Bronzers -BeneFit Cosmetics - HOOLA
anne99415 4/10/2013 10:09:00 PM
I don't wear bronzers too often because my skin is so pale, but I bought this one a few months ago after hearing it was good for pale skin. Unfortunately, it's still too dark for me. I am a bit lighter than MAC NC15 and have much stronger yellow undertones to my skin. I should have realized by looking at it that it would be too dark for me. Color aside, the actual product is mediocre in my opinion. I love my Benefit blushes (I own two) and I find Hoola extremely powdery in comparison. Even gently tapping your brush in makes a lot crumble off and it's such a waste. It does seem slightly orange on my skin as well. The packaging is the usual box that Benefit uses and I really like it. The square container fits nicely in my makeup drawer and doesn't take up as much space as a circular compact would. I'm trying to tan this summer (or at least start trying to self tan) and hopefully I can use this then, but for now I would not repurchase it, especially because it cost $36 CAD. Overall, if you have very pale skin I would strongly recommend skipping this.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Urban Decay - Naked Skin
anne99415 11/23/2012 1:09:00 PM
Originally I liked this but I stopped using it because it just doesn't last on my skin. It also sinks into my pores and looks oily and disgusting. The consistency is just too thin and accentuates any imperfection on my skin. It wears off very quickly but sticks to ny dry patches or pores, so it looks patchy and uneven. It was also very expensive ($40+ CAD). I bought it near the end of the summer, but I couldn't return it because I didn't realize how much I disliked it until I moved back to school (a city with no Sephora). The bottle looks pretty so I just keep it on my counter with my other products but I never use it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Make Up For Ever - Mat Velvet PLUS Matifying Foundation
anne99415 11/23/2012 1:00:00 PM
Even after using up my entire bottle of Mat Velvet, I'm unsure if I would buy again. It has great coverage, and the shade matches my skin perfectly. I can't remember the shade number since I think it i only printed on the box and not the actual product itself, but I believe it is the second lightest shade. I've used this since July and I am just about out now at the end of November. So for the price, I think it does last a reasonable amount of time ($45 CAD for 5 months of product). The bottle is alright, it worked very well until the product got low, now I have to store it upside down or else it is very difficult to get the product to come out. Application is slightly difficult with this as it dries quite quickly. I've tried different makeup brushes, sponges and my fingers, and personally i think it applies best using a stippling brush and working on only one part of your face at a time. You need to really blend this well and apply only a thin layer on well moisturized skin or else it will look cakey. It also really accentuates dry patches, which i am getting more of as winter is approaching. When I used too much, it would also make my skin get oily faster, which is the opposite reason of why I bought this! I have combination skin that gets very oily in the t-zone and I wanted a foundation that will last as I never have time to touch up my makeup throughout the day, and the makeup on my t-zone always wears off or gets cakey quickly. The lasting ability of this is good, provided that you only use a small layer and set with a tiny bit of powder. Normally at the end of a day of university I notice some shininess in my t-zone but nothing I can't deal with. Usually when I notice my reflection or go to the bathroom throughout the day I don't see any shininess though, so the oil doesn't show up until like 8 or 9 hours of wear. So overall this definitely isn't a terrible foundation, but I probably won't repurchase simply because I want to try out some different options and see what I like better.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Garnier - Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream for Dry Skin
anne99415 11/23/2012 12:44:00 PM
I've only been using this for a couple of weeks now, but so far I like this moisturizer more than any other one I've tried! I have combination sensitive skin that is prone to breakouts, and so far it has worked very well for me. I apply it both morning and night. I like that it's very lightweight and absorbs quickly. It leaves my skin smooth, even, and it no longer gets greasy as quickly as it used to with other products. My makeup seems to last longer over it too which is a plus, because I normally get very oily and cakey in my t-zone by the end of the day. Overall I love this moisturizer and would definitely repurchase.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Batiste - Dry Shampoo
anne99415 6/8/2012 3:56:00 PM
I use the tropical scented one and I love it! I have fine, straight, oily hair that I used to wash every day. I heard that it is better to wash your hair every other day and I wanted to try that since I plan to colour my hair in the near future, but my hair tends to get oily by the end of the day. I bought this after reading good reviews online. I'm glad I got it! It really helps me keep my hair looking and feeling clean for a second day, plus I love the scent. I do have quite dark brown hair, and this can leave a white residue on my roots, even after brushing it out. I find that it does go away eventually though. I'm not using it right now because the Klorane dry shampoos were on sale and I decided to pick up a couple bottles of those. I would definitely buy it again though, because it's inexpensive and I go through a bottle pretty quickly.
