Concealers -Cover FX - Conceal FX Camouflage Concealer 
ankhgrl49 8/9/2012 8:23:00 PM
Very, very disappointed in this. Color was fine, I got the lightest. Yes, it is dark in the package but it adjusts very well, perfectly, really. That wasn't the problem, it was actually the only plus; the downsides to this product were as follows: did not stay put and faded over the course of the day, the texture mutated on me and as such the price was ridiculous for a rather bad product. When I first bought it, it was more liquidy than I was used to but I could still work with it. Instead of a brush I tapped it on with my fingers where I needed a bit of extra coverage and set with powder. As I said I found it faded throughout the day. I decided to try and keep working with it, however. Over time though I found that the texture became more and more liquidy to the point where it is now simply a runny mess; it is actually more liquidy than my liquid foundation, which is ridiculous seeing as it is concealer. I tried shaking the tube to see if that would help but no dice. I'm about to toss out most of the tube because I have no real further use for it. I might stick it in the fridge to see if that helps. Packaging was fine and functional and the amount you get is good, I wouldn't complain about the price if not for the abysmal performance of the product. I went out and bought another tube of Makeup Forever's Full Cover Concealer, I'm sorry I ever strayed.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -St. Ives - Daily Hydrating Vitamin E Body Lotion
ankhgrl49 3/1/2012 1:31:00 PM
I was using Johnsons & Johnsons Vitamin E and I liked it a lot and gave it a good review, but I found in the winter it wasn't thick enough. I picked up this stuff after trying and loving the Vitamin E body wash (which is fantastic) and I love this as well. Texture is thick and creamy but still easy to spread. I don't need much and it sinks in very quickly. Scent is light and refreshing and won't compete with perfumes. Keeps me nice and moisturized all day. I think the Vitamin E is also doing it's job because I had a random psoriasis spot pop up on my collarbone a month ago after a lovely bout of intense stress and after applying a bit extra directly to the spot it faded within 3 weeks. That really impressed me and sold me. Will it work on a big outbreak or cure it? Nah, probably not, but for me the fact that it worked on a spot like that was a great sign that this is a great moisturizer. Also cheap and found easily AND it has a pump. Love.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Matte lipstick in Mauve It Over
ankhgrl49 1/15/2012 10:55:00 AM
On turning 30 I noticed that more and more I was moving away from gloss and was more into lipstick. I just feel like it is more flattering and less high maintenance than gloss. Of all of the lipsticks that i have tried this one is my holy grail every day one, the one that goes on easily, feels good, stays put, goes with everything and gives me a great natural MLBB look. Wearing it makes my lips look full and healthy and it gives me a very polished and pretty look. I am very fair (NW15) and worried at first that it might be too orange on me, but honestly it's a great pinky-brown. I will say that this could turn orange on some ladies; you can't be sure until you try it on, but luckily many stores have great return policies, so you're not risking too much. Price is good, packaging is attractive and simple. It can be drying, which is why I make sure to swipe on some balm first, once I do that I'm good to go. Wear time is fantastic in my opinion, I get a good 5 hours out of it. Just a great product that gives a wonderful sophisticated look that I adore. I actually bought a back up.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -L'Oreal - Visible Lift Serum Absolute Advanced Age-Reversing Makeup
ankhgrl49 9/15/2011 8:42:00 PM
I really am enjoying this foundation. It goes on so well with my stippling brush, it's smooth and creamy and gives a very nice matte medium coverage; it's also very buildable. I haven't broken out or experienced any clogging of pores, however my skin is not overly sensitive or oily. The color match is great (I wear the lightest shade, 134, I am NW15 or so). I notice no sinking into lines or fading, at the end of the day my makeup looks just as good as when I applied it. Price is on the higher side for drug store, but you can always be on the lookout for coupons. ;) I don't buy into the lifting BS and I don't rely on the SPF, I like this for the fact that it's a great drug store foundation that doesn't break the bank. I like the packaging, pumps are always good. Thanks to MUA for helping me find this, I never would have tried it otherwise.
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Skincare - Body -Palmers - Skin Smoothing Lotion with AHA/BHA
ankhgrl49 7/26/2011 5:15:00 PM
This stuff is AWESOME. I tried Paula's Choice smoothing lotion first, it was $25 bucks and it worked alright. I tried this stuff next because for $25 bucks I expected the Paula's Choice crap to work better and to last me longer than 2 months (I only used it on my arms, butt and bikini line to try and make it last longer). This stuff, on the other hand, is a quarter of the price, smells better and, most importantly, works MUCH better. I also can use it all over because I'm not trying to conserve it due to price. Packaging is better too. It has cleared up my KP on my arms and body blemishes almost entirely and I'm thrilled. You have to be consistent though, I use it twice a day religiously every day. Wonderful, will be buying as long as they keep making it (which I hope is forever).
