Liquid -Lancome - Teint Idole Ultra 24h
WVUjame 4/5/2012 11:18:00 AM
I have worn this foundation for the past week, and I am so disappointed that it is not working for me. My skin is oily combination. I have some dry patches around my nose due to my retinoid treatment. I am acne-prone/clog-prone and have acne scarring and redness around my nose. Pros: The finish is a beautiful satin that I love. The coverage is fantastic; I barely need any concealer, and it really gives me a flawless skin look. It blends very easily. The packaging is beautiful and sturdy. I have not had any issues with clogged pores or breakouts. I found a perfect color match. Cons: When I start to become oily, this feels like a very "heavy" foundation, meaning I am very conscious of the fact that I am wearing a base. I can feel it on my skin, and I feel slightly itchy in places where it feels like it may be drying on my skin. The oil control is very lacking. After about three hours, I look shiny and not in a good, dewy way. I also get transfer onto my fingers if I touch my face, and I can see a disturbance in the product on my face. I know this might seem obvious, but I do have foundations that do not tranfer or get messed up if I touch my face while wearing them. It is quite expensive, at about $47.50 with tax. My verdict: I am sad to say I will be returning this product. I love the way it looks initially, but it doesn't have the lasting power I need. I think it is too drying, even on my oily skin, and it is causing excess oil production. I still think it's a good product worth checking out, but it's not for me.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express The Falsies
WVUjame 2/16/2012 8:06:00 PM
I am not a fan of this mascara. It does give good length and volume, but it's not worth the clumping, extra time you have to spend separating lashes and the crazy smudging. I get smudges underneath my eyes even if I don't put it on my bottom lashes. LashBlast gives the same effect without the hassle, IMO.
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Moisturizers -Olay - Age Defying Anti-Wrinkle Replenishing Night Cream
WVUjame 8/5/2011 11:39:00 AM
This is one of the very few moisturizers I have purchased more than once. In fact, I've probably gone through five jars of it during the past year and a half. I wanted a night cream with some anti-wrinkle ingredients but nothing too strong. It also needed to be oil-free and not too heavy, as I have oily combination skin, and my pores get clogged very easily. This exactly fits the bill. The cream is very thick but almost has a gel-like consistency that I love. However, it is definitely a cream. It feels nice when applied and sinks in pretty quickly. A little goes a long way! I don't think it has made any major improvements in terms of wrinkles, but my skin is smooth and moisturized with no breakouts or clogged pores from this product. The smell does not bother me, nor does the packaging, although a jar is not the most sanitary container. Since I used to pay $60 for a moisturizer that left me with clogged pores on my nose, the price tag of about $13 is very reasonable to me. Plus, I can often purchase it for less than $10 with an Ulta coupon. It's a winner for me, and I will continue to repurchase.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Olay - Replenishing Night Creme
WVUjame 7/18/2010 11:27:00 PM
I'm about to buy my third tub of this moisturizer, which is nearly unheard of for me. I have combination oily sensitive skin and am very clog prone. However, my skin dries out very easily, so I am always in search of a great moisturizer that keeps my skin soft without clogging my pores. I mainly bought this Olay product because it was on sale for $7, it's oil-free and it's supposed to have anti-aging benefits. It's very rich but almost feels like a gel cream. Although it's thick, it absorbs quickly and does a nice job of keeping me hydrated, even when I use glycolic acid that tends to dry out my skin a bit. This is not my all time favorite night moisturizer because it can feel a bit heavy at times, and I don't think it's doing much by way of anti-aging. However, the price is right, it has not broken me out in the three months I've been using it and it's a good basic moisturizer. Will continue to repurchase.
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Makeup Brushes -Sigma - E40 Tapered Blending (was SS224)
WVUjame 4/20/2010 1:29:00 PM
I'm surprised by the reviews on the SS224. I love this brush and prefer it to my MAC 224, which has been relegated to setting my undereye concealer. The SS224 is denser than the MAC brush and has shorter bristles. I love this for doing a quick wash in the crease or blending out colors on my brow bone. Mine does not shed. It's not as soft as the SS217; however, it's as soft as my MAC 224. In all, I really like this brush and would repurchase.
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Primer/ Corrector -Pop Beauty - Face Magnet Primer
WVUjame 4/7/2010 12:38:00 AM
I purchased this Face Magnet primer on a whim during a POP Beauty event at ulta. It's oil-free and has zinc for sun protection and caffeine that is supposed to help smooth fine lines and brighten your face. It feels good going on, not oily at all, and on some days, I do not need a moisturizer underneath. It works as well as most other primers I've tried (Fyrinnae Velvet Gel Silica, Prescriptives) and better than others (Smashbox, Laura Mercier) at controlling oil and keeping makeup on my combo/oily skin longer. I also has not made my very acne-prone skin break out. I have not noticed any face-brightening effects. I don't think it's the best primer out there, but I definitely don't regret my purchase. I will use this up and may repurchase, if I don't find something else I'd rather try.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Chanel - Mica
WVUjame 3/4/2010 10:24:00 PM
This is one of my first Glossimers, and I finally understand why people splurge for the really HE lipglosses. Packaging is nice, applicator gets just the right amount of the product, it feels smooth and moisturing on my lips, it lasts a good amount of time without being sticky and it doesn't have an overpoweringly sweet scent. And those are not even the main reasons I love this lipgloss! The color is absolutely beautiful! It's a sheer pink with purple, pink and gold sparkles. The pink enhances my pigmented lips, and the sparkles make my lips look huge when the light hits them. I've worn this every day since I've gotten it, and I will repurchase without hesitation when I run out. For reference, I'm NW20, blonde hair, brown eyes.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Unlisted Brand - SIGMA SS109
WVUjame 2/4/2010 10:54:00 PM
I am disappointed with this brush. I had hoped to use it for liquid foundation, but it sheds like crazy. I've washed it multiple times, and it does not seem to lose any hairs when I wash it. But as soon as I use it with foundation, I see little black hairs all over my face. That being said, it's still a nice brush for contouring/blush/highlighting, basically for powder products. It's very soft and is a decent brush. I just hope at some point that it actually stops shedding!