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Treatments -Organix - Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum
anne99415 6/8/2012 2:31:00 PM
I've been using this serum for a few months now, and in conjunction with the Moroccan Argan Oil from the same brand for the last two months. This smells amazing and I find the smell lingers in my hair for a while after application (which I love). It also does exactly what it claims - helps prevent breakage. I've been growing out my hair for about 10 months now without cutting it, and I have very minimal damage to my ends. I apply it every time I wash my hair, which is every other day. I apply VERY little (half a pump or less) to my fine, straight hair, because too much can make your hair very sticky and oily. This makes a bottle last forever, and I still have so much left after months. I think I paid $8CAD for the bottle. If I ever run out, I would probably buy again!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Urban Decay - Naked Palette
anne99415 5/6/2012 1:19:00 AM
This palette has all of the colours I would ever need, for day or night. I just bought this recently and I have been loving it. I already have the Urban Decay Primer Potion, so I tucked the little bottle away for when I run out. All of these shadows are pigmented (well, any eyeshadow is pigmented on my super pale skin), and over the primer potion, extremely long wearing. I like to mix it up and try different combinations, but so far I really like Sin on the lids, Smog in the crease and Virgin as a highlight. I like to put a little bit of Creep over my MAC fluidline. It helps it last extra long and also gives it a bit of subtle sparkle. At $60CAD, this is a bit of a splurge, but when you break it down, it's like paying only $5 for each shadow and then getting a free brush (which is very high quality!). I do wish that they still put the eyeliner in the palette instead of the brush, but I like the brush nonetheless. Overall this is an amazing product and I would definitely buy it again (if I ever run out of all of this eyeshadow!)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Lustre in See Sheer
anne99415 5/2/2012 12:08:00 AM
This is my perfect everyday lipstick. I went to a MAC store and asked for a lipstick that was close to the natural colour of my lips, only brighter. I naturally have a pretty bright coral colour to my lips, which is further accentuated by how pale I am. The sales rep gave me See Sheer and a couple others to try out (can't remember the specific names, but one was too orange and the other too pink). It was such a close match to my natural lip colour just a tiny bit brighter, which is exactly what I was looking for! The finish is also great, not completely matte but not glossy. Perfect, natural everyday lipstick.
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Eye Primer -Urban Decay - Eyeshadow Primer Potion - Original (UDPP)
anne99415 5/1/2012 11:51:00 PM
This is amazing! I always kind of thought an eyelid primer was just a gimmick and didn't really do anything... but one of my friends had this stuff and I was curious about it so I thought I'd give it a try. I originally saved all of the packaging and the receipt because at $24CAD it was a bit of an investment. I was so wrong about eyeshadow primers! Usually my eyeshadows crease and my eyeliner and mascara smudge underneath my eye. Since I started using this my makeup doesn't budge all day! I've never had to fix my eye makeup even after a full day of work. Plus the colour payoff of all of my eyeshadows is so much better. A little of the primer potion goes a long way, so even though the initial investment was quite a bit, I feel like this tube is going to last me a long time! And I definitely will repurchase!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Scrubs -Neutrogena - Deep Clean Gentle Scrub
anne99415 5/1/2012 11:44:00 PM
I wish this could work for me, since it is a great exfoliator and makes your skin feel very smooth, but I think I'm allergic to one of the ingredients in it. When I used this product, my skin was normal at the time, and a little on the oily side. After I used this for the first time, my skin felt amazing. It was so soft and smooth and seemed neither oily nor dry. However, a few minutes later it started feeling a little bumpy. When I woke up the next morning, my skin was fully covered in a bumpy, red, itchy rash. If it had given me acne I would have kept using it, because I know that purging is completely normal when using a new product. Developing a rash is quite a bit different! I looked at the ingredients after (probably should have done that before using it...) and I found out that it has Salicylic acid in it, which always causes my skin to react. I still gave it a 3 because for a few minutes before the salicylic acid started reacting with my skin, it was incredibly smooth and soft.