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Lipstick -Chanel - Rouge Coco in Mademoiselle 05
ankhgrl49 5/14/2011 11:31:00 AM
I bought this as a little treat for myself because, yes, it is expensive; but it is a gorgeous lipstick. I'm NW15 and on me it's a beautiful deep pink/rose color. My lips are pigmented and this is their color jacked up to 11. It makes me look sophisticated and polished and brings out my brown eyes. It enhances my face instead of taking it over, but is still noticeable if that makes any kind of sense. I like to wear it with NARS All About Eve and a bit of brown liner on my eyes and a soft peach on my cheeks. With this added to it I feel like I look polished and pretty without trying too hard. I've applied with a brush and straight out of the tube and both work wonderfully as the lipstick is smooth and creamy and glides on. Staying power is really good, about 5 hours for me with even fading. I still had some color left. I didn't notice any drying to my lips either. The case is elegant and beautiful, of course. I think this would be flattering to many skintones, but would suggest you try the color out if you can as it appears the color can change depending on who is wearing it. Price is expensive, but like i said it's good quality for the money as I could see using this color for any time of day for either casual or work looks. Glad I got it and would buy again.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Moon Drops Creme - Blase Apricot 702
ankhgrl49 4/30/2011 10:50:00 PM
I had no idea what was hiding in the Revlon display with these, the moon drops lipsticks are absolutely fantastic with bright colors in a creamy, non-drying formula. This one in particular is wonderful, I'm NW15 and this gorgeous coral is bright enough to make a statement but not too bright that I can't wear it during the day. It's a great balance of pink and orange. The formula is, as I said, creamy and applies easily and beautifully. There is no feathering and it fades evenly. Lasting power was about 5 hours before I noticed any visible fading. Once in awhile I applied balm, but overall my lips never felt dry or patchy like they do with say MAC lipsticks. Yes, there is a perfumey smell, but it faded rather quickly in my opinion. Be aware though that these do smell. Price is wonderful for what you get and there are always coupons and buy 1 get 1 deals. Packaging is cute, I dig the green and gold. Wonderful product and I will buy again, this is HG for me for sure.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Revlon - Orange Flip
ankhgrl49 4/27/2011 10:56:00 AM
What a great find! I never would have found this or bought it if not for MUA. I know orange is the big trend right now for summer and I never, ever thought that I could rock the color (I'm NW15), but thanks to this awesome lipstick, I can! It is a gorgeous bright and vivid orange that I think most ladies could rock, I also find that it's a bit less harsh than red and thus easier to wear during the day, as well as something special to use at night. Application is a dream, goes on smooth, creamy and evenly; I didn't even need a lip brush. Wear time is great and it doesn't feather on me. This is not drying at all unlike many other vivid colored lipsticks (such as the Revlon Mattes or many MAC lipsticks that I have tried). The smell is a tad strong, but it reminds me of my grandmother and great-aunt (in a good way! For me it brings back my earliest memories of having fun with makeup). The smell also wears off quickly. Packaging is cute, I dig the green and gold. Price is slightly high for a drug store lipstick, but the quality is wonderful. I wear this with some winged black liquid liner and a soft peachy-pink cream blush. Just gorgeous and I wil definitely be checking out more from the Moondrops line. I would totally buy this again.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -Too Faced - Naked Eye Kit
ankhgrl49 4/21/2011 8:46:00 PM
had heard this was like the Naked Palette (which I also have and like very much) for fairer folk. I had a 15% off coupon a few months ago for VIB at Sephora so I decided to give it a whirl. I wanted to love it, I'm not impressed. The shadows themselves are kinda chalky in my opinion and not that pigmented. I felt like I really had to pack it on even though I did use a good primer. Also I felt like the colors themselves didn't go on as they looked in the pan. For instance, when I used the first 3 shadows (In the Buff, Pillow Talk and Like a Virgin) they looked white, greyish-taupe and brown respectively, yet when applied and blended they appeared to be a muddy purple. I asked my friend what the colors appeared to be applied on my eyes and was told a light purplish-grey. Likewise for me the black applied chalky and greyish. If I'm NW15 and having this issue I can't even imagine how it would work for someone who is of a darker complexion, but I think most gals know by now that this palette works better for paler people. It's not an awful product, just not worth $35 bucks plus tax. I find that Wet and Wild shadows even apply better and have a richer pigment than these. The packaging is also cute but bulky and unnecessary. I've had this for about 4 months now and I've made myself use it, but I forget I have it and have to force myself to reach for it. Generally that isn't the sign of the greatest product. I would definitely not buy again and will probably gift this to one of my friends who will hopefully enjoy it more
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -L'Oreal - Colour Riche in Fairest Nude
ankhgrl49 3/28/2011 6:32:00 PM
