Mascara -Maybelline - The Rocket Volume Express
agibeault 2/9/2013 8:56:00 PM
This isn't a bad mascara but I won't buy it again. The coverage is thick all the way to the tip which is a very unnatural look. I like dramatic, but I like mascara that thins out toward the tip. This also flakes a bit and the wand is so spiky it hurts if you get too close. Good black color, doesn't lump or clump.
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Mascara -Rimmel - Scandal Eyes Lycra Flex Mascara
agibeault 1/30/2013 7:36:00 PM
Wow. I have been searching for the ULTIMATE mascara basically my entire life and have finally found it! I am surprised more people don't adore this - perhaps due to the enormous brush. I am a bit of a mascara snob but picked this up on a whim before swearing off DS mascara for good. So happy I did! I picked this up for about 5 bucks on sale. Gives beautiful full fringy lashes, inky black, lots of volume and definition. Holds curl very well, no raccoon eyes and hardly flakes (I touch my eyes a lot so mascara always flakes on me...this probably wouldn't flake at all on most people). Even a bit of cold water on the lashes doesn't make it run, however it comes off easily with warm water and my regular cleanser (Paula's). This can be used for a natural look or dramatic...but it is pretty and dramatic, not just caked on dramatic. You can layer this even when dry if you want to take it from day to night. I'm not sure about the lycra but I do notice this formula has more give/flex to it. I don't get any lumps or clumps with this, even with multiple coats. The brush is huge and I'm not sure how someone with short lashes would be able to maneuver it, however if you have long thin lashes like I do, I highly recommend you give it a try. New HG!!!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -L'Oreal - Full Definition Voluminous
agibeault 1/27/2013 8:36:00 PM
This is mediocre but not terrible. Not dramatic but not quite natural looking, a little lumpy and a little flaky. Slightly buildable but overall kind of blah. With a few coats it looks ok, but there are much better options by Rimmel and Maybelline.
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Mascara -Christian Dior - Diorshow Mascara
agibeault 1/22/2013 2:41:00 PM
I so wanted to like this! It made my lashes look very pretty, however they were NOT dramatic at all and this flaked worse than any mascara I have ever owned, even on the first day. It is also scented which bothered my eyes for the first few minutes. I could get used to the huge brush if it worked well, but it is a complete waste of money. I prefer blackout to this, although I can't remember if blackout flaked. Rimmel Extra Wow Lash gives the same look for much cheaper.
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Mascara -Christian Dior - DiorShow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum
agibeault 1/22/2013 2:39:00 PM
This does absolutely nothing. I did one eye with this underneath, and one without and could not tell the difference. I actually had better results just using a few coats of mascara and skipping this altogether.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Rimmel - Extra Wow Lash
agibeault 7/19/2012 8:14:00 AM
This is an excellent, inexpensive daytime mascara. Gives GORGEOUS fluttery fringy lashes, amazing separation and length, a little volume, buildable without the slightest clumping. I would rate this a 5 if it gave a little more drama/volume and it does tend to flake a tiny bit (I can't stand flaking). I will definitely keep this in my arsenal and this works well to smooth out more dramatic but clumpy mascaras.
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Mascara -Hourglass - Film Noir Full Spectrum
agibeault 6/27/2012 9:20:00 PM
EDITED: removed a lippie as this was pretty much unworkable after a month...the formula got way to tacky as it dried out and made lashes clump/hard to comb out. will not repurchase. *********************************************************************************************************** This is near HG status, though for the price, I did a side by side of Maybelline Colossal and could not tell the difference. Where this mascara really shines is in the durability - even when you splash water on your face, this pretty much stays on. I take it off with my regular cleanser and its a tad more effort than other non-WP mascaras I have tried, however it is worth it for absolutely no smudging, flaking, or fading throughout the day (and getting caught in the rain isnt embarassing). I would like to see this in a more inky black, although this is still pretty good...It does not give a grey tinge at least. This can be a little hard to work with after a while as the formula is tacky, however is a great summertime mascara for those who dont like WP
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express The Colossal
agibeault 6/27/2012 9:15:00 PM
This is one of the best mascaras I have ever used, considering the price. Gives lashes a full, fluttery look, minimal smudging and flaking (flaking can sometimes be irritating, hence the rating of 4). Holds up quite well in minor elements but if you are in extreme humidity, rain, or snow, the waterproof version of this is AMAZING. I will always come back to this (but do enjoy trying new ones, searching for an unrealistic result of false lash look). Highly recommend!
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Foundations -Everyday Minerals - Olive Fair
agibeault 6/21/2012 8:38:00 PM
I tried this in matte. What a cakey mess!! I find the lighter the shade, the more cakey and blotchy it looks...it looks like i mixed zinc oxide with the powder and just smeared it on. HATE.
