Bronzers -Origins - sunny disposition bronzer
alicia2kate 1/3/2013 9:05:00 PM
I received this bronzer in a swap -- and surprisingly, it made its way into my day-to-day makeup box on the counter. I love the non-shimmery-ness and how it adds only a hint of color. It has become my bronzer of choice for those days I don't feel like wearing pink blush (I wear bronzers like blushes). I don't mind the screw-top, it helps keep the bits of loose powder contained. I use a fluffy blush brush and a light dusting on both cheeks works well for me. This will last me a very long time.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Matte Lipstick - Pink About It [DISCONTINUED]
alicia2kate 1/3/2013 8:59:00 PM
This is one of the few lipsticks that sit on my bathroom counter with my day-to-day makeup. It is an opaque hot pink so I like a layer of carmex and then a sheer-ish swipe of color. When sheer-ed out, it is work-appropriate and goes well with "neutral" outfits. The matte formula is fine since I layer over a balm, it behaves like a creme. It lasts a few hours on me before I switch to a tinted lipbalm for the rest of the day. I do try to not wear this when I have slightly more chapped lips. I'm interested in others in the Revlon matte line.
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Hair Color -Revlon - Colorsilk
alicia2kate 1/3/2013 8:44:00 PM
I recently tried both the Luminista Red and Light Red hair dye. I have shoulder-length dark brown hair that's been dyed every 7-9 weeks to auburn/light or dark brown for the past few years. (The Colorsilk Auburn and Light Auburn are my favorite.) The Red came out glowingly purple for about a day, then mellowed out to a medium red glow. The Light Red had more "red-orange" glow that lasted about a week. My scalp was red until the first wash a few days later. The reds appear to be much more high-maintenance and continues to drip pink water for about 4-6 washes. I try to limit washes to every 2-3 days the first two weeks after the new color goes in. After about 10-14 days, the reds became my usual "auburn" tone. Since the red doesn't last very long on my dark hair, I may skip the Luminista line next time and continue hunting for the regular Auburn/Light Auburn dyes. Overall, I like the kit - very easy to use. It doesn't drip and doesn't smell too terribly. The price is right -- generally under $3.50. I have a tendency to leave the dye in for much longer than the instructions say to because my hair's darker and not bleached. For the reds, I believe I left it on for about 45 minutes.
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Polishes -L.A. Colors - Color Craze Atomic
alicia2kate 3/25/2012 10:44:00 PM
LA Colors- Atomic is a medium green-teal creme. I wear it both alone and with glitter/shimmer. Formula- It applied easily and dried quickly. It was a 2-3 coater for me. Wear- I wore this with 1 coat of OPI What's Dune? on top and SH topcoat. Very minimal tipwear by Day 3, but lasted 6 days before light chips. Packaging- A round bottle with a good, manipulatable thinner brush. Inexpensive.
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Polishes -Sally Hansen - Complete Salon Manicure Kook-A-Mango
alicia2kate 3/25/2012 10:38:00 PM
SH CSM - KAM is a gorgeous bright coral-orange creme formula. It is a little brighter than most colors I wear, but it was very cheery. Formula- It applied evenly and rather opaquely. It was a 2-coater for me, but I use slightly thinner coats. Packaging- I like the bottle, but I have slight issues with the thick round CSM and ID brushes. I'm slowly adjusting so my application will get better. Wear- I wore this for 7 days with 1 light coat of SH CSM- Hidden Treasure and SH topcoat. There was very light tipwear by Day 3, but it didn't get much worse until Day 6. A couple chips on Day 7 and I took it off.
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Blush -Stila - Convertible Color Lillium
alicia2kate 12/20/2011 4:34:00 AM
This cream blush appears as a lightly peach-tinted pink on me. It is more pink than NYC's Blushable Creme Stick in South St Seashell. I usually layer a peachy-pink powder blush over it to help it last longer. I've noticed that it doesn't last the whole day, but perhaps 5-6 hours if I keep my hands off my face. I have not tried to use it as a lip color because I prefer darker colors in lipstick. The compact is adorable with the flower imprints and a small mirror. To apply, I just dab with a finger on the apples of my cheeks. A few pats is enough for me to start blending.
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Lips -Revlon - Just Bitten Lipstain - Flame
alicia2kate 11/6/2011 2:03:00 AM
Revlon Just Bitten in Flame is in a red-orange packaging. I'd be fine if the stain remained the reddish berry tint when first applied. About an hour later, it turns bright fuschia on me. I'm not certain how it picks up the bright pink-purple tone, but there is no orange or berry. I like to wear a lipstain under my lipstick so that when it begins to fade, I still have some color left. It is fairly easy to use with the marker-like packaging. It does last about 3-4 hours when I'm snacking and drinking water. I like to wear the balm separately. I don't travel with this lipstain so I've been working on the balm to use it up. I'd be willing to try another color, but I won't be trying Flame again.
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Polishes -OPI - Ocean Love Potion
alicia2kate 11/6/2011 1:47:00 AM
Ocean Love Potion is a dusty green creme. Sometimes it looks slightly blue-green in low light, but when placed near blue, pink, or teal items, it is very green. It is a two-coater polish, but I like a third coat for even-ness. I always use a quickdry topcoat and it lasts a minimum of 2 days before there is reasonable tipwear. I prefer to wear it plain with a shiny topcoat, but a layer of light sparkles (China Glaze Wireless) adds a sparkly dimension that doesn't distract from the beautiful color. The only negative is that I really dislike the SOPI bottle design. SOPI OLP is a great color year-round.
