Eyeliner -Rimmel - Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in Taupe
amanda311 4/22/2013 7:57:00 PM
Doesn't show up on my olive skin :( but I found a use! I layer it under the black or silver liners from the same line and for some reason they don't smudge! The formula may be slightly waxier than those colors. So if you have the black and have trouble with it and you also use this one try it :)
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Liquid -L'Oreal - Visible Lift Serum Absolute Advanced Age-Reversing Makeup
amanda311 3/21/2013 3:17:00 PM
I like this stuff. It has a very smooth finish and does illuminate the skin very well. I applied it with my fingers in two layers and it more or less covered everything I needed to. I used a touch of concealer over just two spots. I have a bit of uneven texture on one cheek and it didn't enhance it. It also dries pretty fast as my first coat was ready to go over within seconds. I set it with translucent powder so I can't really speak to its transferability. The color match was utterly perfect in the natural ivory shade and I'm pale olive. The shades seem to lean more neutral to warm than cool. Crossing my fingers that it doesn't break me out. I don't have oily skin so oxidation is rare and usually slight so I'm not worried about it changing colors. My skin leans more on the drier side of combo and if I didn't moisturize this seems like it might cling but the fact it's illuminating may lessen how noticible that is. It's not cheapy cheap but much less than my current foundation from Sephora. The bottle is glass with a pump which is nice for a drugstore foundation but as always pump means you gotta go digging in there when you get low cuz it aint gonna come out on its own past a certain point. Otherwise good drugstore buy.
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Cleansers -Neutrogena - Wave™ (Power-Cleanser And Deep Clean Foaming Pads)
amanda311 12/5/2012 9:44:00 PM
I'm pretty sure this isn't discontinued because I still see it, the Duo, and the refill pads in stores in NYC. My sister bought one years ago and abandoned it after she lost interest shortly after so I adopted it and finished her box of refills (I think they were the standard ones). I recall having some skin troubles at the time that mostly cleared up, but after finishing the box of pads I didn't want to buy any more and into a junk box it went. Well, recently I've been breaking out and I think it has to do with the fact that I'm not getting a complete enough clean with just my hands, but cleansers with beads are too rough for me. Same with exfoliating cloths. I imagine the Clarisonic is a bad idea right now since I'm using an AHA gel. Then I remembered this thing. Instead of buying pads I bought cotton Swisspers and put my regular Avene cleanser on it, or Cetaphil, or whatever I am using lately. First I use makeup remover to get off most of it. I apply the cleanser in a thin film on my face too. Then I get to work. Finish with AHA gel or drying cream on any raised pimples and done. What a difference! I'm convinced the vibration is getting stuff out that normally stays gunked in my pores since I mainly see skin plugs and filaments before a full-blown pimple appears. I usually have combo skin but lately it didn't know what it was- it was all dry, it was all oily, it was just bad. Now it seems to be recalibrating itself and producing normal amounts of oil, probably because it can breath again. Since I have to use less makeup the results are speeding along. I like this thing but based on reviews I never submerged it in water and I wouldn't say that's a good idea since people say that broke theirs. The pads are a waste, and any cleanser that is meant to foam will dry you out, something you don't want when you're deep cleaning. Sometimes I switch out the Swissper for a cellulose sponge if I want to exfoliate, but then I don't use the AHA for a few days.
