Concealers -Maybelline - Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles
Triscuits 5/17/2013 11:41:00 PM
I have this in the shade "fair" and have been using this product pretty regularly for about 6 months. To begin with, the packaging really sucks. The plastic casing cracked and the click-mechanism broke within the first couple of uses and I got to have a nice messy time one night retrieving the product out of its gawd-awful packaging and placing the salvaged product in an empty screw-top sample pot I had on hand. My first few uses impressed me enough to go to all the trouble though. I still keep the broken packaging in my vanity area for the little spongy tip-thinger on it, I find this little applicator applies, spreads, and blends the least amount of product while providing the most coverage, which is what I need because less is more with this product. I don't have a brush in my collection that delivers similar results so I just dab as little product as possible from my sample pot onto the sponge-tip thingy and use that. I really like this product, it's not cakey and doesn't crease once set (so long as you don't go nuts by piling tons of it on). I do find that if I apply it without being properly moisturized it can look a little dry/scaly/patchy, though. Not terribly, but enough to annoy me when I'm examining my face. I really like how opaque this product is with a very thin application. It's not perfectly opaque, but is quite opaque with very little product. I also like how comfortable this is on the skin and how easy it is to blend. What impressed me most was that it doesn't crease under my eyes (again, so long as you remember that less is more), the skin around my eyes and my eyelids are on the oily side, so that it doesn't crease once set was pretty impressive to me given this is a drugstore product. One day I was in a huge rush and didn't have time for my eye makeup routine so I just quickly blended this product on my eyelids up to my brows as a wash to even out the skin on my eyelids, and praying to God it wouldn't crease on me while still expecting it would. But, it didn't crease for the whole day (lasted about 8-9 hours or so without any noticeable creasing), and ever since then I've been using this product also as a base/primer for my eyeshadow to help stave off creasing, and have been very pleased with it for that purpose also. I also like blending this product down towards my cheeks in an upside-down triangle and applying it around my nose and fine smile lines and my cupids bow and the corners of my mouth, pretty much where all the problems in the center of my face occur, such as dullness/redness/creasing/shadows. The "fair" is just a touch lighter than my skin and my foundation, and has really nice blurring properties for fine lines, that doing this has served me well for creating oh-so-subtle dimension, staving off creasing (esp around the corners of my nose) and redness, and brightening up shadows around my nose and mouth. This product is so easy to work with, and so very little product is required, that this extra step in my routine isn't time consuming at all, it's very quick. I do find I can get shiny in the areas where it's been applied on my face as the day progresses, and since on my face I mainly apply it in the center - that means I get shinier than usual in the center of my face. Blotting papers does the trick, but still, would be nice if it was more mattifying for my purposes. I definitely don't think this product is overpriced, it's a very good product and very little is required to accomplish its task, those qualities are usually typical of high end products that cost significantly more, not drugstore products. So I think it's a bargain. Hate the packaging tho, they need to fix that. Otherwise, highly recommend.
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Shampoo -Matrix - Amplify Shampoo
Triscuits 4/13/2013 1:27:00 PM
This is the shampoo/conditioner line I always go back to. I've been a hairstylist for 14 years but I was actually first introduced to this product during a salon visit prior to becoming a hairstylist. I was getting my hair colored and when it was time to shampoo it out my stylist used this shampoo, and I was blown away by the scent. I asked her what it was, she told me, I asked her if she would recommend it and I remember exactly what she said: I like this product because the ph makes it easier to remove hair color stains on skin around the hairline. She then recommended a Rusk shampoo/conditioner set, which I did buy that day. Yeah, so the Amplify set didn't exactly receive a glowing recommendation from my stylist, eh? Nevertheless, I was disappointed in the Rusk I bought because it smelled like lemons/grapefruit (not my favorite). At that time I was teenager and more interested in the smell than results, so at my next salon visit I bought the amplify set strictly because the scent left such a strong impression on me during the last salon visit. Loved the scent, but also the results. For reference, my hair gets oily quickly, is fine in texture, and thick (lots of hair). Anyway, as I entered the salon world and throughout my career, every salon shampoo/conditioner line has made its way into my shower. But the Amplify by Matrix is the only line I've come back to and made repeat purchases. Except not for the scent only, but for the results. This is the only line that doesn't weigh down my hair, it makes my hair feel clean (really clean) without feeling stripped/tangly, and it provides volume. With just about every other shampoo/conditioner line, I've had to alternate between other lines after a week or so because my hair started not being happy. Only the Amplify line can I go through an entire liter of product without feeling it is necessary to "change it up." My hair just seems to really love the Amplify line. Another thing I like is that this line doesn't contain any silicones, 'cones do a really nasty number on my hair, and 'cone-free products are becoming more and more difficult to find.
