Hair Color -Manic Panic - After Midnight Blue
ainabarad 6/1/2010 6:17:00 PM
It's been years since I used this, but I still wanted to post this review just in case it might prevent someone from making the same mistake I did back when I used it... This isn't a bad product, but it fades ultra fast. I believe it fading even faster than normal has to do with the blue itself because blue/black permanent hair dyes seem to fade ultra fast as well. If you want your hair to be super blue, do NOT use this on bleached hair without using a toner to make your hair ultra white first, otherwise it might turn dookie green. Seriously. I say this suspecting it's probably a lot like the vampire red manic panic in that sense. Back when I used this I had been regularly using Sun-In on my hair for many months beforehand which had gradually turned my medium mousy brown hair to a medium blonde color. When I used this my hair almost immediately faded to a PERMANENT DOOKIE GREEN color and I mean PERMANENT. It was ugly as could be and NO SALON wanted to take me when I called to make an appointment. I was turned away by so many of them, major chains. My savior was a really nice "mom and pop" salon where an awesome stylist/owner told me he'd help me and totally fixed it for me (which turned out to be a MAJOR pain in the ass for him). He was ultra nice and didn't charge me an arm and a leg like any other place definitely would have, but he did tell me afterward to NEVER do it again because he WAS NOT going to help me if there was a 'next time' with me using Manic Panic over Sun-In. I never did it again, but that is all something to keep in mind. I hope by reading this you learn from my mistakes and save yourself some trouble by getting it right the first time. ;)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair Color -Manic Panic - Temporary in Vampire Red
ainabarad 6/1/2010 6:02:00 PM
I have not used this in years and when I did it was only once, but I can tell you this for certain... IF you have bleached hair you WILL need to use a toner FIRST unless you want it to turn bright hot pink. Seriously, that is exactly what happened to me. I bleach my hair thinking it'd turn out really red, like a fire engine red, but it turned hot pink instead. If you're going for really, really red with this, bleach your hair, and then use a toner to make it ultra white BEFORE using this.
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Styling Products -Garnier - FRUCTIS Sleek and Shine - Leave-in Conditioning Cream
ainabarad 6/1/2010 5:50:00 PM
Greasy, weighted down, flat, oil mess of ew. That is exactly what this does to my baby fine, thick, somewhat oily hair. It's disgusting. I had a feeling trying out a LEAVE-IN conditioner would be a bad idea. I mean, you rinse conditioner out for a reason, right? Yes, this gave me the exact effect forgetting to rinse conditioner out of my hair during a shower does. Ew. I'll never purchase this ever again. Unfortunately, it's been way too long since purchasing to return it (it's been like a year now, so it's garbage, but I should've returned it the next day instead of giving it another try and accidentally losing the receipt) and I couldn't even give it away because no one wants crap like this, not even for free. Ew. As far as my experience goes, leave-in conditioners are a BAD idea in general.
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Polishes -Sinful - Let's Talk
ainabarad 5/31/2010 12:37:00 AM
Usually when I review nail polishes, I take into consideration things like #1) how long they last without chipping, #2) how many coats it takes to achieve an opaque color if the color is supposed to be opaque two or three are fine (more than that is not good), #3) how long it takes for each coat to dry, and #4) whether or not it's really streaky (a little streaky is fine as long as the end results are not streaky, but extremely streaky is bad).
