Eye Makeup Remover -Wet 'n' Wild - eye make-up remover
astronaut 2/13/2012 3:42:00 AM
I wanted something cheap just to use to remove my eyeshadow fallout that's more effective than using plain water. I saw this for only 99 cents and thought that a makeup remover that's effective enough to just remove a little bit of eyeshadow shouldn't be hard to make. I've been using this for a while to remove my fall out and it does remove it, but every time I am at the step in my makeup routine where I am about to remove the fall out, I think to myself, "I hate this step". Yet I never really put much thought into it for some reason. It wasn't until someone asked me how I liked the remover did I actually think about it and realized that I hate the strong smell, and it stings my skin. I guess it's because I've always used those bi-layered eye makeup removers so I thought that it was just the nature of these kinds of removers and my skin was sensitive. Apparently everyone else seems to be experiencing the same problem with the smell and the stinging/burning sensation. Even though this product is only 99 cents, I would much rather have 99 cents to spend on Cheetos or something.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -NARS - Eurydice
astronaut 2/15/2011 7:42:00 PM
I'm sad to say this but I was pretty disappointed in this product. It looked amazing when I swatched it at the store with my finger. When I brought it home and tried applying the purple with a brush, it looked like an eggplant wine colour which I'm not crazy about. I'm not one to shy away from colour AT ALL so I truly mean it when I say it makes me look like I was socked in the eye. I really want to make it work so I'm going to try to get Too Faced glitter glue or another NARS cream shadow that I can layer underneath...
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -FairyDrops - FAIRYDROPS Mascara
astronaut 2/12/2011 5:28:00 AM
Wow what a disappointment. I expected so much more from "Japan's #1 mascara". I have straight lashes that point downward, a common problem among many Asian women. Curl is very important to me. Length isn't going to do any good if it just points outwards instead of up. I curled my lashes, applied the mascara and it instantly weighed them down taking away my curl. I did like the shape of the brush and it also didn't make my lashes feel crunchy. The packaging is also cute...
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Liquid -Make Up For Ever - Mat Velvet PLUS Matifying Foundation
astronaut 2/12/2011 2:21:00 AM
This has been the only product that made a noticeable difference with my insanely oily teenage skin. I was VERY oily and was desperate so I used any mattifier I could get my hands on and even tried the Milk of Magnesia home remedy (which felt like my skin was burning...) I wear this foundation when I know I'm going to have a long rough day lol.
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Primer/ Corrector -Hourglass - Veil Mineral Primer SPF 15
astronaut 2/12/2011 2:12:00 AM
This is the best primer I have ever tried and I've tried quite a few. Laura Mercier, Philosophy, Smashbox regular and light, Urban Decay, Makeup Forever, Hard Candy, Monistat gel, Laura Geller. I feel like I've tried all the popular ones and this is the only primer that stood out and was different from the rest. It is very runny which is great because it's easy to spread throughout the face to ensure you have a thin layer on. It's a liquid but feels like silk when you put in on the skin. Foundation applies much more effortlessly, my makeup stays fresh longer, it slightly controls my oil, and the extra SPF is very much appreciated. The only problem is that it's freaking expensive! Dang Hourglass! Their prices are sometimes higher than Chanel! However this is the best that I've tried so it's worth it to me.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -MAC - Fluidline Eyeliner - All Colors
astronaut 2/12/2011 2:05:00 AM
One lippie for their packaging and reasonable price. I must admit that they have the best packaging for gel/cream liners since the caps screw on very effortlessly. Aside from that, I think the fluidlines are one of the worst gel liners that you can get. It's really soft and liquid like which is nice to work with but it applies very sheer! I can see my skin underneath the liner after one swipe. I do not want to go over it with additional swipes. Bobbi Brown, Stila (on the dry side), Physicians Formula, Loreal HIP, Clinique all make liners that are better that fluidlines although my favs are from Clinique and BB.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Physicians Formula - Eye booster eyeliner + serum
astronaut 2/12/2011 1:48:00 AM
Get this now! I've been using the Kat Von D tattoo liner and loved it until I realized it was making my eyelids itchy. I've been looking for another liquid liner pen ever since and have searched high and low. My criteria for a pen liner is that it has to be a brush, no felt tip which many are. Aside from the Kat Von D, I found Dior and Shiseido that had the brush tip. I'm familiar with the Shiseido and knew that it faded and the Dior was just too expensive at 30 something dollars. Somehow I ran into this liner. It was exactly what I was looking for and as a bonus it was cheap! It retails at around the $11 mark and as with many other drugstore products, it often goes on sale so it could cost ~$5-6 if you had buy one get one. It has a brush tip slightly less firm than the Kat Von D one. I haven't been using it long enough to know if my skin reacts to it but that's my problem. It applies very opaque and boy does it last! I had a swatch on my hand and it survived numerous hand washings with hand soap, a shower, 1 hour of cardio, 1 hour of strength training, and a shower. It's still on my hand, not as bold as it was fresh, but it is very obvious it's still on. You'd have to use eye makeup remover to get it off. I noticed that all of the brands that have liquid liners that have a brush tip are made in Japan regardless of where they manufacture their other products. This is also made in Japan and I've never seen a drugstore item that was made there. I've only seen US and China. I have no problem buying high end stuff so I really mean it when I say that this product is on par with the department store stuff if not better!