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Tinted Moisturizer -NARS - Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer
Triscuits 2/20/2013 5:38:00 PM
A promotional sample of this product was included in my holiday order from Sephora, I was given the shade "Alaska". I usually use a med-full coverage foundation (D&G), but do like tinted moisturizers when I'm just going to run errands and don't want to look too dolled up. The TM I was using before was Clinique's, just cuz it's was the TM I had on hand, but it's really high coverage more like a med-full coverage foundation so I had to mix it with a moisturizer to thin it out and make it more sheer so I haven't been too thrilled with that product. Been using this Nars product, off and on, for about a month, and I'm very pleased with it. I think it's more like a skin perfecter than it is like a TM or a foundation. For me it minimizes/blurs large pores and textural imperfections really well and counteracts redness that occurs in my t-zone (particularly around my nose). It also leaves a really pretty and youthful semi-matte finish on my skin, counter-acting dullness. It does not conceal marks or scars of any sort, however. At all. Which is fine. But it's also not moisturizing (not drying either, though), so that's why I view this as a skin perfecter. I will be purchasing this product, I like it a lot. It feels like I'm wearing no make-up, I can touch my face without it coming off, it doesn't cake or separate nor does it migrate into the crevices around my nose (despite me concentrating most of the product there) as the day wears on, and it makes my skin look pretty nice. Not flawless or airbrushed or anything, but it doesn't look like I'm wearing make up, it just makes me look like I have pretty nice skin. And even if I have a blemish, I don't feel like I need to cover it up because this product makes my skin look so nice that, even though the blemish isn't concealed, the blemish does not grab the eyes attention. I do need to blot the t-zone once or twice as day wears on to reduce shine, but I usually have to do that anyway. Anyhow, I like this product.
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Eyeliner -Milani - Infinite Liquid Eye Liner
Triscuits 2/12/2013 10:49:00 PM
I'm in the process of testing popular drugstore eyeliners, mostly those that are touted as being very black and waterproof/smudgeproof, so if that's what you're looking for, feel free to check my profile for further reviews/comparisons. As of writing this review, this is the 3rd review among the many many eyeliners I have purchased for this purpose. The color I purchased is called "Everlast" (black) PRO's: *Insanely dark and rich black and has no weird bluish or greyish cast. No complaints here about this product's pigmentation. This product ranks #1 for pigmentation among the black eyeliners I've purchased for my experiment. *This product **visually** blends seamlessly well into mascara-coated lashes and/or falsies (important to me cosmetically because I want my eyeliner to give the illusion of longer lashes and/or the illusion that my eyeshape is more lifted at the outer corners and more almond shaped than they naturally are. I don't wear eyeliner for the sake of looking like I use eyeliner). *Is not harsh or stark-looking (see pro above) *This products performs dramatically better than any eyeliner I've ever used, for lasting power (one application can last days!) and for not smudging, smearing, transferring, and creasing (doesn't occur with this product whatsoever). *Because this product literally doesn't budge, I have the freedom to apply this product near and even around the innermost corners of my eyes without having to worry that I'll get those yucky black eye boogers. (ew, I know.) *Doesn't peel or flake (a little bit of flaking will occur and progress, though, after 24 hours of wear) *Very affordable (I think I got this for about 5 bucks) and you get a lot of product. CON's: *The packaging and brush (which is attached to the lid) is pretty cumbersome because of how goopy this product is and because the packaging isn't designed to remove most of the excess product as you pull the wand out of the tube so there's a lot (a lot!) of goop all over the wand and the brush when you pull it out, so I have to use the mouth of the tube to wipe off all the excess product. Very very little product is needed for application, so I don't appreciate that I have to spend so much time trying to get all that excess product off the wand/brush and back in the tube (and creating a goopy mess around the mouth of the tube in the process.) *Not the easiest product to apply. I have to really take