Eyeliner -Urban Decay - 24-7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero
Suki73 3/28/2007 11:50:00 PM
I'll preface this review by saying that I rarely wear pencil liner alone, preferring to use liquid or gel liners, then using pencils to soften or to add definition to the line, accordingly. I've been using Zero in conjunction with MAC's liquid liner and it works well for my purposes (a smudgey, smoky eye for going out.) As others have mentioned, Zero is prone to smudging -it is very soft- but I happen to appreciate that it smudges without excessive smearing. (I also use LM's metallic eye colour as a base and I think this helps some.) The shade is a true, inky black - one of the better, truer blacks I've seen in a pencil liner. I've yet to try it on its own but will test it out as such as I think it's only fair to review it that way. (I'll update at that time.) I RIS but price is comparable to other H/E pencil liners.
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Eyeliner -Urban Decay - 24-7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Lust
Suki73 3/28/2007 11:43:00 PM
The Sephora website describes Lust as a "plush purple." As the other reviewers have mentioned, this is a nice vibrant purple with some blue undertones. I think I am in the minority when I say that the shade is more muted than I would have liked; I like really bright shades that "pop." This shade is very flattering with my blue eyes, however, and I wear this liner often. The 24/7s seem softer than, say MAC powerpoints, but they don't smudge on my lids once they set. Others have commented on smearing issues but I haven't experienced this with Lust (Zero, however, is a different story.) I often pair this shade with MAC twig lippie for a softer look... this is about as neutral as I get! I'm still searching for my HG purple-plum eyeliner (closest so far is the powerpoint in Powerplum). Lust is a very nice pencil in a pretty shade. The price of these liners is comparable for H/E liners.
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Eyeliner -MAC - Powerpoint Eyeliner - Forever Green
Suki73 3/28/2007 11:33:00 PM
I dug this one out for St Paddy's Day and had forgotten how much I like it. The shade is not a true green but more of a shimmery olive. (There are three greens in the powerpoint formula. Of the other two, Tealo is a blue-green and So There Jade is a light green.) I adore the powerpoint formula - they are soft and smudgey but once they set, the color lasts all day and into the night (or all night and into the next day. :) ) Forever Green can be worn for a softer, more neutral look or you can apply it heavier for more drama. I do layer it with a bit of powder shadow but it works fine without it. Overall, powerpoints offer great shades in a long-lasting, easy-to-use formula. I prefer standard pencil liners over self-sharpening ones because I like a nice, sharp point. Compared to other eyeliners, the UD 24/7s are similar but I have found they can smear whereas my powerpoints stay put. I own several shades and plan to buy more. Forever Green is one of my favorites.
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Brows -Stila - Brow Polish
Suki73 3/26/2007 3:03:00 PM
I've been searching for a tinted brow gel to use alone or in conjunction with my HG Dior powder brow pencil (I use blonde.) While I like the tinted gel I currently use (MAC brow set in Beguile), it is rather pigmented and can be messy to apply. After researching a few of these products here on MUA, I swapped for the Stila brow polish in fair. Unfortunately, this product did not work well for me. The gel itself is non-sticky and did not flake or smear, but "fair" was not a good color match. The gel looked obvious and imparted little definition to my brows. I would need to layer this with other brow products to create the defined and polished look I am after. I also found the brush to be bulky and awkward to wield. I realize tinted gels aren't meant for precision work, but as others have mentioned, this larger brush has a tendency to produce gobs of product, which, unless you are careful to wipe the brush before using, transfers directly onto your brows. I would opt to try other products before trying the brow polish in a darker shade. Price is reasonable and you get a fair amount of product, but this one is still a miss for me.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Bobbi Brown - Long Wear Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink
Suki73 3/25/2007 8:37:00 PM
HG! I read the glowing reviews on this gel liner for so long before I finally caved, and now I am kicking myself for waiting so long. I have worn liquid eyeliner since the age of 15 and have tried just about all the high-end brands (Dior, Guerlain, Chanel... you name it.) I tend to wear more dramatic makeup for evenings and usually do a variation on the smokey eye (black is the norm but I also wear bronzes and plums, etc.) I use and love the BB gel liner in Sepia ink but didn't have much luck with Violet ink (not vibrant enough for me.) With liquid liner, I had to layer with pencil and shadow to get the desired effect and stay-power, and the whole process took too long. Now, using the Black ink, I just lay down a few rough strokes of the liner, and then, before it dries, I use my favorite smudge brush (Face Stockhom #11) to create the smokey effect. Getting good tools is important when using these liners, and while I have yet to try the BB ultra-fine liner brush, I have purchased Stila's #4 and this works great. (I tend to do thicker lines; this one probably wouldn't work as well for thin lines.) Voila! A great smokey eye without layering... easier, faster, and won't budge until I remove it. I have found that the gel liners can be a little messy for undereye use. The black ink, as with other shades, wears like iron, with no flaking or smudging once its set. This shade is a true, inky and dramatic black. I will never go back to liquid liner now that I have found the BB!
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Shampoo -Sunsilk - Anti-Flat 
Suki73 3/14/2007 1:33:00 AM
Of the three anti-flat products I've tried from this brand, only the shampoo was worth using again. That being said, I agree with reviewers who called it "average." This did add a bit of volume but I found my hair looked oily by the end of the day (I used all three anti-flat products together.) The price point is nice, but that's about it. I would not repurchase.
