Blush -E.L.F. - Studio Blush in Candid Coral
TheGoodSwan 7/12/2012 9:15:00 PM
Really great, glowy, peach shade. Nice pigmentation. CHEAP - I always have to emphasize that. I'm a product junkie and love a good bargain when I can find one. I do agree the quality of ELF stuff varies greatly. I have purchased their blushes in the past and been hella disappointed. For $3...it is worth a try, though.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -E.L.F. - Studio Blush in Twinkle Pink
TheGoodSwan 7/12/2012 9:12:00 PM
Cheap. But, in a good way. Purchased this on a whim. It is really...nice. Can you tell I am surprised?? Color is similar to NARS Orgasm (peachy pink) on me, but, honestly, I like this ELF one more. No joke. Yes, this has glitter, but I don't feel (OR look) like a disco ball after I apply it. The glitter just works. Beautifully. Craziness - for a $3 product. Great product. Great value.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Tarte - Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush - Buff
TheGoodSwan 7/12/2012 9:08:00 PM
This blush has become my everyday, basic, no frills blush. It is very neutral and not an aggressive shade (can blush be aggressive?? I think so). I wear it to work almost every day. It goes with almost every look (eye, clothing, lip...). It is a really lovely neutral. Buff has a bit of a shimmer (not frosty), so it has some depth - keeps it from looking boring. The staying power is superb too. Highly recommend.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -E.L.F. - Studio Cream Shadow in Candlelight
TheGoodSwan 7/12/2012 9:02:00 PM
I purchased this as an inner corner highlight, browbone highlight and an overall shadow base. It is perfect for all three of those things. I wore it as a base under my UD Naked palette shades and the colors lasted all day. PS...I have oily lids. It makes a lovely inner corner shade too. It is very brightening. In a pinch this could also work as a cheek highlighter, and even on the cupid's bow. It isn't the best thing I've ever used, but it has done exactly what I wanted. And...It.Is.Cheap.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -E.L.F. - Studio Cream Shadow in Dawn
TheGoodSwan 7/12/2012 8:58:00 PM
I'm a pretty big sucker for cream eye shadows. I'm always looking for a good one. The Target near me JUST started stocking ELF products, so I hauled a bit. I decided to try a couple of the cream shadows... First impression? Not impressed. I hated the packaging. I hated the little dinky brush. I hated the consistency. After a few wears...I've began to sing a different tune. I'm still not keen on the pot - it is beyond hard to work with. Buuuuuuut...I love the color of this. It is so versatile. I have been applying it alone, just as a wash over my lid. I'm pretty lazy in the morning. I get up too early!! And it has lasted on my oily eyelids ALL day. In the heat. I even wore it to the gym (no, I'm not one of those girls... normally). The price is amazing too.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Kai - perfume oil
TheGoodSwan 2/23/2012 6:37:00 PM
I am on my 4th or 5th container of this scent... It is my 'signature' scent. I love the little roll-on vial. I keep one in my makeup bag at all times... Gardenia is one of my favorite scents...and Kai doesn't disappoint. Gardenia is definitely the strongest component of this blend, which makes sense as Kai describes it as 'gardenia and exotic white flowers'. This is absolutely beautiful - romantic, fresh, sexy. I get a lot of compliments on this. Men always notice it, and it absolutely drives my boyfriend crazy.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -NYX - NYX 111 Lollipop
TheGoodSwan 2/16/2012 9:40:00 PM
This is another gorgeous NYX gloss... I own about 15 different shades now, and while I love them all - I definitely play favorites. Lollipop is on that list. These glosses have really wonderful color payoff. In most cases, the color that you see in the tube is what you get on the lips. This. Is. AMAZING. It is a gorgeous peachy orange with tons of shimmer in the tube and it is a gorgeous peachy orange with tons of shimmer on my lips. I have been wearing this often...with a smokey eye (I wear a smokey eye almost daily). The tubes are awesome...you get a lot for the $.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -NYX - Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Nude Peach
TheGoodSwan 2/16/2012 9:29:00 PM
'Nude Peach' is another of my favorite NYX glosses. It is a gorgeous summery peachy pink... It has copious amounts of golden shimmer...but isn't frosty. This looks wonderful with a peachy lip liner and a bronzer.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -NYX - Lipgloss with Mega Shine - Beige
TheGoodSwan 2/16/2012 9:27:00 PM
NYX Mega Shine Lip Glosses are my absolute favorites. This is probably my favorite of my favorites... Beige is a funny name for this gloss, because it isn't 'beige' at all. It is a fun, bubblegum pink...and is the perfect mix of opaque and sheer. It looks great with a smokey eye. he price. The scent (faintly cherry) used to bother me, but it has grown on me...