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Powder -Bare Escentuals - Matte Foundation spf 15
WVUjame 1/31/2010 2:58:00 PM
I was a loyal fan of the original BE for years, until I realized it just didn't give me the coverage I needed. I shied away from minerals for a couple years after that, but I was very intrigued by BE Matte and decided to give it a chance. I'm extremely pleased with the results! As long as you use a light hand a buff it in really well, it provides very good and natural coverage. I still use a cream concealer underneath, but no mineral makeup can give me the type of coverage that I need for some of my past acne marks. As long as I use a primer, it also lasts for a good amount of time. For me, this has better coverage than the original. The new sifter packaging is great, too! For reference, I wore Fairly Light in the original BE, and I wear Fair in the Matte. I'm NW 20.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lips -Unlisted Brand - JK Jemma Kidd For Target - Sheer Vanity Gloss and Glaze in Belle de Jour
WVUjame 1/18/2010 4:21:00 PM
I purchased this lipstick/gloss at Target for $16. It comes in a pretty black and hot pink tube. The gloss itself goes on semi-sheer and is buildable. It feels very moisturizing and does a great job of muting my pigmented lips and giving them a soft nude color. The effect is very similar to MAC's Creme d' Nude, except the Jemma Kidd seems a little more forgiving due to the fact that it's a gloss in lipstick form. The lasting power is not the greatest, but I don't expect it to have the same lasting power as a lipstick. I believe this is a pretty universal nude, given its sheerness, so if you struggle with a lot of the popular nude colors, I'd recommend you give this a try. In all, I'm happy with my purchase and would likely buy this again.
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Lipstick -MAC - Myself
WVUjame 1/16/2010 9:11:00 PM
I picked this up today on a whim. I'm NW 20 (although more neutral) and have medium pink/berry pigmented lips. This shows up as a soft pinkish lavendar on my lips. It's very subtle and pretty. I think it is a nice change from the standard baby pink that is so common. For it being a lustre and such a light shade, it has pretty good pigmentation, too. Overall, I don't consider this a "must have," but I'm happy with my purchase and am sure I'll get a lot of use out of it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Korres - Lip Butter - Jasmine
WVUjame 1/5/2010 6:39:00 PM
Although the caramel scent is a little stronger than I typically like, I do think I would purchase this Lip Butter again. It makes my lips feel smooth and hydrated and provides a nice sheen of pinkish nude color. The lasting power is not the greatest, but that is to be expected with a balm. This is my second Lip Butter. I had Guava and used it up. That's when I purchased Jasmine. I do wish it had SPF, but since it doesn't, I tend to use this to prep my lips for other products or as a nighttime balm. Oh, well, at least my lips look pretty for bedtime!
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Lip Treatments -Korres - Guava Lip Butter
WVUjame 1/5/2010 6:35:00 PM
I'm on the fence about this product. I do think it makes your lips feel nice and hydrated, but it doesn't last long and it's not always enough for my dry, winter lips. Still, it does feel good when it's on and it does not have an overpowering scent, which I personally prefer. I do wish it wasn't in a pot form and that it had SPF. I tend to use this as my nighttime moisturizer. I don't know that I would purchase this exact Lip Butter again, but I have purchased another one, Jasmine. However, I did use all of this, so that has to count for something!
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Eye Shadow -Urban Decay - Deluxe Eyeshadow - Ruthless
WVUjame 1/5/2010 6:31:00 PM
This is my first UD shadow, and I'm pretty happy with it. It really is a beautiful shimmery taupe, and I do not have another color like it. It is pigmented, but you will not get crazy color with just one application to the lid. This is a more subtle color. However, you can build it to a very nice intensity. The packaging (dinosaur and robot) is cute. Not my thing, but it makes me smile when I use it. And although it is on the pricey side, at $18, you get a ton of product. I've used this a couple times a week since I got it, which is pretty often for me, and although I don't think I'll need to, I would repurchase if I run out. Oh, and if you are in a hurry, this looks great blended from lid to crease with some simple black liner!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - Great Lash BIG
WVUjame 11/3/2009 6:55:00 PM
I am totally impressed with this product. I was curious but held off on purchasing it because I disliked the original Great Lash so much. However, I kept hearing people compare it to MAC Plush Lash, which is one of my favorite mascaras, so I picked this up in a two for one deal at Target. It does give me a similar look to my Plush Lash, but there are some differences. First, this does not provide the polished look that Plus Lash gives me. By that I mean that Plush Lash tends to make my lashes look smoother, thicker and healthier. The Great Lash BIG tends to make my lashes look thinner. However, this beats Plush Lash hands down in holding a curl, so I actually look like I have more lashes with this formula, despite it's thinner consistency. I also have a huge problem with most mascaras smearing on me, but not with this one. It stays put! And no flakies. Great drugstore alternative for only a couple dollars.
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