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Crème -TheBalm - Time Balm Foundation
amanda311 11/13/2012 4:41:00 PM
Auughh!! So I went a lil crazy last week and bought this, Sexy Mama, Bahama Mama, and the Time Balm Spot Concealer w Tea Tree Oil. I have reviewed all the others (lurvedd them). This was the last one I tried because I wasn't so sure about it. It looked dark in the pan and also dry. I've had bad experiences with cream fdtns before and usually stick with liquid. The creams are either too thick and cake, have a wonky finish, or are way too emollient and melt off mid-day. But I'd heard the coverage of this one was excellent as well as the finish so I decided to give it a go. I got Light-medium because Light looked slightly more pink/neutral and LM slightly more yellow but otherwise it was a tough call and I was nervous. Turned out I was spot on, the color is perfect, but being as I saw only 4 colors when I bought it I'd imagine most people wouldn't be a lucky as me with their match. Now the application- start slow and if it doesn't seem to working try another way. It's difficult, but I got a method down. Some people use a damp beauty blender, I just use my fingers on mositurized skin. I apply the mositurizer, wait 10 minutes, thouroughly was my hands with antibacterial soap, and then swirl my ring finger around the product til I get a warmed up patch. Then I dot and pat the fdtn out very lightly and go back over anything that shows through. I add the concealer on raised spots if I have any then powder with Sexy Mama. The finish this way looks totally natural, like I'm not wearing anything at all. It's amazing. And no imperfections show thru, and no flakes jump out at you like "heyy look me!" And hours later im dewey-looking but no oil slick. I may blot at the end of an 8 hour day, only my forehead and sides of my nose. If I touch my face, the weird thing is it feels as though I'm wearing the makeup- but then I pull my hand or phone away and there's nothing on it. Maybe it's locking in the mositure on my normally dry cheeks, and that's what I'm feeling? It's kind of strange because it feels like it will transfer but it doesn't. Maybe it's just me hmm. Also it last pretty long, I fell asleep in it (gross I know) and when I used a wipe to take it off it was almost all there (and no resulting break-out from that dumb move either). So I'd say it's a keeper. Only the package is crummy and the sponge is useless..however you get an amazing amount of makeup for the price in that crappy case so I'll let it go. I'm just paranoid it will crack. And I don't like dipping my fingers in product, or a dirty sponge over and over but I wash my hands and that's another problem solved. Just the thought of a fuzzy or piece of hair flying in there and getting stuck bleehh..but that's what you get with creams, so I'll deal.
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Pressed Powders -TheBalm - Sexy Mama
amanda311 11/11/2012 9:47:00 PM
I loooooove this powder. After some crappy experiences with translucent powders (not really translucent, not milled fine enough, cakey looking, doesn't set foundation, emphasized dry spots, etcetc..) I found one that does none of these things! I think I have used powders that were milled finer but they were more like foundations, not setting powders, so I can understand the texture. This powder also somehow makes my bbcream better match my face, even tho it's colorless it has I don't know maybe a warmness to it? I'm not sure how it works lol but it definitely doesn't make me look lighter or ashey, just smooth and poreless and..natural. My makeup doesn't transfer withb this powder (which is was before) and it doesn't alter the look of my contouring or bronzing efforts when dusted over all that. I'm not a super oily person, so I can't speak to the oil control but the sides of my nose do get smudgy after a some time and I don't find that happens with this powder on. Since I'm mostly dry I was worried this would emphasize flakes but nope, it doesn't! Insread it sort of settled beneath flakes instead of right on top of them so they're less noticible. This powder is like 25 bucks at Duane Reade but you may be able to score it cheaper at TJMaxx or Marshall's. Just make sure ilt's not tampered with, it's not sealed, it just has a carboard sleeve. If you're gonna carry it around do not chuck the sleeve! The box is only magnetic. Also, you will need a fluffy brush preferably synthetic to avoid getting to much product (and you don't need much at all). Other than that an excellent buy!
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Bronzers -TheBalm - Bahama Mama
amanda311 11/11/2012 9:25:00 PM
This bronzer can make me look dirty if I go to crazy with it but when used lightly it is the single best bronzer I have ever used. It's more brown than orangey, which is how I, an olive skinned gal, actually tan (rather than pinkish or spray-tan orange). I use this on the apples of my cheeks and over my t-zone and temples to warm up my bb cream which is not quite my color. And it's MATTE! Matte matte glorious matte! It's almost impossible to find a good matte bronzer, and all the others I've tried (cargo, physicians formula) did lean more towards the tangerine spectrum. This bronzer is also great for contouring although I rarely use it for that unless I'm going for the made-up look. On the spots where the sun naturally kisses your face it is perfect. Super pale ladies and pink-toned folks may find they get the dirty effect from it so I'd reccomend it for already-warm tones. I just gently tap my brush in and swirl it on. I use so little this package should last me ages. It's about 20 bucks at Duane Reade but I've seen it at TJMaxx so look out for it and other TheBalm products at super low prices. The box is super cute, I carry it around sometimes and make sure to keep the sleeve on it so it doesn't pop open. No brush included but those add-on brushes usually suck anyway. There is a mirror though. All-in-all a great buy if you have some foundation to warm up, like to contour, or actually like to tan.