my time to get a precise application, so if I'm in a hurry I won't reach for this product because of how careful I have to be in applying it (also for the previous con above). I would not recommend this eyeliner to anyone who has not had a helluva lot of practice applying liquid eyeliner, cuz with this product you don't have the freedom to correct mistakes. And this brings me to the last con: *Very difficult to remove or near-impossible to correct mistakes. I can get it off with Lancome's makeup remover, but it still takes some elbow grease. Because it's so difficult to remove, I'll just wear it for 2 days and then remove it (much easier to remove by then). Despite the cons, I really do love this product, and this is the second eye liner product I've used from Milani which I've been really impressed with. I would recommend their eye tech extreme liquid pen to beginners or those who don't want to spend a lot time fussing with application, and I recommend this eyeliner to those experienced in using liquid eyeliner who likes the pro's I listed and can put up with the cons. Hope this was helpful. :-)
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Deodorants -Donna Karan - Cashmere Mist Deodorant
Triscuits 2/11/2013 10:43:00 PM
Heard very good things about this deodorant for years, finally decided to give it a try. PRO's: *Gives a silky clean and dry **feeling** to armpits for roughly 24 hours from application. *Product doesn't ball/pill up in the underarms throughout the day. *Applies very thin and little product is required, feels light and weightless and breathable, not cakey/thick or heavy or suffocating. *Does a very good job at odor/sweat prevention throughout the day IF applied to freshly washed clean and dry skin. *I personally haven't experienced any product transfer to dark clothing. NEUTRAL: *The scent seems unisex to me, it's not distinctly feminine or masculine, men could probably wear this. It doesn't smell to me like a clean or fresh scent (i.e. soap, flowers, etc), it's more like a musky cedar wood plus baby powder kind of smell; it doesn't smell dirty or like BO or anything, it's a pleasant scent, but it's not what I would call a "clean" or "fresh" scent. But to me it's not overbearing or perfumey or cologny. I do wish it was a bit more feminine and clean/fresh smelling, tho because the scent kind of reminds me of what I imagine an attic in a rustic home to smell like. CON's: *Does not work well for me at all in either masking or neutralizing existing BO. If I recently showered and apply it soon afterwards I'm good and protected for the whole day and even into part of the next day; but whenever I've skipped showering the next day and then touch up with this deodorant once I'm starting to smell a little questionable, it doesn't work well at neutralizing existing odor or masking it, and to be honest it seems to make any present odor a lot worse and a lot more offensive to me. This is something I'm not used to because my previous deodorants had the ability to, well, de-odor, lol. *Kinda expensive for the amount of product. I would purchase this again and do recommend it.
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Brows -Milani - Brow Tint Pen
Triscuits 11/25/2012 9:57:00 PM
I have this product in both the dark brown and the taupe. For reference, my haircolor is med-dark brown-ish red. Like an auburn-red-brown. (think Debra from Everybody Loves Raymond, or Julia Roberts. (Not orangy-yellow blondish like a Nicole Kidman or Grace from Will and Grace)) The dark brown is what I thought would work for me, but strangely, it's not as pigmented as the taupe color, and it also has a very ashy cast. This would probably work for ashy bleached out blondes, or those with grey/white hair, or people with black hair but faint brows (Asians, blacks, since brown looks very weird and unnatural on Asians and blacks with dark brown-black hair) The taupe is more neutral, leaning warm (not a scary orange or red, but does lean warmer) and is definitely a true brown color and quite pigmented, which would probably work for golden blondes and anyone else that doesn't have black or brown-black hair naturally or hasn't gone grey. You could probably get them both just for creating dimension in your brows, but I feel that the dark brown color is really only suitable for blacks, asians, ashy blondes, and the elderly. I love the taupe though, it's very natural looking with my coloring. ETA: this product is also waterproof. My brows are still defined the next morning if I didn't wash my face the night before, and swatches on my hand took days to remove even though I wash my hands many times a day because I'm a germ-a-phobe.