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Kat Von D - Tattoo Liner
astronaut 12/25/2010 4:19:00 AM
*I took off one lippie because I reacted to this product, but that's my problem. It made my eyelids itchy. With my reaction aside, I really loved this product. I liked that it was a brush tip instead of felt, it was very opaque (black shade "trooper"), and lasted a very very long time. I was very bummed out because I loved this liner. I tried looking for something just like it and I ran into the Physicians formula one. I recommend you guys try it out because it's exactly the same as the KVD and as a bonus it's less expensive! It is made in Japan just like the KVD one. *UPDATE on Feb 13, 2012 I've been able to find eyeliners that performed pretty similar to the KVD liner but none of them ever matched up. The KVD liner was much more "juicy" and glided on easier compared to the other liners. So, despite going through a skin reaction the last time I used the KVD liner, I went ahead and gave it a second shot. It no longer makes my eyes itch! I don't know what it was; I think that maybe it was because I was using an antibiotic cream on my face at the time? It was odd that the itchiness occurred exactly near the lash line wear I applied my liner though. But anyway, I wanted so bad to make this liner work for me that I was willing to risk another allergic reaction in doing so. That pretty much tells you how awesome this liner is.
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Eye Makeup Remover -Victoria's Secret - Take It All Off Eye Makeup Remover
astronaut 3/13/2010 3:02:00 AM
I got this at the Victoria's Secret Semi Annual sale for only $2.50. I've used bilayer eye makeup removers from Lancome, Neutrogena, Clinique, and Clean and Clear and I was really surprised at how much better this makeup remover is. It has two layers but isn't slick like the other brands yet it removes my eyeshadows and waterproof mascaras better! When I use other makeup removers I always have residue of waterproof mascara left over even after soaking multiple cotton balls and I have makeup left over the morning after too. But with the VS makeup remover ALL the eye makeup comes off with just one or maybe two cotton balls. I don't know how they do it! One thing I'm not crazy about is the smell of this remover. It smells really herbal like and when I first used it, the smell made me think that it was something I shouldn't put near my eyes but it hasn't irritated my skin or eyes so it's all good! The original price of this is $10 and I will buy more when I run out because I think that the value is better since I end up using less product in the long run because this is so effective in removing eye makeup.
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Eye Shadow -Sephora - Colorful Mono Eyeshadow - All
astronaut 11/22/2009 4:32:00 AM
NOTE: This is a review for the reformulated Sephora shadows. I have to say that I am very impressed with this line of Sephora eyeshadows. Sephora has definitely stepped up their game ever since they have reformulated their shadows. I have many eye shadows from the most popular brands known for intense color payoff like Makeup Forever (my favorite!), MAC, Urban Decay, and Ben Nye, and these shadows from Sephora can stand amongst them. I actually wish these were around sooner because I would have gotten these instead of some of the other shadows I have now. I noticed that there are some similar shades to the Urban Decay deluxe shadows and I'm actually going to look to see if I still have my receipts so I can exchange them for the Sephora ones! Picnic in the Dark is a dupe for Urban Decay Grass and My Favorite Jeans is a more intense version of UD's Adore. The texture of these are way better than the Urban Decay deluxe shadows. These shadows aren't too hard where you have to dig the brush in to get product and it's not too soft either where you get the product crumbling and you are left with a lot of fall out. I ALWAYS wear any eyeshadow I have with an eyeshadow primer so I don't have concerns with the lasting power of these shadows. Not only do primers make eye makeup long lasting, but they also make any shade you use more vibrant. The range of shades is great too. There are plenty of bright and beautiful colours available. I think that Sephora was aiming to be like Makeup Forever's line of colourful shadow when they were recreating the line and I think they did a pretty good job. I personally think Makeup Forever is still the best but the Sephora eyeshadows are admittedly pretty awesome too. I never knew a store brand could be so great!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -L'Oreal - Extra-Intense Liquid Pencil Eyeliner
astronaut 8/8/2009 7:46:00 PM
CONTINUE FOR PHOTOS!!!
Where to buy: Ulta, CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, etc.