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Concealers -TheBalm - Liquid TimeBalm Spot Concealer
amanda311 11/11/2012 9:06:00 PM
This is a great concealer. It isn't totally opaque unless you build it, but the thing is a totally opaque concealer over a raised pimple tends to look obvious and cakey. The thinner formula of this product gives more of a soft-focus finish without any possibility of looking dry, cakey, or blotchy unless you really layer it on. And the tea tree oil works! I put this on any regular blemish in the morning and it's flat or almost flat by evening. And I think it prevents my pimples from leaving behind a red mark too. Hooray! I use it under my skin79 vip gold bb cream (since I pat the bb on it doesn't screw up the coverage) or over foundation (since blending out foundation would wipe off the concealer). Then I put some translucent powder on. It lasts all day this way (although I have yet to experience it in hot weather, it's quite cold in nyc right now). This was 19-ish dollars at Duane Reade but I have seen it at TJMaxx in gift sets that were super cheap and came with several fullsize TheBalm products! Unfortch all the ones at my TJ were tampered with and I couldn't bring myself to buy something that god knows whose fingers were in. I have the color nude, although I usually buy concealer lighter, but the lighter shade is pinky and this one is yellowey like me. I would totally buy again, it should last forever so the price is no big deal. I do wish it was in a tube, but I guess you can't get everything you want haha
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Liquid -Kat Von D - Lock-It
amanda311 10/22/2012 10:27:00 PM
I got a sample of this with a recent Sephora purchase and even though the shade wasn't a perfect match it wasn't too far off either so I used it for two days. After washing my face and applying Caudalie moisturizer I patted this on with my fingers. Well, I wasn't expecting it to have the coverage and texture it has, so I was a little heavy handed the first time and I wasn't wowed- it looked very thick on my face but it covered literally everything in one layer without looking especially cakey, so I was intrigued. The second time I got the application right, I used the bare minimum and just dabbed extra onto visible redness. Perfect, but the color was off enough so that hours and some oxidation later it didn't look quite right. Both times I also used a little mineral powder over it to set which I'm not sure I needed and may have contributed to some shineyness and seperating around 7 hours in. Sooo...I went to Sephora, got matched to the right shade (M52- I think my sample was M54- not yellow enough, too beigy-pink), and tried again. This time to avoid over-oxidation and oilyness I used a mositurizer with oil control- bad idea. The makeup wouldn't apply evenly, just sat on top in streaks and clung to dry, healing spots. Take two with the new sample I applied Caudalie moistuizer with the lightest hand possible, dampened a sponge, tapped on small amounts of foundations and then further blended it with my ring finger. Perfection. I used a sample of Lock-It concealer over still-visible spots and dusted rice powder over veryvery lightly to set. It has not budged and it's 10pm- I've been wearing it since 7am. No severe oxidation, if anything it looks better now than when I first applied. I'm going through a minor breakout but it's likely hormonal (makeup gives me white heads if it breaks me out, pms gives me deep cysts). The spots don't seem aggravated, they're just there, but almost invisible in most lightings because of the coverage and the fact that as it wears it becomes demi-matte, with a slight luminosity. Just don't apply to dry skin and use tads of product and build it as necessary and you should be good. I haven't bought a full-size package but I have seen it and used the pump at Sephora and it seems sturdy and functional, as well as sanitary, and the pump has good control so 5 for packaging. The price seems right because of how little you have to use, but I can see how 40USD might be overkill for some people (it's more than I usually spend, my Clinique Even Better is 30USD). So 3 lippies there. Overall the only con I see is it is difficult to work with, but once yoy figure it out it can be really awesome.
