Polishes -Unlisted Brand - Scotch Naturals - Water Colors nail polish
anna214 10/3/2011 3:41:00 AM
I stopped using regular nail polishes after I realised they were making my nails split. I was also worried about all the chemicals in regular polishes - even the 3-Free ones have a lot of toxic stuff in them. I was sceptical of the water-based nail polishes I'd seen, as they were a pain to apply and seemed to chip off immediately anyway. I heard Scotch Naturals were meant to be salon-quality and I missed having colourful nails so I gave it a try and I'm so glad I did! The polish is indeed top quality and provided you apply it properly it lasts well. It's even easier to apply than regular nail polish - it's thinner so it spreads easily and you can fix up gaps without wrecking the bit you just painted. It has a slight smell if you put your nose right up to the bottle but you can hardly smell it and it's nowhere near as bad as conventional polish (and nontoxic!). And, joy of joys, my nails aren't splitting! :D So far I've tried Neat, a gorgeous pink beige, and Kiltlifter, a true red, and love them both. Both were nearly opaque at 2 (thin) coats and properly opaque at 3 (and note that a thin coat in this polish is even thinner than regular polishes - it spreads over the nail so easily you can coat it with very little). The colour selection is amazing - I literally want them all!
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -NARS - Nico
anna214 10/3/2011 3:29:00 AM
This is a great product for adding a glow to dull skin - it's undetectable but the difference it makes is big! When I first opened it I was worried about the sparkles I could see in the pan but they truly don't show on the skin. Nor does this seem to accentuate my pores unlike almost every other highlighter I've tried. Will re-buy this again and again!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -MAC - Pink Cult
anna214 10/3/2011 3:27:00 AM
This is a lovely colour for my skintone (NC25). I feel like it doesn't really last on me though - I can hardly see it after lunchtime. Very subtle, very natural, very pretty!
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Blush -MAC - Sheertone blush in Tenderling
anna214 10/3/2011 3:25:00 AM
I was looking for a nude cheek colour and the SA suggested this. It's downright beautiful on my NC25 skin - it works really well with my golden/olivey undertones. And it's so natural, just perfect for no-makeup looks. I'm in love!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Wedge Eyeshadow
anna214 10/3/2011 3:22:00 AM
This is the most multitasking product I own! I use it to contour my cheekbones (perfect for NC25ish skin), as a crease colour for my eyes and to fill in my brows. This is the only shadow I would buy 100 pots of if it were discontinued.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -MAC - #129 Powder/Blush Brush
anna214 10/3/2011 3:16:00 AM
I use this brush every day for applying powder blush. It's definitely the best brush I've used, but lately I find it's become scratchy so I'm on the hunt for a softer one.
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Makeup Brushes -NARS - Botan Brush
anna214 10/3/2011 3:13:00 AM
Firstly I'll say I bought this for a great deal on ACW, and only ended up paying about $AU30 for it. However I love it so much that if it went missing I would probably pay the full price for it (American not Australian - I could never spend that much on a brush). I use this to apply powder foundation (Nude by Nature) and it's perfect. It looks completely natural. I also use it to buff the edges of my blush. The main difference between my makeup before and after getting the Botan is the finish - I end up with a much more natural look. I've only washed it once so far and it did bleed and shed a lot but it hasn't shed on my face. It took about 3-4 days to dry completely after washing which is a bit of a pain. Mine isn't scratchy at all, but it's not super soft, either. I expect it to get softer after more washing, though.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -MAC - #210 Precise Eye Liner (Fine Point)
anna214 10/3/2011 3:05:00 AM
I tried using this for gel liners after finding my angle brush too thick for my liking. It draws a nice fine line but it's so flimsy, it flicks around easily and draws an uneven line if you're not extremely careful (and lucky!). Also, it's hard to get even pressure because the brush tip is so long. I tried a 211 and voila! Same thin line, no flicking. Pity it's LE!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Unlisted Brand - Manicare - Artiste Stippling Brush 17
anna214 10/3/2011 3:00:00 AM
I bought this to use for my more pigmented blushes. I chose it primarily because it was cheap but also because I have been pretty happy with the quality of this brand's eye brushes so I expected similar quality in this brush. It's alright but the quality is definitely less - it sheds all over the place, especially when it's washed. But I can deal with that for powder blush - it would probably be more annoying if I was using it to apply foundation. I've been pretty happy with it but I don't use it very often - if I needed to I would probably upgrade. But for now, this does the job just fine.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Unlisted Brand - Manicare Eyelash Curlers
anna214 10/3/2011 2:55:00 AM
What a bargain! I originally bought this cheapie thinking I'd upgrade to something better later, but I'm so pleased with it I've never bought another one. It gives a good curl if you "walk" it up the lashes gently but it can pinch if you get the angle wrong. I seriously doubt anything could do the job better enough to justify spending 4X as much on it!
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Brows -MAC - Impeccable Brow Pencil
anna214 10/3/2011 2:48:00 AM
I use this in Dirty Blonde. It's good - it looks pretty natural and as far as I've noticed it lasts all day. You can also layer this for a more striking look.
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Skincare - Face -Jurlique - Herbal Recovery Gel
anna214 10/3/2011 2:45:00 AM
I don't know what I think about this product. I got it as a GWP and I quite like it - it feels nice and the idea that I'm improving my skin rather than just caring for it is also nice. But I haven't actually noticed a difference and the price is phenomenal. I plan to test this by only applying it to one side of my face for a week or two and see if it makes a difference, I'll update this once I do!
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Treatments (Eye) -Jurlique - Herbal Recovery Eye Cream
anna214 10/3/2011 2:42:00 AM
I use this in the morning, and the Eye Gel at night. I love them both. Both are very hydrating but the gel has a "tightening" feeling that the cream doesn't. The texture is perfect - it sinks into the skin quickly and feels great. As with all things from Jurlique, the smell is gorgeous.
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Moisturizers -Jurlique - Balancing Day Care Cream
anna214 10/3/2011 2:39:00 AM
Sigh. After using all the samples a lovely SA gave me (2 weeks' worth) I bit the bullet and forked out for the large size of this. It's wonderful. I initially preferred the Soothing lotion because it sank into the skin quicker but really, this just takes a few minutes. It smells heavenly and it's perfect for my skin - moisturising but not so much to make me oily. Expensive, but so worth it. Aussies - if your health fund has a partnership with particular pharmacies to give you a discount on everything there, check if they stock Jurlique. Many do - mine gets me 20% off!
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Pressed Powders -MAC - Select Sheer Pressed Powder
anna214 10/3/2011 2:30:00 AM
I wear powder foundation so I only use this to set my undereye concealer - it works great for that as long as you work the powder into the bristles of whatever brush you use (I prefer to pat it on with a flat foundation brush) on the back of your hand first.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No