Price: ~$8.00-$9.00
Size: 1.10 g
These are just like the Makeup Forever aqua liners or the Urban Decay 24/7 pencils if not better. L’Oreal HIP just came out with some metallic eyeliners as well which I assume are supposed to be comparable to the metallic shades of Urban Decay’s pencil liners. Let me know if you’ve tried those and what you think about them.
I found this eyeliner at Rite Aid and they were having a buy one get one free on L’Oreal products so I decided to give these a go. These are new and aren’t on the site yet. I got the gray and black shades. From the claims on the package, I was expecting a really smooth application with long wear. I was not let down! I was so impressed by how smooth and soft these liners are. They just glide on the skin with very minimal pressure. I waited about 30 seconds for the liner to set and tried rubbing it vigorously and it did not budge! I would label these as monolid/hooded eyelid approved! In the photo, it seems that rubbing the liner caused it to look more shinny but it’s not noticeable in person. Now this doesn’t mean that these are resistant towards oil, so if you have oily lids, consider investing in an eyeshadow primer for longer wear. (I recommend my favorite Too Faced Shadow Insurance or Urban Decay Primer Potion :) )
Something I don’t like about this liner is that it’s in a pencil form. I prefer automatic pencils as I’m too lazy to sharpen pencils, plus it can get a bit messy. But then again, the Makeup Forever and Urban Decay liners aren’t automatic either, so you’re not missing out on anything. Being as this pencil is super soft, looking into a more expensive sharpener (MAC $3) may be a good idea. I can’t make this claim myself, but many people have said that more expensive sharpeners, or at least ones advertised for sharpening cosmetics, are better.
With the lower price tag and the opportunity of drugstore sales, I don’t want to hear about anyone having to light up their eyeliners, stick them under their armpits to warm the pencils up, or have unintentional runny smudged liner anymore! :x
11 out of 12 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Cargo - Tonga
astronaut 6/20/2009 7:22:00 AM
I don't think this would have been a blush I would have purchased on my own. Thanks to the wonderful reviews made by others on the internet, I picked up this blush. For one, I know that Cargo blushes are the best in my opinion. Way better than NARS and MAC for me. You get a lot for what you pay for and Cargo blushes are so finely milled, pigmented, and easy to blend. My only problem probably is with the packaging. I do think the concept of a tin container is sort of cool and hippy feeling, but I just like the convenience of a compact more. I've read some people hae had problems with the lid being on too tight and hard to open. I find that my Tonga blush is actually too loose. Tonga is a matte plumish pink shade that looks pretty average in the pan. It's not a shade that would have caught my eye. When I apply this on though, my face instantly brightens up and I look like I am filled with life. It makes my skin look healthier and the shade looks so natural on. I've been getting into matte blushes lately and I can honestly see myself using this blush regularly for years to come. Will definitely repurchase when I run out.
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Blush -Cargo - blu ray Blush/Highlighter
astronaut 6/17/2009 6:25:00 AM
I bought this blush mostly for the sheer novelty value of it. Don't get me wrong, it's a very attractive colour, but I was drawn to the whole "blu_ray" thing. I'm a sucker for anything "HD" and "blu ray". I liked the product and used it several times but ended up leaving it on the bottom of my pile of blushes. I recently started using it again and holy cow! I'm such an idiot for not using it as often as I should have. The packaging is a sleek black flip top compact with a mirror. It stays closed, no problems here. I like this packaging more than the regular Cargo blushes that come in the tin jar thing. This blush is a pinky peach shade with small golden sparkles, not to be confused with frosty, which I hate. For reference, I am NC30, MUFE mat velvet #40, and MUFE HD #120. It's just a very soft and pretty colour. I use this as a blush and it is very soft and finely milled. It's not one of those dreaded blushes were you have to dig into the pan in order to get product onto your brush. One swipe and you can see a heck lot of product is on! Being finely milled means that the product is easy to blend. The product is very pigmented and buildable. The texture of this blush is similar to the MAC beauty powder blushes. Cargo's regular line of blushes are also very soft and finely milled, though not as much as the blu_ray. I'm starting to really like Cargo blushes and I think they are becoming my favorite! I have one other blush from them, The Big Easy, and I'm probably going to get more (Tonga and Catalina :)) I like them way more than NARS blushes! CARGO BLUSHES DON'T GET THE CREDIT THEY DESERVE!!!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express Turbo Boost Waterproof
astronaut 2/17/2009 9:21:00 AM
CONTINUE FOR PICTURES
With two coats on.
I wanted to try this mascara out since it had decent reviews on makeupalley. I did not like it at all. The formula is very wet. For a waterproof mascara, it did not hold my curl all that well. Thickening was so so. I’ve tried a lot better that are equally affordable (MAX Factor Lash Perfection).
