 12/2/2009 1:33:00 AM
I first dabbled in mineral foundation a decade ago with Bare Escentuals. Eventually, I found BE to be too shiny for my oily skin and having to layer BE's mineral veil on top was time consuming. Within the past few years, I ventured over to the Philosophy line. First with the Complete Me SPF 15 mineral foundation and now to the Supernatural Airbrushed Canvas SPF 15 (which I wear in Bronze). I've been using this foundation for over a year, and have not broken out from it. The coverage is very natural, from sheer to medium. It's just enough to even out my complexion, but will not cover a pimple without some kind of concealer underneath. The packaging is ridiculously user-friendly and a time-saver with no additional brush required. The addition of a magnifying mirror on top of the cap is also a nice touch. Replacement sponges are available, too.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Biosilk - Silk Therapy
Sugar76 12/2/2009 12:44:00 AM
One year ago, I purchased a 5oz or so bottle from Costco for $9.99. I used 3/4 of the bottle since then. I use a pea size drop only on the ends of my hair. Otherwise, it weighs down my hair and makes it greasy. Initially, I was hoping it would be a good leave-in conditioning type of treatment, but it doesn't do much to tame the frizzies or prevent split ends. I intend to use the rest of the bottle and will not repurchase.
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Styling Products -Paul Brown - Thermal Power
Sugar76 12/2/2009 12:25:00 AM
I blow dry my hair single every day. Sometimes twice. My hair has has suffered plenty of heat damage and within the past year, I started investing in products to counteract said damage. Please avoid Paul Brown's Thermal Power and purchase drugstore brands like TRESemme Thermal Creations Heat Tamer Spray or Dove Heat Defense Therapy instead. Brown's product is expensive, has a nauseating scent, and under performs when compared to other thermal protection sprays.
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Lipstick -Neutrogena - MoistureShine Lipstick - Cherry Twist
Sugar76 12/1/2009 11:02:00 PM
Received as a GWP, otherwise would never purchase this specific color. This shade actually compliments my tan complexion, and is very pigmented. The name is misleading. It is matte, not moisturizing, but has good staying power. The lipstick is not scented.
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Blush -Bloom - Powder Blush
Sugar76 10/5/2004 6:36:00 PM
I purchased this in Frangipani. In the compact, it looks like a dusty peach, but actually gives my tan asian cheeks a flushed pinkish glow. No breakouts, and staying power is suprisingly good (oily skin here). What lured me most to this particular line was the cute packaging. Prior to this, I owned only the lipgloss palette. The blush compact is rather flimsy compared to my l/g compact. Ah well. The product makes up for the shoddy packaging.
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Palettes -Garden Botanika - Trend Face Palette (Spring Greens)
Sugar76 8/28/2004 8:18:00 PM
This travel friendly 3.5" x 3" palette contains:
- Coconut eyeshadow: basic matte off-white highlighter shade
- Kiwi eyeshadow: sparkly light olive green, crease shade
- Pear eyeshadow: light shimmery mint green, base color
- Ivy eyeshadow: dark moss green, liner shade
- Butternut blush: a dark, tawny peach
The colors are versatile and fairly neutral. With my tan asian complexion, and dark brown eyes, these colors are quite striking. I can create a subtle daytime eye or smoldering night time looks with this palette. The blush is very pigmented but not as silky as Nars. Gals with lighter skin tones should apply with a light hand. The eyeshadows show up true to color with very little work and has a decent amount of staying power on my oily lids. Both Coconut and Kiwi are limited edition shades, but can easily be duplicated in other lines.
Grab this palette on clearance while you can at gardenbotanika.com. I highly recommend this palette to anyone who’s interested in branching out and experimenting with greens.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Garden Botanika - Angled Brow
Sugar76 8/23/2004 2:58:00 PM
This thin angled brow brush is made of taklon and is extremely versatile. At first, I used it only with brow products, but soon found it to be a great eyeliner brush. (I actually prefer using this to line than the GB flat push-brush which I also own). It made applying the Lorac cream eyeliners much easier because the bristles are stiff enough to grab the color, but soft enough for the eye area. This is also a must-have for ladies who line wet using loose shadows or glimmers.
The quality of GB brushes are quite good. I've experienced no shedding through numerous cleanings. I purchased this several months ago when it was on sale for US$6. It's currently available at gardenbotanika.com for US$13.
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Eyeliner -Wet 'n' Wild - Megaliner Liquid Liner- Brown/Brun
Sugar76 8/13/2004 5:14:00 PM
This shade is a fairly neutral light bronze-brown shade which complements nearly any eyeshadow color. The staying power is mediocre on my oily lids, but at least the color doesn't flake. I am not much a fan of liquid liners, because all I've tried had stung my eyes. This product didn't, and instead of using the attached brush, I just use my angled Maybelline brush to apply. This product is well worth looking into.