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Eye Shadow -TheBalm - Meet Matt(e) Eyeshadow Palette
amanda311 9/30/2012 7:36:00 PM
I had the realization a few weeks ago that I actually only own like 4 matte eye shadows- a base, a random brown and plummy red I got in Clinique bonuses, and a black and pink in a Tokidoki quad. I guess I'm more or a shimmer and glitter gal. But I do have to admit I like to have a matte crease shade. My lack of matte colors is propbably why I stopped wearing eye shadow during the day- and I'm also pressed for time in the morning lately, but otherwise my eyes look too "done" just for work and class. So I decided to pick up this matte palette. At nearly $40 after tax it loses points with me because the pots are so ittybitty- but at the same time I can't be too sore because it takes so long for me to hit pan lately. The packaging is super cute, but i can trace the fall-out I experienced to the brush that's included. The eyeliner side of the brush is fine, but I find the shadows show up better, and therefore you need less, with a sponge-tip applicator, so I only use the other end for blending. Lastly the colors in this palette lean towards the cool end with the exception of the neutrals so I guess I would have liked a better balance there. Enough griping though, because this palette is actually really great despite those things because I now have the sades I need to have a complete selection. The shadows are buttery and the pigments are lovely and a few of the colors (most notably the tealy-green) are unexpected and cool. Give this a shot but be mindful that if you are very dark the nudes might not show up and of you are very light the highlights might not show up (so that could potentially mean you leave 2 colors unused except for maybe blending).
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Treatments -Avene - Cleanance K
amanda311 9/20/2012 8:05:00 AM
So I got this is the Cleanance Discovery Kit, which included minis of the soapless face wash, the Emulsifier moisturizer, the toner and the mask. I like all the products but besides the face wash this was the one that really stood out. Several months ago I had a reaction to Lorac Natural Finish foundation (such a shame, I really liked it until it broke me out) and I never really healed. No matter what I did my skin kept breaking out worse and worse because other products kept re-irritating my skin and causing it to be bone-dry and scaly. The drying plus the popping (I know, I know) equaled more pimples. I tried everything from BP treatments to special acne washes to raw honey and sea salt scrubs. Eveything that seemed promising eventually proved futile, and I didn't have the money nor the knowledge for expensive treatments as I never had to deal with skin like this before, so I just stopped treating it. It relaxed, but still looked just horrible and I dreaded getting up to wash and make myself up every day. I saw the starter kit for the Cleanance line at Duane Reade (the fancy ones in Manhattan) and for $8 I figured it would be my last resort before taking myself to a derm and doing whatever he said no matter how many chemicals or pills involved. I read reviews for how to use the stuff on here and a few other sites and got to work. The last three days are the first in months I haven't totally hated my face. I washed with the soapless cleanser twice a day, treated with the Cleanance K at night and once in the am the 2nd time I used it, and toned and moisturized the times I didn't use the Cleanance. The second night I was able to use an extractor to get some gunk out and the areas are not tender, peeling, or flaking in the least. My foundation went on smoothly this morning and covered all my hyperpigmentation and redness without concealer for the first time in months, and I've noticed it doesn't wear off as easily. My skin isn't sore or redder than before as it was with other treatments, and I've noticed the K exfoliating healing spots so they don't look aggravated, scabby, and obvious. My only other experience with AHA and BHA was a bad one that aggravated my skin more (think it was a Neutrogena gel) and I was afraid K would do the same. This isn't the case at all, in fact this is the gentlest most effective treatment I ever used. I normally don't have super sensitive acne-prone skin, but it was so damaged it was behaving that way. If your skin is normally like that though I'd say give it a try but use super sparingly because it stings and makes you red upon application. If you use it at night though, by morning the redness is gone and your skin will feel more even after a washing. It's too soon to comment on my hyperpigmentation, but since I have a lot of it I feel I'll notice right away when and if it fades so stay tuned for an edit. In terms of dryness, my usually dry skin is doing ok but I wouldn't use it more than once a day now and definitely not without moisturizing at least in the am. Since the gel feels a little heavy I can't bring myself to put anything more on after it at night, but it absorbs quickly so I would use the Emulsion moisturizer if I had to. I can't comment on the packaging but it's really just a bigger tube than the sample so yay hygenic squeeze tubes. The price is $20 or $21 at Duane Reade (it looks like it's $22 online) so it's more than I've spent on a small tube of treatment but still less than most other effective ones. In conclusion, I'd buy the fullsize after finishing my sample, which I think I could get another 2-3 weeks out of. Definitely give it a shot, nothing works totally over-night but this stuff has done a pretty decent job in only 3 days so I guess it's the closest I can get to my HG :)