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Eyeliner -Wet 'n' Wild - Mega Liner - Black
Triscuits 11/25/2012 8:14:00 PM
I'm in the process of testing the most popular drugstore eyeliners, mostly those that are touted as being very black and waterproof/smudgeproof, so if that's what you're looking for, feel free to check my profile for further reviews/comparisons. As of writing this review, it is the second review among the many many eyeliners I have purchased for this purpose. PRO'S: *Very black (on my hand, anyway, see cons) *Doesn't smudge CON'S: *Flakes off, leaving huge, jagged fleshy gaps on the lashline. And it does this within just an hour or two from application. This con makes this eyeliner absolutely unwearable for me. *This eyeliner is very matte and very black, which is actually what drew me to it, however... while it doesn't reflect light in a reflective, shiny way, it does reflect light in a dull and muted way, making the eyeliner look grey where light is hitting it, and, well, it looks like a permanent marker. Don't get me wrong, it looks blacker and matter and perfect when swatched on the hand, especially when side-by-side with other liners (including the WNW H20), but on my eyes it doesn't look as black because of how the light hits it, it looks grey and dull in parts, does not visually blend well with my mascara-coated lashes (nor falsies) at all, and is not as black on my lashline as all the other liners I've purchased for my little experiment. *Looks harsh, the matte pigment of this liner really does make it look like I lined my eyes with a sharpie marker and not a real eyeliner. *Runs, badly, humidity alone will make it run. Don't cry or let your eyes water or be near a humidifier if you're wearing this stuff. (not something one can really plan for, though) This eyeliner was the one I was the most excited to try, and expected the best results at least cosmetically because of hand swatches I had seen online and in youtube reviews, and because I really cannot stand vinyl-looking reflective eyeliner. But this eyeliner ranks at the very bottom of the drugstore eyeliners I have purchased for my little experiment. I do not recommend this eyeliner at all.
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Eyeliner -Milani - Eye Tech Extreme
Triscuits 11/25/2012 7:26:00 PM
I'm in the process of testing the most popular drugstore eyeliners, mostly those that are touted as being very black and waterproof/smugeproof, so if that's what you're looking for, feel free to check my profile for further reviews/comparisons. As of writing this review, this is my first review among the many many drugstore eyeliners I have purchased for this purpose. PRO'S: *This eyeliner is extremely user-friendly. Use the point to draw a thin (and smooth) line and/or for creating a very precise wing; or lay it at an angle for a thicker (and smooth) line (the more you angle the felt applicator towards the lash line, the thicker the line will be). *Doesn't skip *Very black and deposits rich, deep black color with ease, so no need to go over the line again and again to get a very black line *BUT! if you want it even blacker, you can go over it again and it won't flake or peel or remove the previous line you drew. The first line is very black as it is, so a second application does deepen it just a bit to achieve something like the blackest blackest black. *Is not Harsh! My apprehension with liquid liners (esp black) was they were always so harsh-looking compared to pencils and gel-liners of equal or greater pigmentation. This liquid liner I do not need to soften by topping it with a black shadow due to it not being harsh-looking at all. *Packaging. This is actually a pro and con, because there is a con to the packaging which I will talk about in the CONS section of my review. But the PRO is how sleek it is, and I love the black with gold lettering. Reminds me of Dolce & Gabbana, whom's beautiful black and gold packaging in most of their makeup line, purse line, and their winter runway clothing designs, are the sole reason I wanted (and finally got) a black leather purse with gold hardware. I love this packaging, it's very expensive looking, and looks like it could have been a product by D&G. *Long-wearing, transfer and smudge resistant. (not transfer and smudge-proof, however) *Doesn't flake and color stays true. CONS: *While I love the black/gold look of the packaging, what I don't like is that I can't put the cap on the other end of the liner during application (i.e. as you can with most pens that have a cap). No matter how many times I use this liner, I still take the cap off and attempt to place it on the other end of the liner, only to be reminded that the design doesn't allow for that. I have to set the cap down somewhere during application, which means I have to make sure it's in on a level or in a secure place so it doesn't roll off somewhere and get lost, and if that were to happen, the eyeliner would eventually get ruined due to not having a cap. *This eyeliner IS NOT WATERPROOF/SMUDGEPROOF/TRANSFERPROOF It is water-resistant and smudge resistant and transfer resistant, though. So basically after a good 4-5 hours I'll have a little bit of grey/black smudging in the outer bottom corner of my eyes, and after about 6 hours I'll have a little bit of greyish transfer/creasing on my crease/browbone. Nothing horrifying or anything, though, but still, the liner would probably be perfect in my book if it were "proof" rather than "resistant." As far as how it is on the waterline, so far it's my favorite product I've used on my waterline. It doesn't dry out or irritate my eyes, it doesn't run everywhere, it lasts a good while (6 or so hours), and, as is the case with application on my upper lashline, it doesn't look harsh on my waterline either. This product has been great for my waterline, I feel, because it's water/smudge/transfer resistant rather "proof", therefore I get very good rich color and staying power and the wet tissue of my waterlines can breathe so it isn't uncomfortable for me to use this liner on this tissue at all. I definitely recommend this product, out of the many many drugstore liners I have purchased for my purpose of comparing them all, this is not only the one I find myself reaching for the most, it's also my favorite.