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Urban Decay - Lip Junkie
TheGoodSwan 2/15/2012 8:43:00 PM
I own this gloss in Peroxide - a semi-sheer baby pink. I like to describe this gloss like this..."it's like NARS Turkish Delight...if Turkish Delight was better." That is exactly how I feel about it. Peroxide is everything I wanted Turkish Delight to be... Okay, so, first off...the tube is way cool. It is sleek and molded, almost bullet-like, with a cool cut out patterned cap. The applicator is a rubbery plastic. It isn't hard like some squeeze tube glosses. The scent? Vanilla mint. So yummy. Upon application this does have a tingling, cooling effect. It is pretty mild, though (sometimes 'tingly' glosses irritate my lips - this doesn't). I would not say that this actually 'plumps' my lips, though it does make them appear fuller. This isn't sticky at all, which is awesome. It feels great on the lips and wears well. The color is the perfect milky baby pink. It has just the right amount of opacity. I have been wearing it with a smokey eye. It is the perfect balance. I would definitely repurchase this shade and may try out another...
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Primer -Too Faced - Shadow Insurance, Anti-Crease Eye Shadow Primer
TheGoodSwan 2/15/2012 8:25:00 PM
Sadly, this had the same effect on my as UDPP. It was way too oily for my already oily lids. It caused major creasing on my lids - way worse than with no product at all. I did like the packaging much more than the UD item. I ended up returning this.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Biosilk - Silk Therapy
TheGoodSwan 2/15/2012 8:23:00 PM
This is part of my holy grail team of products. I have been using it for years. I apply it before blow drying AND after on the ends. It makes my hair SO soft...and beautifully scented. I think you do really need to use caution when applying. I have thick, coarse hair and use only a pea sized amount before blow drying...and even less after. My mother used some of this one day (when she ran out of her product) and used too much... It made her hair so greasy she had to rewash. I keep a tiny bottle in my travel kit (was $0.99 at Ulta), and refill it from a larger bottle as needed. The larger bottles vary in price from $9.00 to around $35.00. A large bottle usually lasts me a year. No joke.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -BeneFit Cosmetics - BADgal Lash
TheGoodSwan 2/15/2012 8:16:00 PM
This is the first mascara I have ever returned. I am a mascara junkie, and have tried numerous brands, but just recently got around to buying this one... I bought it at Ulta. It is fairly expensive - $19. I really loved the packaging - big black tube with pink and white lettering, silver cap. The brush is jumbo, sort of like Diorshow (which I love, btw). I thought this applied nicely. It made my lashes longer and fuller. I have to say I was pretty stoked. Two hours later...this mascara had migrated south. I had horrible black circles under my eyes...and black flakes on my cheeks. My coworker and I bought and wore at the same time, and the same thing happened to her. We both spent lunch in the bathroom touching up with cotton swabs and concealer. Just to be sure, I wore it again the next day. Same thing happened. Wears terribly on me...and apparently, my coworker. We both returned this.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Primer -Urban Decay - Eyeshadow Primer Potion - Original (UDPP)
TheGoodSwan 2/15/2012 8:10:00 PM
I received a mini of this with the Naked palette. I was pretty excited to try it...finally. Yes, I am definitely behind the times where this product is concerned. After the first use, I was really unimpressed. This just seemed to add to the overall oiliness of my lids. My shadows creased even more than they did on bare lids. I decided to keep trying. I have used it every day for 2 whole weeks now...and I am still unimpressed. Actually, I am disappointed. I have tried it under many different shadows (cream, powder, MAC, Chanel, Wnw) and they all end up looking awful after a few hours. The container is awful too. I think UD changed it on the full-size product (now in a toothpaste like tube?), which is good, because the bottle is a pain. I would not purchased this.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lips -L'Oreal - Colour Riche Balm
TheGoodSwan 2/15/2012 7:57:00 PM
I was finally able to get my hands on a couple of these... They've been sold out almost everywhere since their release. I scored "Nourishing Nude" and "Caramel Comfort". I probably would not have purchased two so similar shades, but these were the only ones left! First off...I totally love the packaging on these. It is so classy. The caps are shaded to look like the color of the balm...and are transparent, again, just like the balms! The base is gold...which seems to be the standard L'Oreal packaging color. The scent is odd...but not necessarily bad. I can't exactly place it - think sort of caramel, sort of vanilla, sort of...plastic, or sunscreen-ish? Like I said...I can't exactly figure it out. The colors are SHEER. Very. The "Nude" color I bought doesn't show up on me at all... It only gives a slight sheen. Honestly, I can't decide if I am relieved or disappointed by the sheerness. The "Caramel" shade has slightly more color, but it is still extremely sheer. I like a subtle lip, so I don't mind... The formula is really nice. It applies smoothly and feels great on. I haven't noticed much moisture payoff. I think there are a lot of cheaper balms that moisturize better. I will probably try another color, but doubt I would rebuy these specific shades.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No