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Liquid -Clinique - Even Better Makeup SPF 15
amanda311 9/18/2012 1:17:00 AM
This foundation is okay. They added more shades it seems, because originally I couldn't find one that wasn't too tan or pink. My shade is exact now, Buff, a very fair golden. I applied with my fingers and added a little more over spots that didn't cover completely and didn't need concealer. Some of my flakeyness was still apparent, but not as bad as it was before when I was using the Clinique BB Cream, which I also needed concealer over. I didn't set it with powder, and found it didn't oxidize nor fade, but I only had it on for about 5 hours so I can't comment on super long wearability right now. The finish was matte, with a healthy sheen, not greasy per se, just dewey. It feels light on, and so far I have no tell-tale itchyness that happens when a foundation isn't right for my skin. So far so good. I'll update about whether or not it breaks me out or anything.
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Lemon Juice
amanda311 6/26/2012 10:19:00 PM
My lemon skincare routine: Once every two days or so, or once a day if I'm going through a breakout, I mix lemon juice with a splash of water and then add table sugar until it forms a paste. I use 100% lemon juice not from concentrate, but bottled, that contains lemon oil and a preservative. It's an Italian brand, most bottled juices are from concentrate and they work just as well. I cleanse my face with a simple cleanser with no acne medication in it, and then massage the mixture into my skin, leaving for 5-10 minutes before rinsing. Then I wait a bit while I style my hair or get dressed before I swipe a Dickenson's Witch Hazel and Aloe wipe across my face to neutralize the acid. My skin is baby soft, my pores are tight, and I rarely need moisture, though I occasionally use Neutrogena moisturizer for sensitive skin. Any blemishes I have or that are forming come to head the same day and are flat by the following morning. Any hyperpigmentation is greatly reduced in a weeks time. Flakes are sloughed off and do not reoccur during the day. My makeup retains it's "just done" look for hours. If I don't have time to do my usual routine I just tone with juice on a cottonball. It doesn't sting me much but if you're extremely sensitive I suggest adding a splash of water to the cotton. You don't have to neutralize with anything, but I use the witch hazel wipes because the sugar can leave me sticky. My skin has greatly improved since I began doing this and I rarely use other products to cleanse my skin, as I find even high end ones leave me rough and irritated. After a monster breakout I quit using acne medicated products for good and I don't think I'll ever be going back. My skin has never behaved so well :)
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Scrubs -Simple - smoothing cleansing scrub
amanda311 6/24/2012 10:13:00 AM
I bought this scrub because I'm just getting over a bout of nightmare skin. I'm not sure what caused my massive breakout, but my skin wound up so uneven and tender in the end from being assaulted with products that I just wanted something gentle that would also buff off my dry skin around healing blemishes. Every other scrub has been too harsh, and anything with acne medication in it just brings more and more acne to head. When I first used this scrub I had small raised pimples all along my jaw and flaky skin on my cheeks. After one use the flakes subsided and didn't return and the little pimples diminished. My foundation went on smoother and my skin didn't feel as raw. By the second use I noticed a more polished look to my skin and did not need to use mositurizer (my foundation has moisturizing ingredients so if I'm not flaking I generally skip it to avoid a tacky feeling after applying). I also experienced no redness except for the red acne scars that were already present, and my makeup seemed to cover those much better. The smell was a little off-putting at first, but I guess you can attribute that to no added fragrence. This isn't totally paraben free as others mentioned, but my other products were so loaded with parabens this is a step up. The rice granules aren't densely packed, but they work as evidenced by a serious decrease in my flakes. Another benefit I noticed- no tightness or over-drying. Give this a try if you need a gentle exfoliation, instead of a heavy-duty one.