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Pressed Powders -MAC - Blot Powder
agibeault 6/17/2012 10:25:00 PM
For me this is just meh. It can look quite powdery so you have to be careful. I don't find that it absorbs oil amazingly, but it is ok. It certainly doesn't make skin MORE oily like mineral makeup can. Shades run very light...I am NC 20 and use medium dark. I find the pressed powder is very convenient but i wont buy this again because it doesnt contain spf...if i am using a pressed powder for touchups throughout it may as well add sun protection. otherwise i prefer ben nye luxury powder to this (tho not practical for the makeup bag)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Eucerin - Aquaphor Healing Ointment
agibeault 6/17/2012 10:18:00 PM
In Canada this is called, "Aquaphor Skin Protectant Ointment" - exact same formula though. I wanted to give this a good run before reviewing ...I have been using it for about a month now. I didn't notice a huge difference right away but now I can honestly say I never want to be without this product. If you suffer from eczema on your face, you will feel my pain..there is not much you can do about it, as most medications are dangerous around the eye. I use this over my aveeno eczema care cream and pretty much all over my face. it really seals in the lotion and does provide some moisture itself. it doesnt really absorb into the skin unless you are EXTREMELY dry but it does give my face comfort throughout the entire night and causes me to itch less. this didnt happen right away, but with nightly use i notice a significant decrease in facial eczema and it is almost entirely cleared up around my eye...obviously diet and other factors will make it flare up again but i am definitely keeping this in my regimine. thank you mua for recommending this!!!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -MAC - Pink Cult
agibeault 6/13/2012 9:57:00 PM
I love this colour but it does not last long enough for my expectations, and is a little too powdery. Looks patchy by the end of the day. Perfect neutral muted pink that can go many different ways depending on the cream colour you use under it. I have used this over brit wit (favorite, but brit wit also doesn't last long so the performance of this combination is the worst), over coral cream blush, over mac CCB in hush, over pink cream blush, and over berry.
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Liquid -MAC - Matchmaster SPF 15 Foundation
agibeault 6/13/2012 9:50:00 PM
This is definitely MAC's best foundation. I am currently using one pump mixed with an equal amount of strobe cream for a glowy but not greasy or sparkly look. Its gorgeous and lasts well throughout the day. I do not need a lot of coverage but I do have freckles and uneven skin tone. I purchased this dark on purpose, shade 2, thinking I would be self tanning soon...I have been too lazy to tan so the colour is too dark for my NC 20 skin. Mixing it with the strobe cream sheers it out to the perfect match though. I can't explain it but this DOES seem to change colour once it is on the skin and meshes well. Shade 2 is quite orange but it works once its on. Obviously it will work better when I'm tanned. I am interested in trying 1.5 as well. My skin tone is very neutral with a hint of olive. I would not call Matchmaster neutral at all, even though they market it as such. This is definitely a peach toned foundation but as I said, it sort of adjusts once it is on the skin. I think I will buy this again - I like the spf, it doesnt bother my eczema, and it is matte (skin is getting too oily for face and body, my long-time love). I just wish the colour was more neutral and less peach. This does cling to dry patches.
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Liquid -NARS - Sheer Glow Foundation
agibeault 6/13/2012 9:29:00 PM
Returning this. I really wanted to like it but it just looks terrible on my dry skin and aged me about 10 years. Like the sheer matte, this clings to dry spots badly (forget about it if you have eczema) and looks cakey. I also found it creased and accentuated lines I didnt know I had. My skin also got oily quickly in the t zone, and this did not hold up throughout the day. I am not sure if this would work for someone with oily skin for more than a couple of hours. The formula is, however, very smooth and silky to the touch. Bottle is horrible..no pump, hard to get out. Dotting it on with a concealer brush would likely work best. Dries fast, so you have to blend quickly. I prefer Mac Matchmaster to this....it is similar in texture/finish/coverage but looks much better. I used Fiji which is too dark for my neutral/olive NC 20 skin. Would work on a solid NC 25 or a light NC 30 (shades i turn when i use self tanner). Ceylan would also be good for NC 30 and Punjab is on the dark side of NC 30. If I liked the formula, I would exchange for Deauville but I'm not going to use it again. Shade range if FANTASTIC if you like the formula.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -L'Oreal - Touche Magique
agibeault 6/13/2012 7:54:00 PM
How have I not reviewed this?! This is one of my absolutely must-have products, HG for sure. I have extremely dark circles and have to use many many layers of product to cover. This typically leads to caking/aged look. Touche Magic is what I now use as a base for my concealer (if my circles weren't so dark I would use it on its own, and can still in a pinch). This goes on completely undetectable and the pen has lasted a good 6 months with daily use. I think it cost around 10 bucks which was well worth it. I use this in the lightest, pinkest shade for under the eyes to brighten/neutralize (my circles are more brown than purple due to my light olive skin). I use the lightest yellow shade for concealing around the nose and anywhere else. Blends perfectly with my NC 20 skin. If I have had enough sleep, I can use this on the bottom and 2 - 3 layers of MAC pro longwear concealer on top and you cant tell i'm even wearing makeup (if I haven't had enough sleep I need studio finish or something more opaque in between the two). If you are wearing this on its own, set with a thin layer of powder (I like something silica based). Does not irritate eczema, does not accentuate dry patches. I am not able to detect any shimmer in this product.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No