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Concealers -Vasanti - Concealer
Sugar76 8/13/2004 5:04:00 PM
I am of Asian descent with a tan complexion and unfortunate hereditary dark undereye circles. The Vasanti online artist advised me that I should wear O2. One side contains a dark, warm orange based shade and the other a lighter yellow-based beige. The artist was spot on. By carefully mixing and blending the two colors together, I was able to get a good match and the product does a decent job of erasing some (not all) of the undereye darkness. The formula is a bit on the drier side and like previous reviews, you really do need to prep the eye area and moisturize prior to application. Considering the oily nature of my skin, this product holds up pretty well throughout an 8-hour workday. The packaging is very sleek lucite (think of the dearly departed Calvin Klein makeup line)and I was surprised to find it includes a mirror as well. The compact is much smaller than expected, but you only need to use a little product to get satisfactory results. I'm looking forward to trying the new formulated version.
Also, if any US MUA'ers are hesitant to purchase online from this Canandian company, please don't be. Shipping is relatively quick and I received my package in less than 2 weeks...all the way out here in Hawaii.
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Treatments (Eye) -DHC - Concentrated Eye Cream
Sugar76 7/4/2004 6:58:00 PM
Emollient eye cream that's good for oily-skin gals who need a little more moisture around the eye area without the greasiness. It takes a bit to absorb, but once it does, eye makeup goes on flawlessly. Doesn't do anything for hereditary dark circles. A good eye cream, but comparable to drug store versions. DHC provides a very generous sample that should last for a month with daily use.
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Primer/ Corrector -DHC - Matte Cream
Sugar76 7/4/2004 6:06:00 PM
After two weeks of using this on and off, I can safely say it doesn't work for me. I have very oily skin, and Matte Cream does nothing to combat it plus it caused some minor breakouts. Matte Cream has a slightly whipped texture and there is an odd scent to it. The great thing about DHC products is that you can get generous samples before purchasing.
Ingredients:
water, stearic acid, pentylene glycol, glycerin, cucurbita pepo (pumpkin) seed extract, kaolin, chlorella vulgaris extract, behenyl alcohol, glyceryl stearate SE, potassium hydroxide, phenoxyethanol, allantoin, dipotassium glycyrrhizate, tricalcium phosphate, paeonia suffruticosa root extract, allium sativum (garlic) bulb extract, silica, zinc oxide, silver, disodium adenosine triphosphate
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Concealers -Paula Dorf - Total Camouflage
Sugar76 5/9/2004 6:37:00 AM
I purchased this in Sun/Earth. The two shades are: medium fleshtone peach and light beige with slight yellow undertones. This concealer is creamy and blends easily. For ladies who need light to medium coverage, this is a good option. For me however, my under eye circles are quite dark, so I may need something a little more opaque or try a darker shade. If applied too thickly, it will crease and make imperfections more apparent. Unfortunately, this product seems to clog my pores when used on other areas of my face. It does take some time to work with, so it’s not a product you can just slap on and go.
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Blush -Philosophy - supernaturals
Sugar76 5/9/2004 5:48:00 AM
I purchased the “Superneutral” shade which turns out to be a weird looking burnt ruddy-orange shade on my pigmented lips. As a lip stain, its thin watery consistency makes it difficult to apply evenly. As a result, my first mistake was applying too much product. I ended up looking as if I had one too many orange popsicles (not very flattering on me). The color fared a little better on my cheeks, but the texture was difficult to blend, just a tad too sticky for my liking, and it clogs pores. Cute packaging, but this product is not worth $15. If all liquid stains are this difficult to use, I give up.
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Foundations -Bare Escentuals - Summer Bisque
Sugar76 5/9/2004 5:20:00 AM
A warmer version of the original Bisque. I purchased this hoping it would conceal my dark under eye circles. The coverage isn’t opaque enough for that and accentuated fine lines. Fortunately it does cover blemishes and neutralize redness. Its other saving grace is that I can also use this as a foundation (I am Asian whose skin tans easily and wear BE #2 and Philosophy CM N2).
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Misc Beauty Tools -Sephora - Black Plastic Eyelash Curler
Sugar76 5/9/2004 4:50:00 AM
Ordering blindly online, this curler is bulkier and much longer than expected. It’s approx. 4 to 5 inches in length. It does a fine job of curling my lashes, but if I’m not careful, it will pinch. Can’t beat the price, but Maybelline has a similar version priced under $4 and is much more compact. The comb end is worthless.
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