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Lotions/ Creams -Unlisted Brand - AmLactin 12%
Triscuits 11/8/2012 8:46:00 PM
PRO'S: *Probably the strongest humectant I've ever encountered. The pro's end there. CON'S: *Expensive for what it is. *Stinks, smells like plastic, like the smell of opening a fresh box of Ziplock sandwich bags. *On the body it smells sour, like stinky shoes and socks. (i.e. B.O.) *Since this product amounts to being little more than just a prescription strength humectant, on the body it feels like being in the most humid, sticky, and uncomfortable climate imaginable. (i.e. makes me feel gross and grimy) *I must wash my hands after applying this, or my palms will feel "sweaty" and wet forever. *No noticeable positive results from using this product, no exfoliation that I noticed. For my feet, I got exfoliation and better results with a cheap over-the-counter glycolic acid cream. I'm not really a fan of humectants even in their mildest form, and that's all this product is in my book: A humectant. If you like the idea of all the moisture in the air clinging to your body, then you'll probably love this product.
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Hair -Unlisted Brand - KIRKLAND SULFATE-FREE SHAMPOO
Triscuits 10/28/2012 4:26:00 AM
This is my subjective review based on my hair type and personal opinions, so take it for what it is. For reference, my hair is very fine in texture, extremely thick (I have a ton of hair), and is slightly wavy/has body. Not damaged or color treated, but the wave/body of my hair type can have a slight fizziness or poof if I use the wrong products(i.e. highly alkaline and "clarifying" products). Now to the review of *this* product- PROS: *Tames (if not **over-tames** for my hair type, SEE CONS) frizz and poof-hair - *Provides a lot of shine/slickness - *Moisturizes scalp, seems to reduce/eliminate flaking from scalp that is common in winter months - *Fabulous scent, it's a sweet fruity flowerly unique scent that I really like a lot. But it's faint. (SEE CONS)- *Probably a great product for those who want to shampoo daily, such as persons who go to the gym every day - *Dirt cheap (at Costco, anyway) CONS: *Over-tames my hair to the point where styling it with a flat iron or curling iron makes my hair stick to my scalp and just "hang flat" and lifeless (if that makes sense). All body is counteracted with this shampoo. (Again, for my hair type.)- *I have to shampoo **every day**. Which I know many people like, but I don't. I prefer to shampoo my hair every other day or every 3 days. This shampoo will not allow for anything less than **daily** shampooing(again, for my hair type). My hair looks like a dirty "haven't washed my hair for a month" mess after 24 hours. I have side-swept bangs, which look and dry amazing after shampooing with this product, but they seriously stick up on end like Mary in the movie "There's Something About Mary" after only one day. Only greasy instead of 'crunchy' or whatever was going on with her bangs after the 'incident.' - *As I said in the pro's, I really like the scent of this shampoo. But I'm used to using salon shampoos, so I'm used to my hair smelling amazing for at least 2 days. This shampoo smells great when you pump it out, but the scent completely disappears to something like a "fragrance-free" product during the lather. It just..vanishes. And my hair is completely absent of any scent after my shower. It smells like nothing whatsoever, not clean, not anything. That may be a pro for some, but it's a big fat con for me. And it's especially disappointing because this is probably the best smelling shampoo I've ever come across. *My hair gets static with this product. (If I don't use a product like TGI After Party, but After Party smells amazing so the need to use it also counteracts the completely "fragrance-free" consequences of the con listed directly above) Would I recommend this shampoo? Honestly, I probably would. I definitely think it's a handy product to have in your gym bag and shower. Would I recommend it to permanently replace anyone's favorite shampoo? It really depends on your needs and your hair type, but in all likelihood... probably not. The pro's are why I think it might be a handy shampoo to have on-hand for many, and the cons are why I think this product is certainly not a "Holy Grail" product for many, but most especially, for myself. As a side note, I noticed other reviews for this product commented about the lack of lather {note: this review was originally written on Amazon}, but for me, yes, this product definitely had a lot less lather on the first shampooing (as with most shampoos) but on the second it lathered to an insane degree (as with most shampoos). And by "most shampoos" I mean salon shampoos, not drugstore because I haven't used a drug store shampoo since high school, probably. So, 15 years? They may have improved since then for all I know, but the difference between salon vs. drugstore was so significant that I never went back, and my venturing out to trying this Kirkland brand shampoo was only because I deeply respect and trust Costco.