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Liquid -Clinique - Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup
amanda311 5/28/2012 10:55:00 PM
I used to have this foundation before switching to BB Cream and a few paraben free liquid makeups I've been messing with. I never had terrible acne, but enough to warrant doing something about it (occasional cystic acne, hyperpigmentation). The coverage of this foundation was amazing and I never used concealer over it. On me the finish was very matte, which sometimes emphasized dry spots, which is a serious peeve of mine. Because of the acne medication in it, even if I moisturized at night and in the day, wearing it would bring me back to dry and patchy until I exfoliated and moisturized again. I also had trouble finding a color match, the closest possible one being ever so slightly too pinky for me. Usually I can stand foundation being a bit off if it blends well, but the thickness of this particular one prevented that so I'd usually just powder my neck and jaw to match better. Anyway, I got tired of this and eventually gave up on it even though it did prevent my acne from getting worse. Switching to BBs and paraben free products (now it's been a year) has almost ended my acne problems, so I won't be purchasing this anymore, but if you can find a good color match and don't dry out as easily as I do I'd say there are a lot of pros to this product. No messing with concealers because the coverage is great, it doesn't oxidize or transfer easily (at least it didn't on me), helps with acne, squeeze bottle convenient and lasts forever, and reasonably priced.
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Foundations -LORAC - Natural Performance Foundation
amanda311 5/28/2012 10:02:00 PM
Just goes to show that what works for one person may not work for so many others. I bought this foundation THEN read the reviews, and almost got scared into returning it without even trying it out (lol). I have combo skin that lately has been acting up because I don't react well to an ingredient in a new product I was using. It wasn't so bad at first but i accepted that at this point now my bb cream no longer offers enough coverage. I selected this foundation because the display boasted Free of Parabens! And Ideal for Sensitive Skin! And- even better- Medium to Full Coverage! I paid almost $40 after tax, which is not the most I'd spend on a foundation but also more than usual. Anyway, I was concerned the dry patches on my healing bumps would be obvious and that I'd turn super orange but neither happened!! I was torn between shades 3 and 4 but settled on 4 because it's basically summer here now and I tan pretty easily. Shade 3 just seemed so pinky on me, which is weird because the line is overwhelmingly yellow based. Anyway despite feeling like I made a dumb decision, 4 blended beautifully with my skin and did not oxidize even after 12 hours of wear. I was able to increase the coverage by patting a bit more on any redness, but it still didn't camoflage totally. I put on a dab of Vichy Dermablend (which I use as concealer) and that made the spots invisible. I set with a teeny bit of loose powder over the Vichy and on my T-zone and I looked great- natural, not cakey, and even-toned. I didn't experience the tugging some other reviewers mentioned but maybe that's because I applied it more like I would my bb (force of habit)- dotting on in spots then patting out the spots with my fingertip until even. One pump worked for my whole face, save for the tiny splurt I added to my red spots. The packaging is pretty nice, and I experienced no problems with my pump. I like the plastic even though some say it's cheap. For me I like that it is light-weight. My spots at the end of the day were less angry-looking and I wasn't itchy or anything like makeup tends to make me on humid days. In 85 degree weather and running around at my retail job during a Memorial Day sale I'd say none melted off, which is seriously impressive! If you have combo skin, sensitive skin, yellow undertones and like natural finishes (and don't mind using additional concealer on really dark spots) try this foundation out.
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