I cannot tell you how long this polish lasts without chipping. I can say that it takes about 4 thin coats to achieve an opaque color payoff (which this color is GORGEOUS). I also can tell you, unfortunately, that this nail polish is EXTREMELY STREAKY and, even worse, it seems to NEVER DRY. Seriously! This is my first ever Sinful Colors polish and I'm thinking $1.99 was way too much to pay for it. I tried applying this THREE times. The third time I was the most forgiving with drying time. I applied it in 3 or 4 extremely thin coats (well, *tried* to make them extra thin--the brush and formula do not work well for that). I waited until the new coat seemed dry (I didn't want to mess it up so I only touched it lightly) before applying the next. About an HOUR LATER it WAS NOT DRY. I discovered that when I accidentally bumped something with my nails. I was so aggravated at my mistake (and that it STILL WASN'T DRY) that I touched each hard to find NONE of my nails were dry. I can be forgiving of polishes if the price is cheap and they can at least dry fast and look nice for one day before chipping, but never drying? Sorry, I can't forgive that. And something tells me the other color I bought will be the same way. Such a waste. :(
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Highlighters -Hard Candy - Moon Glow Luminizing Powder
ainabarad 5/28/2010 2:53:00 PM
This is one of Hard Candy's new products for Spring/Summer 2010. I eagerly purchased this as soon as it hit shelves at my local Walmart and it met all of the high expectations I had for it! Here is what Hard Candy's Facebook page says about Moon Glow: MOON GLOW is the sister to Welcome Matte! Because skin touched by moonlight makes the complexion glow. A multi-tasking translucent powder infused with illuminating gold powder. Inspired by the beauty of the skin in the moonlight, this product is formulated to set makeup while imparting a soft-focused glow. Mirror and sponge included. $8 at Walmart and walmart.com in May. I absolutely adore this powder and cannot find a single con about it other than it does look better in the evening/night than during the day due to the shimmer--which is absolutely GORGEOUS. It's not chalky in the least, has great lasting power, and definitely elegantly illuminates the skin! I LOVE it! I can't imagine anyone not liking this, but common sense would be if you are 100% not into shimmers or highlights then you may not like it.
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Pressed Powders -Hard Candy - Welcome Matte Mattifying Powder
ainabarad 5/28/2010 2:44:00 PM
This is one of Hard Candy's new products for Spring/Summer 2010 and is exclusively available at Walmart.com and Walmart stores. It is a setting powder with a matte finish. This is what Hard Candy's Facebook says about Welcome Matte: WELCOME MATTE - Roll out the Welcome Matte and foundation will stay all day. A micro-pigmented pressed powder that eliminates unwanted shine, evens the skin and sets foundation for all day wear. Micronized pigments “float” on the skin to even out skin tone. Mirror and sponge included. $8 at Walmart and walmart.com the first week in May! Here is my opinion (pros and cons) after eagerly purchasing it the second it hit the shelves at my local Walmart for $8 and having used it daily since: Pros: ~ Matte finish which makes it perfect for combating unwanted shine. ~ Helps even out skin tone. ~ Not cakey in the least. (I LOVE that.) ~ Very decent lasting power for a pressed powder (as far as my experience goes), especially when used over primer and/or foundation. ~ The compact is ultra cute and comes with a mirror and sponge. ~ Soft and silky. Not chalky at all. Cons: ~ Like most powders, you may need to touch up now and then to combat shine. Especially if you get super sweaty. No big deal to me as I fully expected this and never met a facial powder that lasted all day in ultra sweaty situations. ~ The sponge is okay for touch ups, but I highly recommend using a kabuki brush instead because kabuki brushes blend more easily and don't apply as much at once. I adore this powder so much! If I apply it when my skin is an oily mess it blends as easily, evens my skin tone and eliminates shine as much, and makes me look as gorgeous as it does when my skin is dry and fresh and it NEVER looks cakey, which is amazing to me for any powder to achieve so well! To make me love it even more, it seems to last a lot longer than other powders I've tried, even without a primer. FTW!!!