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Conditioner -Sunsilk - Anti-Flat
Suki73 3/14/2007 1:30:00 AM
I was disappointed with this conditioner. I found that it left my hair looking flat, and I also had a great deal of static and tangles after use. I used this in conjunction with the shampoo and the volumizing lotion and all three were a miss for me.
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Styling Products -Sunsilk - Anti-Flat
Suki73 3/14/2007 1:27:00 AM
I got a sample of this free with the purchase of the shampoo. This product made my hair look greasy and I did not notice any increase in volume. The only positives I can say are 1) it smells good and 2) I got it for free.
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Treatments -The Body Shop - Almond Oil Nail & Cuticle Cream
Suki73 1/26/2007 3:37:00 AM
I purchased this a few months ago, opened it and used it for about a month, then went on to use up some other cuticle products. When I went back to finish up this one, it had dried up and seemed rancid. A shame. For the short time I was able to use it, it did a nice job of moisturizing my dry cuticles, smelled great, and a little went a long way. I would not repurchase, though, since it turned so quickly. For now, I prefer Solar Balm.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Sephora - Small retractable blush brush
Suki73 12/1/2006 8:10:00 PM
Purchased for $12 on the Sephora website, this travel brush was a great investment. It's soft and dense, and, aside from the very first use, it has not shed at all. Before I bought this brush, I actually used to lug around my regular blush brushes, which was a pain. This one retracts into a nice silver-toned case and is compact and fits easily in my smaller makeup kit. I may buy a back-up. I'm very happy with this purchase!
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Blush -NARS - Desire
Suki73 12/1/2006 8:02:00 PM
This was RIS and is currently on my swaplist, though I thought I would go ahead and post a review, anyway. This is a bright bubblegum pink, a little lighter on pigment than the other NARS blushes I own. This one is matte, no shimmer that I can detect. While this does produce a nice effect, a cool-toned pink flush, I prefer warmer tones for my skin. Another note, I have found that these blushes may cause break-outs on my sensitive skin. So far I have tried several shades, and have ended up gifting or swapping most of them (except for Gina, which I love color-wise but never seem to use). I'd give this a 3.5 if I could.
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Lipstick -Christian Dior - Rouge Dior Replenishing Lipcolor
Suki73 12/1/2006 7:56:00 PM
There are several categories for this lipcolor, but I will post this review here because I agree with the score. :) While the Addict lippies are some of my very favorite lipsticks, I found the Rouge Dior line to be far inferior. First off, there is a very strong scent and taste to these, which I found completely distasteful and distracting. The lipstick itself felt fine on my lips, sort of a medium weight, no problem for me. The shade I ordered, sight unseen, is VIP pink, a light to medium, frosty pink (which differed drastically from the Sephora swatch, of course.) To me, the packaging looks similar to cheapie drugstore brands, nothing as luxe as the gorgeous Addict line. Overall, I really disliked this item and would defintely not repurchase. 2 for texture, I suppose.
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Shadestick in Beige-ing
Suki73 11/23/2006 10:32:00 PM
I RIS and immediately put it on my swaplist without even trying it. The form of the product - a cream-based stick - seemed very strange to me. But I decided to give it a try and I'm so glad I did! This shadow applies smoothly and isn't streaky at all. It blends easily and dries to a powder finish. The shade is perfect for a nice, neutral eye for days. I also use it as a base for other shadows. My shadestick lasts all day and looks as fresh at 6pm as it did at 6am. Since I discovered how much I like it, I have been using it daily, yet there is a ton of product left. This shade, beige-ing, is the perfect low-shimmer neutral. I will definitely repurchase if/when I run out!
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Primer/ Corrector -Laura Geller - Spackle Cream
Suki73 11/23/2006 10:23:00 PM
I got two generous 1 oz jars of this from Sephora as part of a recent promotion. I have visible pores on my cheeks and routinely use primers before applying foundation. I am break-out prone and was hesitant to try this (due to other reviewers citing the monstrous reactions to it) but I did not experience any adverse reactions or break-outs. On the other hand, I didn't see any noticable improvement in the appearance of my skin, either. I tried the product a few times, under both a tinted moisturizer and a standard, medium-coverage foundation and there was no change. The chief advantage I found was that, as with most other primers I've tried, the product provided a smooth base for other products. I can get these results with a good moisturizer so I have no need for it. Compared to other primers I use and like, such as ones by Clinique and Chanel, this one is average at best.
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Lotions/ Creams -Eucerin - Aquaphor Healing Ointment
Suki73 11/23/2006 10:13:00 PM
I feel, wholeheartedly, that every household should include a tube or jar of Aquaphor in their medicine cabinets. I get painful cracked skin on my hands and feet in the winter and Aquaphor is one of the only non-prescription products that has provided any relief for me. I've often read about this as being recommended by doctors and dermatologists and I can understand why - I've used it on my family for all sorts of skin irritations, from burns to bug bites, cuts, and rashes. I most recently purchased a 1.7 fl oz tube for just under $5.00 and despite frequent usage, the product tends to last a long time (a little dab goes a long way). This would be too heavy to use as a daily hand cream - it is extremely thick and slippery, with petrolatum as the active ingredient and mineral oil as a key ingredient. This would be ideal as an intensive night treatment with gloves or socks. I adore this product and it is highly recommended.
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