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Concealers -Bobbi Brown - Corrector
astronaut 2/3/2009 7:29:00 PM
CONTINUE FOR PICTURE
The severity of my circles vary from day to day, but I usually don't have extreme dark circles. I hope you can see the difference.
I have a video of me applying this corrector in Light Peach if anyone wants to see:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNrDvXjcnQ4
Bobbi Brown says:
For very dark circles and extra coverage Bobbi's secret is her Correctors. Designed to be layered under your regular, yellow-based concealer shade, Correctors come in Bisque and Peach shades. Bisque neutralizes pinky-blue undereye darkness and is ideal for most skin tones. Peach neutralizes purple-brown undereye darkness common in olive, golden and tan skin tones. Use the Corrector daily or just when you need extra coverage.
Cost: $22 (1.7 g)
Where to buy: bobbibrown.com or any department store that carries Bobbi Brown (Nordstrom, Saks, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, etc.)
This is a product that is a falls above my usual price range for cosmetics. The correctors come in bisque (pink undertones) and peach (orange undertones) shades meant to cover under eye circles. This product is advised to be used under a regular concealer, but I find that it looks just fine by itself.
When you go to check this product out, try to show up without makeup on, or be willing to take your makeup off if you want an accurate match the first time around. I didn't try on the correctors, but I researched the product thoroughly before I got to the counter. I was pretty sure that I was a light peach. Unfortunately, the majority of the time, the Bobbi Brown associates will recommend the bisque shades to everyone as it's the "safe" recommendation. Actually, you kind of have to fight them for a peach shade. Just read some of the reviews on makeupalley.com and you'll know what I'm talking about.
I say to actually try the product at the counter because I think it's important to see the difference between the bisque and peach. Try a bisque shade on one eye and peach on the other. I say never buy the bisque shades. They are simply concealers with pink undertones and there are plenty of assessable makeup companies that provide concealers with pink undertones that are also more affordable like NYX to MAC. Salmon, peach, and orange coloured concealers though, are sort of hard to come by as of right now. This is why I coughed up the $22 price tag.
I bought the light bisque shade first. I was certain that my shade was light peach but the associate was set on me using a bisque shade. I said that I needed a peach coloured concealer. She said that an actual peach shade would be too dark for me. I remember her stating, "You're about as light as me and I use the light bisque". Mind you, I am about NC 30 from MAC and she was probably about NW15, obviously fair. Yeah, we're totally the same. That immediately raised flags in my head. She told me that ALL the Bobbi Brown correctors have a peach undertone, it's just that the peach shades had more of it. She put a bisque and peach shade side by side and said, "See? They are both peach" I honestly could not see it at all. The bisque had an obvious pink undertone but I tried to keep an open mind about the whole thing. Afterall, it was my first time ever buying from Bobbi Brown and she works for them, so she must be right?
Well, that wasn't the case. I went home and tried the Light Bisque corrector and yes, it kind of covered my circles, but just as well as any regular concealer. It just pretty much lightened the area. You get that typical weird cast just like you would with concealer. For someone who's never tried covering their circles with anything before, then they would probably think "Wow, this works! It did SOMETHING!" But for those who have tried covering their circles before, this is nothing special at all.
Then I went on Bobbibrown.com and did a live chat with an associate. I made sure that I told the person that I had olive undertones to see what would be my recommendation. The Bobbi Brown description on the site specifically states: Peach neutralizes purple-brown undereye darkness common in olive, golden and tan skin tones. Well, I got a reply that said somewhere along the lines of, "Liz, most women match with the bisque shades. Bisque would be a match for your skin tone. Remember that the correctors are layered under the Bobbi brown concealers".
Judging from my counter experience, the live chat, and reading the posts made on makeupalley, I am pretty sure that nine times out of ten, a bisque shade will be recommended, no matter WHO you are! I think that is just doing a major disservice to customers. People pay to get PERSONALIZED recommendations from associates and artists. We don't want to get generic information from misinformed associates. Bobbi Brown needs to train their associates better... seriously.
So I returned the Light Bisque shade I got and finally got the Light Peach shade. I think it works pretty well. I don't think it's too dark for my skin, do you? I find that it blends very well and it doesn't look obvious at all. I find that it lightens my circles in a very natural way. I can't even tell that I'm covering anything. I dust on some powder over the corrector afterwards to set it and prevent creasing.
Overall, I like this product. Just be sure to use the peach shades, you will be much happier! It's quiet expensive for what I usually buy, but it's one of the few well known brands that actually make correctors of this shade. I hope that NYX will add some concealers with orange undertones to their pot concealer line some day. I'd definitely check them out, but for now, it's Bobbi Brown for me I guess.
35 out of 41 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No