Polishes -Revlon - Sunshine Sparkle
VanessaVQ 5/29/2011 4:59:00 PM
Another one from the summer '11 collection from Revlon. Gorgeous cool-toned, pale yellow with a tiny bit of shimmer to it. The color is more spring than summer to me - the color of baby chicks as opposed to sunshine, but pretty nonetheless. I am usually hesitant about pastels and cool-toned colors on my warm skintone (NC25ish), but this one is very wearable. Looks a bit streaky with just one coat, but a solid opaque in two coats. I will definitely wear this color again, but I don't think I will re-purchase when I run out.
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Polishes -Revlon - Tangerine
VanessaVQ 5/24/2011 1:04:00 PM
This came out as part of the 2011 Summer Romantics collection. For anyone who thinks they can't wear oranges (and I am usually one of those people), this polish will change your mind. It is a gorgeous color for spring AND summer that I love with my warm/olive skin tone, but I think would also look great on cooler toned gals. The color is a bit less intense of a shade than an actual tangerine - like a blend between a pastel and bright, with a slight pearly-gold finish. Give me a break, I'm still working on my adjectives for nail polish - especially since I don't have a picture to post with this review. :)
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Polishes -Orly - Halley's Comet
VanessaVQ 10/8/2010 12:38:00 AM
An absolutely gorgeous dark, sparkly teal. The sparkle is a micro-glitter that is well incorporated with the rest of the polish. So it's not that chunky glitter stuff. Applies smoothly and looks best with two coats. More green than blue in this shade. Love the rubber tops to Orly bottles, so they are easy to open. Will definitely buy again.
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Polishes -Essie - Chastity
VanessaVQ 9/15/2010 12:26:00 AM
Same great quality as every other Essie polish I have tried, so I will mostly just comment on the color. It looked like a very baby pink in the bottle, but shows as a bubblegum pink on my nails. Looks decent with one coat, but perfect with two. I'd say it's cool-toned, but looks great next to my warm, olive skin. Seems like a great spring and summer color, though I don't follow trends so I'll be wearing it year round. Swapped for this one, but will definitely get it again when I run out.
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Hair Color -L'Oreal - Touch-On Highlights in H60 Creamy Caramel
VanessaVQ 4/13/2010 11:59:00 PM
Where do I begin? How about here: Don't use this! I could have given it a lower rating and the only reason I didn't is because it didn't cause my hair to fall out (or any physical damage). That was the only saving grace for this disaster of a product. My color-treated hair was a warm, medium brown with some lighter brown and honey blonde highlights (very similar looking to the hair color of the gal on the package). But I had about one inch of my ashy brown roots showing. I'll spare you the story of why I finally decided to try to highlight my own hair, but trust you me, it will never happen again. The little finger-tip applicator thing pinched my finger (my fingers are very average in shape and size) and was just awkward to use. If you dare use this, "splurge" and buy a brush meant for applying color to the hair. The "Creamy Caramel" highlights turned me into a leopard print mess: copper, orange, yellow, blonde - just about every color except caramel. It recommended leaving the color on for 15-30 minutes and I washed it out at 20 because I wiped a few strands clean to realize they were all different colors. I quickly shampooed my hair and used the conditioner that came with (which was actually very nice), but it was too late. My hair was a mess. Fortunately, I think I look pretty cute in hats, so I wore a hat until I could get an appointment for a color correction with a professional.
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Hair -TiGi - Rockaholic Dry Shampoo
VanessaVQ 4/1/2010 8:27:00 PM
I've only tried a few, but this is the best dry shampoo I've used. Completely eliminated any greasiness at my roots and hardly required any blending (which i've had to do a LOT with other sprays, powders, etc.) So imagine my disappointment when (as many others have mentioned), this ran out so quickly. I've used it 4 times and I use it fairly sparingly. I could tell with the last use that there was hardly any left, so I'll be surprised if I can get one more use out of this. I got a bit of discount on this since I am able to buy from professional beauty supply stores, but still by far the most expensive product I've ever used (judging by price per use). Even with my discount AND a gift card to the place I buy from, I will only buy this again in the case of an emergency (I managed to make it 25 years before trying a dry shampoo, so I think I'll be fine without).