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Mascara -Tarte - Lights Camera Lashes
Triscuits 10/28/2012 4:04:00 AM
For reference, I have medium length, very thick lashes that are straight. PROS: *Very very black, and is a very rich black mascara, it seems to be red based, rather than blue-grey based, the latter of which is not very "black" in my opinion and looks cheap, unlike red-based mascaras, which I believe this mascara is - *Doesn't smudge or smear or melt- *Fans lashes *Gives an almost "fake lashes" effect. Essentially, it's not a "my lashes but better" product, it's a "her lashes are too great to be real so they must be fake" kind of product. *Makes lashes flexible and not crispy/crunchy/hard. CONS: *Flakes. But, that's much more preferable than smudging, smearing or melting. *CANNOT hold a curl if it's life depended on it. This is a problem for me, given I have straight lashes, and not only that, I have "sad eyes" so-called, but it's mostly due to my lashes (which are very thick and straight, and go from medium to very long in length towards the outer eye) than my eye shape. However, I heard that this consequence of not holding a curl is typical with mascara's that aren't waterproof, so I will be repurchasing this mascara but in the water-proof formula. Wish I had known this tip before purchasing the full-size after having fallen in love with the sample. *Seems to dry out quickly. Probably because it's a water-based formula. Adding a drop or two of water makes it as good as new. But again, I will be purchasing water-proof formula next time due to this and the previous con. *Attempts to curl **again** *after* applying product will cause mascara to look clumpy and lashes will stick together and be spidery. Don't try it. I would definitely recommend this product to anyone with a natural curl or upward bend to their lashes. I haven't yet tried the waterproof formula but I have it already in my Sephora basket waiting for me for the friends and family sale, but if anyone reading this review has lashes similar to mine I would recommend trying the waterproof formula first or getting your hands on a sample of this version. Because this water-based formula will not solve your problems. p.s. I also use the Tarte eyelash curler, which was how I was first introduced to this mascara as the curler included a sample, and I do highly recommend the eyelash curler, best eyelash curler I've ever used. I just don't recommend it with this mascara because it will undo any and all artificial curl, even from Tarte's eyelash curler which curls stick straight lashes like none other.
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Brows -Milani - Brow Fix Brow Kit
Triscuits 10/28/2012 12:43:00 AM
I've had this little brow kit for many many years, and I have and do use it very often (i.e. not exclusively, but at least once a week, usually more, and this kit often ends up my daily make-up routine for lengthy periods of time). I've barely made a dent in either brow shadow despite the frequent use over the years, and the highlight color hasn't hit pan yet, but has a noticeable dent in it from a fair amount of use as a brow highlight. It was so long ago that I bought this kit that I guess I forgot it came with tweezers, lol, yeah, those are definitely long gone. I've also lost the angled brush applicator, but I don't miss that at all, I remember the bristles being floppy and didn't pick up enough product and I had to repeatedly pick up more in the process of filling in a brow. The little spongetip applicator is still in my kit, but I'm not sure why it's still around since I never use that either. For reference, my hair is naturally a level 6 (dark blonde in technical terms, but more like a med-dark brown in laymen terms) and am an auburn-brown color with a strong red cast/undertone, not orange or yellow casts/undertones (i.e. not a carrot top or copper top or whatever, but my haircolor is more like a Julia roberts kind of red-head, or Debra from Everybody Loves Raymond, and **not** a Grace from Will and Grace kind of red-head). I don't color my hair anymore, and have had my natural haircolor all grown out for the past 3-4 years or so. Come to think of it, I think I've had this same Milani brow kit back when I was still coloring my hair, egad that's a long time. Anyway, I digress. I use the darker brown color more often