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Pressed Powders -Revlon - PhotoReady Powder - Fair/Light
alicia2kate 8/21/2011 10:16:00 PM
I use the Fair/Light pressed powder as a setting-finishing powder with the ELF flat-top powder brush. I don't wear much foundation, just a moisturizer + some concealer and blush and this powder, lightly over it all. When I use it lightly, it doesn't make me ghost-like. It does have a little fine shimmer, but it works well for me. I don't reapply during the day so I don't travel with it, but it isn't very travel friendly. It also cracks easily (esp if you drop it onto a counter or floor) so I just crush it up, add some 70% IPA and re-press it back into the pan. I've been using it for several months and it is almost gone. I have another powder to use next so I won't be repurchasing yet. I would consider it in the future.
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Polishes -L.A. Colors - Magnetic Force
alicia2kate 2/28/2011 4:02:00 AM
LA Colors Color Craze- Magnetic Force (bottom sticker BCC 562) I purchased this at a Dollar Tree store in Florida (while on vacation). It is a great coral, summery and very vacation-appropriate! It is easy to apply in thin coats, dries quickly, and doesn't necessarily require a topcoat if you don't mind the finish being satin-y. On my nails, the polish lasted about 2 days without a topcoat, 3-4 days with a topcoat (light tipwear on day 3). I'd be interested in trying another color from this line.
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Polishes -Sally Hansen - Complete Salon Manicure - Fairy Teal
alicia2kate 2/28/2011 3:57:00 AM
SH CSM #450 Fairy Teal is a beautiful teal creme. It has the standard Insta-Dri/CSM and Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro brush where it is thick, wide, and oddly curved (not symmetrically on both sides). I'm not a fan of the brush, but I can work with it. The color is a lovely green-based teal. It is bluer and dustier than LA Colors Color Craze- Atomic. First time I wore this color (2 coats of base coat, 2 coats color, topcoat), it chipped in the first hour. I wrote it off as a bad application and redid a few nails over. With a topcoat, it lasted into day 2 before it started chipping badly. Even with a base coat, this color stained terribly. Because of the staining, I'm probably not going to wear it very often. I've only worn it twice and it was a bit better if I put a layer of another color first.
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Moisturizers -Neutrogena - Visibly Firm Night Cream with Copper
alicia2kate 2/28/2011 3:42:00 AM
I have the 2.25" jar with the copper screw-on top. The box says 'active copper' and 'new improved formula'. I purchased this in late 2010 so I'm not sure whether there is a difference in formula. I use this almost every night after a shower on my face and neck. It has a very light scent and is not greasy. I use a small spatula to remove the amount I want so I don't need to dip a finger in. I really like the blue color, scent, and the fact that it isn't greasy, yet moisturizing. I might purchase again, if I can locate it.
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Eye Makeup Remover -Neutrogena - Eye Makeup Remover Lotion
alicia2kate 11/7/2010 2:48:00 PM
Ingredients: Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Isononyl Isononanoate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Isostearyl Palmitate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Hexylene Glycol, Sorbitan Stearate, PEG-6 Capric Glycerides, Cetearyl Alcohol, Acrylates, Sucrose Cocoate, Propylene Glycol, Cucumber Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Propylparaben, Methylparaben. I took this eye makeup remover with me on my last trip and it was great! I didn't have to deal with little travel-sized watery-oily bottles of makeup remover that threaten to spill inside luggage. At 3oz, it was the perfect size to get through Airport Security if you forget to toss it into checked luggage. Great packaging as a squeeze tube and flip cap to make it easy to get product. The product was very lightly scented, slightly watery and very easy for me to squeeze a pea-sized amount on my palm, dab a bit with a finger to massage over an eye. Then I use the remainder on my palm on the other eye. Wipe off with a tissue. I don't wear mascara so I can't say how well this works with any type of mascara, but this removes my eyeshadow well. I'm amazed at the amount I see on the tissue. I expect this product to last a while, but I do plan on repurchasing once I use it up and all the little bottles of makeup remover.
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Blush -Maybelline - Dream Mousse Blush - All colors [DISCONTINUED]
alicia2kate 9/12/2010 4:23:00 AM
I've read many, many pages of the reviews on this blush. I was somewhat confused about all the different colors (different names in different countries). This is what I've come up with so far, mostly for the USA. 01 Pink Marshmallows (Asia), Dolly Pink 10 Pink Frosting 20 Peach Satin, Rosy Cheeks 25 Rose Petal 30 Whipped Strawberries (d/c?) 40 Soft Plum 50 Cloud Wine 60 Coffee Cake I have #40 Soft Plum. It is a lovely color on me and a great base if I feel like brightening the color with some powder blush. I see a bunch of fine glitter in the pot/jar, but I don't notice much on my cheeks after application. To apply, I gently tap a finger in the pot (like dabbing a sponge) a few times to get a bit of product. I then lightly tap my upper cheeks in a circular motion. Repeat on other cheek and then alternate until I get the color/look I like. The whipped texture is so soft! I have used this for a few weeks and I like it! I find that the blush lasts all day if I set it with some translucent powder. I do agree with the comments about long nails don't work well, but I have short-ish nails so it is easy to reach the product. I'd be interested in trying another color if it is on sale.
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Makeup Brushes -Bare Escentuals - Retractable Kabuki Brush
alicia2kate 8/13/2010 4:55:00 AM
I swapped for this retractable kabuki. I use it when I travel, but not when I'm at home. It is a very dense kabuki (so it takes a couple days to dry) and very soft. Mine sheds a good amount which makes me sad. I would love it more if it shed less. I've washed it several times, and it has not stopped. The pink aluminum case is cute, I like the retractable-ness to keep it dust-free and from being crushed. I use it for pressed powder application and sometimes powder blush application. Overall, I still like it.
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