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Polishes -China Glaze - Peachy Keen
VanessaVQ 3/27/2010 2:20:00 AM
This recent purchase was the final nail in the China Glaze coffin for me. I keep trying them out, thinking I must be missing something, but alas, I was disappointed yet again. The color itself, a cool-toned, light peach is gorgeous and is what made me want to buy it (especially at the start of spring). I have a very yellow/olive complexion, but the color still looks great against my skin tone (I'll try to add a picture soon). But the quality is just awful - same problem I have come across with every CG polish I have tried. It applies streaky and is very thick (which can cause bubbles and makes it take forever to dry). I have tried adding in polish thinner (which is usually used to salvage polishes that are running low or drying out), but it doesn't seem to help thin these out. If you like the quality of CG polishes and this color interests you, I would say it is worthwile. But if you are on the fence about the quality as I have been, I would not purchase this. I will be putting it up for swap as I never seem to have a problem swapping CG polishes away.
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Eye Makeup Remover -Neutrogena - Make-Up Remover Cleansing Towelettes Night Calming
VanessaVQ 1/21/2010 3:08:00 AM
This was a rare purchase made without first consulting MUA reviews. And to be honest, I'm glad I didn't. The reviews don't look so hot, but I love these! I have only tried 3 different makeup wipes (CVS, MAC and these), but these are the best of the three I have tried. The fragrance is a mix of perfumey florals and a little lavender. But it's not too strong for my sensitive allergies, so I like it. I wear a lot of makeup (including waterproof mascara), and I had no problem taking it off without excessive rubbing (which I have to do with the CVS wipes) and absolutely no eye-stinging (which I get from the MAC wipes). Got these on sale buy 1 get the 2nd half off (I think the first was $8, so the 2nd was $4). Will definitely be purchasing these again.
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Mascara -Jane - Max Lash 2 Precise
VanessaVQ 4/10/2009 3:09:00 AM
Tried this without looking at reviews here because I was impulse shopping and Jane was on sale. Boy am I glad I didn't look at reviews before hand because I probably wouldn't have purchased this and that would have been a huge mistake. I bought this in both the waterproof and regular formulas and aside from the w/p one needing a little more coaxing to be removed, I can't tell the difference. They both last all day on me without any smudging, flaking, etc. My lashes are more defined (with makes them look more voluminous) and longer as well. Not false eyelash long, but a great, natural-looking enhancement. $4.99 at Walgreens and Jane frequently has BOGO free (or BOGO half off) sales.
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Concealers -TheBalm - Time Balm
VanessaVQ 4/1/2009 2:31:00 PM
Tried it because it is talked about so much on the makeup board. Unfortunately, I will be swapping this away. Light/medium was a great match for my NC20-25 skin tone. But after a couple of hours, it settled into the lines under my eyes (and I'm 24, so there aren't too many of those yet). I tried applying it by itself, going over it with foundation, with e/s primer underneath, setting it with translucent powder, and every combination of the above. But nothing seemed to make a difference. The product itself is a bit dry (in my opinion) for a cream concealer. I had to actually warm the concealer in my fingers to get it soft enough to apply to my skin. Needless to say, I was quite surprised to find it settled in the creases under my eyes. $18 wouldn't be a horrible price if it actually worked, but it doesn't for me. I recently tried MUFE's Camoflauge Cream (same price) and it is my new best friend.