than the lighter color, and I find the results look very natural with the darker color. I use the lighter color whenever I happen upon the advice in magazines or youtube tutorials saying that your brows should be a shade or two lighter (or filled in with a color that is a shade or two lighter) than your haircolor. Maybe that advice is true, I certainly don't want to look like those 60+ year old women I see around every once in a while who look like they've drawn their brows on with a black sharpie marker. But I find the lighter color looks more like I have product in my brows and less polished, rather than looking like polished natural brows. The lighter color also seems a little brassy on me (i.e. has a yellow cast), it's not terrible, but the color and/or undertone is "off" just enough to affect my confidence. The darker brow color, oth, is neutral med-dark brown, not too ashy or too warm, and just makes my brows look slightly fuller, as well as filling in the more sparse areas making them blend well with my natural brow. The end result of the darker color is my brows are equally as dark as my haircolor, but are neither "red" nor "taupe"(ashy). Just, a nice neutral brown that makes my brows look polished but are not the first thing I notice when I look in the mirror, which is a plus in my book. I quite like the highlight color, it's a slightly dewy-looking shimmery cream color, not very opaque but the effect of the shimmer is nice and natural-looking. I've used it quite a number of times as a wash, and it gives a very nice effect, esp. when you're in a hurry and just want to look somewhat polished with little effort. For reference, the other brow products in my rotation are a bare minerals brow powder (a little too auburn for my liking, but still nice, have had that one for years as well); and Perfekt brow gel in caramel (Love, but a touch too coppery for my liking). I decided to write this review given that at the moment I'm really interested in the Milani brow pen, lol.
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Eye Shadow -Wet 'n' Wild - Color Icon Single in Brulee
Triscuits 10/20/2012 9:51:00 AM
PROS: *Great when lightly dusted on as an eyeshadow a base to prime lids and prevent creasing. I wouldn't use a regular eyeshadow brush to pat this on because it would put on too much of this product down and consequently can alter/lighten the eyeshadow you place on top. Unless that's what you're going for. *Works well to blend/soften crease colors on a fluffy crease brush. (it's pigmented though, so less is more for this purpose) *Light skinned persons could use this to cover/conceal discoloration on eyelids and on acne scars. *Matte, opaque, fairly creamy texture for a powder. *Cheap CONS: *I personally find the undertone to be a little too ashy for me and haven't really liked how it looked on me when used as an eyeshadow or a brow highlight. But that's probably why it works well for concealing discoloration and redness. It doesn't come off as grey or green or anything, it's definitely a cream color, just to make that clear, but to me seems that it has no red or peach undertones at all which doesn't do me any favors apart from concealing/color correcting. *While good for concealing discoloration, it's not so good at concealing any active breakout or healing breakout. It accentuates dryness and flakes really bad and looks cakey and obvious even when minimal product is used on a blemish. It's not intended for this purpose, mind you, so can't knock the product for this, but just thought I'd give a heads up to anyone who may be interested in getting this product to use as a concealer for acne. Works fine on scars, though. (on fair-light-skinned persons only) I personally won't be buying this product again. I have 2 already, bought them both at the same time, one is is still unopened, and I've been using the other one for more than a year and have barely made a dent in it because my purposes don't require much product at all and I also don't use it every single time I do my make-up. I guess I just can't foresee a time when I'll feel any need to go purchase another one, even assuming I ever use up the 2 I have. As an aside, I use the WnW color "Nutty" every day, and have yet to find any eyeshadow I love more than that one. You can check my profile if you want to read that review. Hope my review was helpful.