23 out of 23 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Hard Candy - Powder Keg Loose Eyeshadow
ainabarad 5/28/2010 2:24:00 PM
These shadows are some of Hard Candy's new products for Spring/Summer 2010 and are exclusively available at Walmart. I was really looking forward to trying these since their announcement two or three months prior to their release and purchased two of them the second I saw them being stocked. (I had been stalking the cosmetics aisle at my local Walmart nearly daily looking specifically for them, Welcome Matte, and Moon Glow.) Pros: ~ Great pigmentation. ~ Gorgeous shimmer. ~ A little goes a long way. ~ Does not crease or fade. ~ Lasts all day--IF it remains completely dry. Cons: ~ These eyeshadow pigments are an extremely fine powder, like kohl. This, for me, is a bad thing because it easily flies everywhere when you open and apply it and it gets in your eyes more easily. (I dislike getting anything unnatural in my eyes as it's not healthy.) ~ Gorgeous shimmer. (Some people don't like shimmer.) ~ If even the slightest bit of moisture touches them, they vanish from your eyelids with the only traces being just a tiny bit in creases. I wore them one day and they were great all day. The next day I wore them they didn't last two hours due to my eyes getting watery and it being hot outside (though I was only outside long enough to drive my son to school). I returned them and shall not repurchase. Hard Candy is still one of my favorite makeup brands and will continue to be as this does not change my overall opinion of the brand (out of all the Hard Candy cosmetics I've tried--which has been nearly everything they make since becoming exclusive to Walmart--the brand has been about 90% hit with only 10% miss for me which is astounding to me and far better than any other cosmetic brands available at Walmart.)
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Wet 'n' Wild - I Shimmer in Night Lights 695
ainabarad 5/17/2010 5:52:00 PM
WORST EYELINER EVER!!! This isn't black (as one can always hope), but instead a dark gray that isn't even dark enough to be considered "carbon black" in color. The liner itself seems to be far waxier than any eyeliner should be, the color fades almost instantly, and the glitter-the glitter!-is horrendous and instantly irritated my skin (I do have two glitter liners made by Wet 'n' Wild that don't hurt my skin/eyes--"Fantasy Makers" liquid glitter liners in "Secrecy" green and "Cryptic" silver)!!! Save your money!!! I know it's only like 99¢ or maybe even a little less, but wasted money on crappy products does add up. Personally, I'd rather spend more on an eyeliner worth having that actually works like a decent eyeliner.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Unlisted Brand - Trim Slanted Tip Tweezer
ainabarad 5/17/2010 5:34:00 PM
I absolutely love my Trim tweezers! I have the slanted pointed tipped version and it is a dream for eyebrow plucking as it effortlessly gets even the tiniest hairs. The ONLY drawback to them is I have to be careful because the point on the slant is very pointy and the tweezers are very sharp, but that's the way a good pair of tweezers should be and caution is usually required when tweezing anyway so you don't pluck more hairs than you mean to. :)
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Eyeliner -Wet 'n' Wild - Color Icon Pencil - White
ainabarad 5/17/2010 5:27:00 PM
*laughs lightly at the other reviews for this* I can't tell you how well this works as an eyeliner (it probably sucks because it seems like it'd be too waxy and downright ew for that), but I can tell you that this pencil absolutely rocks for shaping your eyebrows (which is why I bought it and the only thing I use it for). If anything the waxiness of it makes it even better as a brow shaping pencil!!! All you need is a basic brow stencil in a shape you like (you could even make your own), one of these to fill in the stencil so you know which hairs to pluck--all outside the white liner), and a good pair of affordable slanted tweezers (I use Trim with a slant/point tip), and you're good to go!!! ;)
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Eye Shadow -Wet 'n' Wild - ColorIcon Palette in Lust [DISCONTINUED]
ainabarad 5/17/2010 5:16:00 PM
These are so overrated--don't believe the hype!!! This is one product that definitely does NOT deserve the rave reviews it is getting. The only thing these shadows have going for them is high pigmentation because they are also VERY chalky, make smother you with tons of fallout, and mine goes on spotty/blotchy half of the time regardless of how I apply it (and it's the only shadow that I've ever experienced that odd effect with!). On top of everything else, the cherry on top has to be how dirty, dull, and yucky these colors end up looking on your skin. I adore purples in almost any shade and dark, cool-toned purples tend to be my faves, but the purples in this pallet, although dark and cool-toned, come out looking very dirty and nasty on my eyelids. To make matters worse, the sparkly dark purple comes out looking like a matte black with all the glitter turning into hellish fallout. As I said, the only thing it has going for it is pigmentation, but considering how horrible the colors on I cannot even give it one lippy for that! I've kept trying this over and over again thinking maybe eventually I'll see what's so great about it, but no, that hasn't happened at all and giving it extra chances has only made me hate it even more. The only colors I'll even consider touching in this anymore are the two light ones at the top on extremely rare occasions (and used very sparingly and applied with a clean finger due to the ass load of fallout they can dish out with their chalkiness). Ew!!!