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Lipstick -MAC - Dame Edna - Kanga-Rouge
VanessaVQ 3/2/2009 6:14:00 PM
This lipstick is a very pretty medium shade of cool-toned, blue red. Not for the shy - this is definitely something I would only recommend for gals who are confident wearing red lipstick as there is nothing subdued about it. Shade wise, I would compare it to Ruby Woo from the permanent line. Kanga-Rouge is an Amplified Creme though (whereas Ruby Woo is Matte), which basically means that it has a satin type finish and is smooth and creamy. The packaging from this line is awful. Usually, I don't even talk about the packaging in my reviews, because it just doesn't matter to me. But these are pretty bad. First of all, MAC describes them as "mauve" when they are clearly lavender or light purple. Then they have these crappy little stickers on them that are suppossed to look like Dame Edna's glasses. Cute idea, but it would have been much better if they could include that as part of the plastic tube instead of applying a separate sticker (which is already peeling and fading on my products). Overall, a great color and formula from MAC, and if it wasn't LE, I would buy it again when I run out. Then again, I don't think the color is terribly unique either, so it's not worth stocking up on (in my opinion).
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Lipstick -Revlon - Matte Lipstick - In the Red
VanessaVQ 3/1/2009 6:19:00 PM
Just as I was wondering, "when am I going to find a matte lipstick that isn't drying?", I came across these. In the Red is a great shade of red - looks safe for most skin tones and is not so vibrant (thanks to the matte finish) that you'll be scared to wear it if reds usually intimidate you. Works great for my NC20 skin. This is the first matte lipstick I have found that I don't need to apply use with a lip balm. It feels and stays smooth and creamy like traditional lipsticks, though I haven't worn it long enough yet to say that I would call it moisturizing. About $7, which is a great deal in my opinion. But drugstores have B1G1 sales often enough that it's worth the wait to get these on sale.
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Lipstick -MAC - Lipstick in Siss
VanessaVQ 3/1/2009 5:27:00 PM
I seem to be in the minority hear, but I'm not crazy about this color. I am an NC20 and a few others have said, it make my lips almost the same color as my skin. Now, if that's what you're looking for, then this is the perfect lipstick. But I don't want my lips to disappear into my face. I was hoping for something with a bit more color to it - still simple and neutral, but not make me sickly looking. I have it and will use it (I definitely need to use it with a gloss to give it a little punch), but if I ever actually run out of it, I doubt I will be purchasing again.
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Lipstick -LipSense - Lipsense Color
VanessaVQ 7/11/2008 8:47:00 PM
I had never heard of this brand until I saw their booth at a beauty show in Las Vegas in June. I bought four colors (Radiant Red, Blue Red, Nude and Capuccino) for $20 each which i think is kinda steep. But I am wearing Invisalign and regular lipsticks rub off quite easily on them, so I am a complete convert to semi-permanent lipsticks (at least until I'm done with the Invisalign). The colors are all great and they do have amazing staying power. You do definitely have to know the technique for applying these properly to get the most out of them. You absolutely have to let each coat dry before applying the next (3 coats required) and you HAVE to keep your lips apart until you apply the gloss. I'm still trying to get used to the weird feeling when you first aply it - it's alcohol based so it feels cool and a little tingly for a few seconds. I haven't noticed it drying out my lips. They are really difficult to get off. I usually apply either an oil-based cleanser or lip balm and rub my lips together for a minute to work it in. Then I wipe off what I can and re-apply the cleanser and do it again until I get everything off. While these are very good, Revlon ColorStay Overtime lip colors win as my favorite semi-permanent lip color.
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Concealers -Ulta - Natural Finish Concealer
VanessaVQ 7/11/2008 8:20:00 PM
I'm actually on my 2nd tube of this. I bought it on a whim without reading reviews when I was at Ulta and they were having a b1g1 sale on their cosmetics. I use Medium which is a great match for my nc20 skin. I mostly just use this for undereye circles - I just apply two small dots under each eye and blend with my fingers. The lasting power is great (it never creases, but I do set with powder). It's normally only $9, but they have frequent sales on their cosmetics. If you can find a color match from their poor selection, it's a great product!
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