I am NW15 and had read in Allure that this was the best nude lipstick for us fairer folk and I have seen this come up for review time and again on this site. I had a bit of trouble tracking it down (it was sold out at the first two stores I tried), but I took that as a sign that it is as good as everyone claims. It is definitely one of the few lipsticks that enables me to pull off a great nude look without making me look dead, chalky or as if I have smeared concealor on my lips. The color is pinkish beige with cool undertones. It is awesome for casual looks when you just want to look polished as well as for when you want a quiet lip that won't compete with heavy eyes. Application is good, feels a little thick going on, but once on it feels smooth and doesn't sink into lines. Lasting power for me was about 4 hours, not bad, especially for someone who is notorious for rubbing her lips together. One drawback I find is that it can be drying so I either apply my Carmex over it or use a gloss. I just got the L'oreal Colour Riche one in light pink and it looks really fantastic and just bumps up the gorgeousness of the lipstick itself. Another drawback (as others have noted) is the smell: it is the strong perfumey L'Oreal lipstick smell I'm sure many know. It is rather strong when you first apply, but it quickly dies down and goes away. Still, if you are sensitive to smells this might not work for you. Price was high for drugstore in my opinion, about 9 bucks or so, I'm sure if you're a good shopper and pay attention to sales and coupons you could probably snag it for cheaper. I will be buying this again if I run out.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -NARS - Cream Blush in Penny Lane
ankhgrl49 3/13/2011 12:10:00 PM
I'm glad I listened to the reviews. After trying several NARS powder blushes (Desire, Sex Appeal, Torrid, Luster) I broke down and shelled out the money to try this lovely. At almost 30 bucks it is expensive, but it is absolutely gorgeous. I wanted to try out NARS cream blushes and decided that this one looked the least intimidating and would also be my best bet for a good every day look (I am NW15 or so). It looks lovely, a nudish pink with a bit of peach in it and when I apply it I notice that it also has this lovely glow to it that makes me not even want to use a highlighter afterwards. Application is a dream, so far I have only used my fingers, but I'm going to see how it does with my stippling brush, too. It is impossible to overapply as the color is so gentle and natural looking. It is so easy to just tap a bit on for a quick pick-me-up. At the same time I don't know how this would look on dark skin, I would imagine it wouldn't show up very well. Staying power is fantastic (I do set with powder, MUFE HD) and the color does not fade. I also don't need much to achieve the look I want, so I would imagine this will last me a very long time. Also great for a low key polished look or if you want a stronger eye or lip, it won't compete. I would buy again and am now excited to try Cactus Flower next this summer when I want something brighter. Good stuff!
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Mascara -Maybelline - Full 'N Soft Mascara Waterproof
ankhgrl49 1/30/2011 6:28:00 PM
I have been using this for about a year now and it is a wonderful everyday mascara when I'm doing a more casual look (for a more striking look I use Too Faced's Lash Injection, which I have also reviewed). My lashes are pretty good on their own and this does a wonderful job of enhancing them. I find that this mascara does exactly what it says; which is provides a lovely fringe of full lashes that are not crunchy or spidery looking. This works best for providing volume and it holds a curl wonderfully, but for those looking for length I would not recommend this.It is not overly wet or tough to work with so I find that I can easily build it up with multiple coats if I so desire. When I purchased it I accidentally bought the black-brown color and didn't realize it until I got home, but that was fine since I intended to use it for lower key looks anyway. The color is indeed brown-black, meaning that it's not quite as harsh as the black but does a very good job of defining and darkening my lashes. In terms of being waterproof I can say that for the most part it does it's job well, although it can smudge slightly once in awhile. It stays put perfectly for the most part, however. There is, however, absolutely no flaking. Removal is also a breeze. The brush is medium sized and easy to work with. Price is great and it goes on sale often. Overall, wonderful product and I will totally repurchase.
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Eye Shadow -Stila - Ebony Eyeshadow
ankhgrl49 1/12/2011 6:34:00 PM
This stuff doesn't get enough love, it is fantastic. Beautiful true black, not grey, but black. Matte, but has some depth. Versatile, you can use in the creation of a smokey eye in just the crease or as a wash on the entire lid or you can use it as a liner, wet or dry. I love using a black pencil or gel liner and then going over it with this. Stays put, doesn't fade with a primer (I personally use UDPP). I paid $18 for it a few years ago, but I'm sure you can find it for cheaper. Will last me forever (has lasted me forever), but would buy again. Check it out, Stila does make some great eyes shadows.
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Mascara -L'Oreal - Waterproof Voluminous Carbon Black
ankhgrl49 12/18/2010 2:47:00 PM
It looked fine on, lashes looked lengthened and nice and black, but within an hour smudges galore. I used eye makeup remover, cold cream and washed my face and I still was removing the remnants the next morning. Really let down and definitely not trying again.
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Lotions/ Creams -Johnson & Johnson - Baby Lotion with Aloe Vera & Vitamin E
ankhgrl49 12/15/2010 11:52:00 AM
Got this on reccomendation from the skincare board here on MUA. Wonderful lotion, I use after I get out of the shower and it smells soft and lovely, absorbs well and moisturizes all day. I find that it's wonderful for my freshly shaven (sensitive!) legs; I never get red bumps or irritation when I use this. Very soothing overall. It was great for summer, the winter has just begun so we'll see if I need something heavier, but for now it's doing very well. Good price, I got the bigger one and it lasts me quite awhile. Good stuff, I'll be using it for the foreseeable future.
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