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Eyeliner -MAC - MAC Powerpoint eyeliner
anne99415 4/8/2012 12:36:00 PM
I have this eyeliner in stubborn brown, and I think I'm onto my third pencil (second or third). If you look through my other reviews, you'll see that I don't switch up my products too often, I tend to get lazy and go with what I've tried before, unless I have a really terrible experience with one. I actually really like this eyeliner but I find this pencil slightly dry. Application is decently smooth but it will sometimes stick a little bit. I do love the colour though (very natural on me - it is literally the exact same colour as my hair), and the staying power. It lasts all day on me without smudging (I don't have super oily eyelids though). It is kind of expensive, but it lasts forever which might be why mine is a little dry.
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Liquid -L'Oreal - True Match Super-Blendable Makeup SPF 17
anne99415 4/8/2012 12:27:00 PM
I've used this foundation for a while, mostly since I rarely buy new foundations at the risk of irritating my sensitive, acne-prone skin. I don't use this everyday because I actually think my skin looks better without it. It tends to look very cakey, even with very light, careful application. I only use it on days where my skin is very broken out everywhere. Mostly my breakouts are confined to my chin, so I'll just use concealer there instead of making my entire face look powdery and cakey. The colour is nice, and since the foundation is so liquidy it is very easy to blend, but it just doesn't look good on my skin. I also think that it may have contributed to my breakouts. Overall, not a good product.
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Lip Gloss -Bonne Bell - Dr. Pepper lipsmackers
anne99415 4/8/2012 12:21:00 PM
I LOVE this lip balm. It's super cheap, moisturizing, smells great and leaves a great tint on your lips that can be made very sheer or dramatic depending on what you are looking for. My lips are naturally kind of an ashy-rosy colour (I guess just normal lip colour? haha) and when I put a little bit of this on it enhances the rosiness which looks very good on my fair skin. It doesn't last super long but it's okay because it's so cheap, and I'm fine reapplying throughout the day. I have at least two of these at all times, one in my makeup bag and one in my purse!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Pressed Powders -Maybelline - Dream Matte Pressed Powder
anne99415 4/8/2012 12:14:00 PM
Pros: - Very mattifying - Sheer coverage - Doesn't turn orange - Natural colour (not overly peachy, pink or yellow. I have Light 4-5 and it is a very neutral beige which is perfect for my skin) - Doesn't break out skin - Inexpensive (maybe $10-15 CAD? depending on where you buy it) Cons - Sheer coverage (if you are looking for a fuller coverage powder foundation) - Drying (not too good to use in winter) - Package is weird, I don't like that the top flips and the bottom twists. It's confusing! Overall, a great powder for oily skin, or any type of skin in the summer, and I will definitely repurchase.
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Powder -MAC - Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation
anne99415 4/8/2012 12:03:00 PM
I went through at least 2 of these powders... I have no idea why. It oxidized on my skin and broke me out like crazy. I had the unfortunate experience of wearing this for my high school graduation photos last year, and I freaked out when I got the pictures back. I looked completely orange and shiny in all of them, It was horrible. I found that my skin actually produced more oil when I wore this, and it caused me to develop acne in places where I almost never get it (most of my breakouts are confined to my chin, and it's very rare for me to have a breakout on my forehead. I would always break out on my forehead when wearing this, Since I stopped last summer, I've only had maybe one or two small whiteheads on my forehead) I switched to Maybelline's Dream Matte Powder when I decided that I was sick of the MAC powder and I haven't bought a different powder since!
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