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Moisturizers -Murad - hydro dynamic ultimate moisturizer
Triscuits 10/14/2012 5:34:00 AM
I don't like this product as a face moisturizer, but I love it as an eye cream. I had received a deluxe sample of this product and wasn't impressed; it didn't feel greasy on my face or anything, but it just felt kind of heavy, like how vaseline feels heavy, minus the greasy sticky goopy feel. I didn't have enough product in the sample, and didn't like it enough to continue to try to test for either adverse or positive effects over the long term on my face, but what I had left in the sample came in handy when I was at my wits end from suffering from seasonal allergies with dry itchy puffy and scaly skin around my eyes. I bought so many special eye creams that at best provided very minimal relief both physically and cosmetically. My fear with using any heavy duty cream was with milia, I've only had 2 severe milia bumps in my life (where they were like a raised skin tag from using the wrong products) that eventually sloughed off from using intense chemical exfoliation. But on the lower inner corner of my eyes I've had these almost flat white bumps forever it seems, and would cause the undereye area to look scaly if I used concealer (and I've used many many types and brands of concealers), and they'd enlarge or minimize depending on the skin care I used, but never would completely go away. To make a long story short, as I said, being at my wits end from seasonal allergies and wasting so much money on eye creams that did little to nothing to help, I finally threw my concern over milia out the window because I wanted so badly to have some heavy duty moisture for the skin around my eyes. So, given that Murad is such a great skincare brand, and I had the deluxe sample of this particular product which I knew was heavy duty, I took the risk and applied it to skin around my eyes...and man, did it feel good. I was still paranoid over milia and I remember checking in the mirror every 15 minutes or so for like, a good 2 hours to see if the bumps were enlarging, and was so pleased that they weren't. I also remember waking up the next morning and rushing to the mirror to see if the bumps got worse, and to my pleasant surpise, the bumps seemed to be minimizing. Good sign. Since then, I've been using this cream twice daily as an eye moisturizer and my reason for writing this review is to report that the bumps I've had since I don't know how long are finally gone. Which has made me wonder if those bumps were caused from not having enough moisture in the eye area? Whatever the cause may be, and "causality" is a problem in philosophy, I know one thing, this cream "caused" relieved the annoying physical and cosmetic side effects of my seasonal allergies, and got rid of those partially raised milia-like bumps in the inner lower corner part of the skin around my eyes. So, love this product as an eye cream, and order the full size for that. Maybe I can use it as a night cream for face, but I feel like "why waste so much of a great product on my face that could be used for the skin around my eyes?" We'll see.
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Concealers -Exuviance - coverblend multifunction concealer
Triscuits 10/14/2012 2:51:00 AM
I got this concealer in the shade "beige", my skin is fairly light, neutral leaning warm (I'm beigy in tone, neither too pink or too yellow, but do lean more yellow-toned). The Beige looks dark and orange (and scary) from the tube but turns to a very light creamy color (like eggnog heavy cream) when patted during the application process and is almost a perfect match for my light skin, but it's just a touch too dark but not so dark that it's obvious, I can definitely get away with just using this and a translucent powder. The next shade down (the lightest) would be way too light/white for me. PRO'S: *Thin liquid foundation-like texture, not a paste, that can be used somewhere other than the under-eye area.(a difficult texture to find for med-high coverage concealer that isn't full of glitter and sparkles) *Not cakey, again, a thin but fairly opaque texture. *Dries and adheres very well to skin (i.e. stays put once dry), and therefore can be applied prior to foundation without getting messed up or creating a scaly patchy cakey disaster. CON'S: *In conjunction with the pro's above, a con is that this concealer is time consuming because where I actually really need concealer, it needs at least two layers (apply one layer, let it dry, then apply another layer, let it dry, and so on until desired coverage is reached) and just seems to require a lot of product and a lot of my time. Despite this, it doesn't ever look cakey, even when 3-4 layers are used. But the process is kind of a pain,. But the extra work does get me a pretty flawless (even up close) result. *I don't have wrinkles around my eyes, but I do have a fold of skin right below my lower lash lines due to my eyes being very round. This concealer doesn't "settle" or "migrate" in there once dry and set, but if I accidentally get product in those folds during application it will migrate to the deepest part of the fold and be a noticeable creasing and won't dry, and the trapped product will need to be wiped out away (but just once, then it's fine) *This concealer only worked for me when patted. I can't be like the pixiwoo sisters and use a fancy brush to swipe/buff concealer on the eye area (or anywhere else) all breezy like. Won't work, won't do squat but just wipe away. This only worked for me when dotted on whatever area I need coverage, and then patting/tapping the area several times (and not going nuts with the patting) This is the best concealer I've had, but I'm going to purchase dermablend smooth indulgence concealer when I run out of this because it seems to have pretty much the same properties as this concealer except I was pretty wow'ed by the coverage of Dermablend from so very little product and the blendability and smooth opaque finish from the Dermablend concealer tester that is at Ulta. Time will tell if in the end I find Exuviance or Dermablend to be the superior product. I did only use the Dermablend tester at Ulta, afterall, but as I said, I was very impressed by it, and in the Dermablend, I would need the lightest shade they offer, which is called "nude". Hope this helps.
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