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Eyeliner -L'Oreal - Hip Color Chrome Eyeliner
ainabarad 5/17/2010 4:58:00 PM
These are excellent eyeliners!!! I have the colors "Black Shock", "Violet Volt", and "Silver Lightning". They last all day, are only smudge-able within the first 30 seconds (then they're set so if you're going for a smokey eye with these do a little at a time so you can smudge before they set), have decent staying power on the waterline, and they are super creamy and soft. Their texture is actually a con as well as a pro. The soft creaminess makes them glide on like a dream, but it also makes it nearly impossible to get a thin line with them and it also means you might need to adjust to using these because the softness could throw you off resulting it super messy makeup. I wish these had miraculously been made in a thinner self-sharpening, non-wooden pencil version. I feel as though they should last much longer than they do for the price as my "Black Shock" is nearly gone after just two or three months even though I haven't been it every single day and I only sharpen it when absolutely necessary. These last about 4 hours on my waterline which is pretty amazing for a pencil and they last all day without smudging, fading, or flaking on my lash lines.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lips -Hard Candy - Visibly Wet Shockingly Glossly Lip Pencil
ainabarad 5/16/2010 1:40:00 PM
The color I have is #259 "Must Have" (which as of writing this review is the darkest shade available in this product). This is a wonderful sheer gloss (with build-able color) and I like the glossiness of it as well as the staying power, but I really, really, really dislike the packaging because I'm not fond of having to sharpen products--especially lip products. However, any jumbo sharpener should work for sharpening it. I've been very tempted to try depotting mine sometime to see if it can be easily depotted because, although I generally dislike lip products in pots due to pots being inconvenient/unsanitary, I'd rather apply this with my finger than have to fight with a sharpener. ;)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -Hard Candy - So Baked Bronzer in Hula Hula
ainabarad 5/16/2010 1:31:00 PM
I am very pale/fair, have this in "Hula Hula", and absolutely adore it!!! Due to my light skintone, I apply it lightly with my kabuki brush and then I gently and easily build it up to the natural looking shade I desire (which doesn't take much on my light skin). I've also found this color isn't too shimmery and can also be carefully applied to even out skin tone if you have "raccoon eyes"--or whatever it's called--from forgetting to use sunscreen and wearing sunglasses in bright sunlight causing untanned rings to show around your eyes where the sunglasses protected you. (Lately I've been accidentally getting a tan while outside as Summer is approaching which is the first time that's ever happened because I usually burn easily instead of tanning and therefore usually use 50SPF sunscreen avidly and avoid sun exposure like The Plaque.) Awesome quality aside, something tells me this product will last a decent amount of time before I hit pan on it. LOVE IT!!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Highlighters -Hard Candy - Flavored Body Powder (Marshmellow)
ainabarad 5/16/2010 1:11:00 PM
I absolutely adore these body powders!!! I have this in "Marshmallow", "Pink Sugar", and "Cocoa" (the only one I don't have is "Honey", but I plan to get it eventually). All three taste fantastic, are gorgeous, and I even like the brush dispenser!!! The colors are pretty sheer so the color you buy shouldn't need to match your complexion (I'm pale/fair and adore "Cocoa" just as much as "Marshmallow"). One thing that should be noted though is that these do contain a little shimmery micro-glitter (not nearly as much as many other glittery products, but there is a bit o' micro-glitter within which I don't mind because I find it to be a tasteful, elegant, not overdone amount).
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