Masks -Makeup Artist's Choice (MUAC) - 25% Mandelic Acid Peel
beauty_junkie_04 11/3/2011 1:00:00 PM
This is the first peel I've tried from MUAC or anyone else. I have used 10% glycolic cream in the past, with pretty much zero results. I thought maybe a stronger peel would work for me, but I didn't want to jump straight into the strong stuff, so I bought the 25% mandelic acid peel. I used the peel for the first time 2 days ago. I washed my face and applied the toner, per the instructions. I applied the acid peel with a q-tip and waited for 3 minutes. I did notice a few spots under my eyes and around my nose turned white as I got closer to the 3-minute mark, so I washed it off. I slathered aloe vera gel-cream all over my face afterwards. That night my face felt somewhat tight, and looked shiny, but dry to the touch. I put on more aloe gel-cream before bed. The next morning, the areas that had turned white were really dry and flaky, almost like a very thin scab. I didn't think this mild acid was supposed to do that? As the day went on, my face got pretty flaky looking, and itchy. This morning I washed my face, and the scabby areas flaked off, leaving raw areas that are red and burning. The rest of my face looks OK, and feels soft. I don't notice much difference after the one peel, but there's a very slight difference in the size of my pores. My skin looks a tad smoother. But nothing major. I'll do this peel again a few more times to see what kind of results I'll get. I just hope it doesn't keep leaving these raw, red areas under my eyes! It hurts!
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Styling Products -John Frieda - 3-day Straight Semi-Permanent Styling Spray
beauty_junkie_04 5/23/2011 12:00:00 PM
My hair is mid-back length, color treated, and naturally curly and prone to frizz. My hair likes to frizz into a huge puffy nightmare upon the first hint of humidity in the air, regardless of any products I've used in my hair. So, I didn't have high hopes for 3-Day Straight, but figured I'd give it a try anyhow. Well, 3-Day Straight surprised me! Day 1: I washed and towel dried my hair, separated my hair into 4 sections, and sprayed each section with 3-Day Straight (about 4-5 sprays per section, as my hair is long and thick). I combed the product through my hair with a wide-tooth comb, and separated the hair into 8 smaller sections. I used my blow dryer and a large round metal-barrel brush to straighten each section, then clipped each section back into place once dry. Then I followed with my flat iron until my whole head was done. I did not use any other products in my hair except the 3-Day Straight. My hair felt incredibly soft, and there were no fly-aways or "crunchy" feeling, which is how my hair usually feels when I use my flat iron and other products. We had a cook-out on this day, so I was outside in 90-degree humid weather for several hours. By the end of the day, my hair was still straight and looked as good as when I first styled it. This has NEVER happened before. Normally, my hair would have been curled up and frizzy by the end of the day. So far, so good. Day 2: Spent the day running errands, there was some rain the night before, so it was pretty humid outside, and hot. My hair held up for the entire day on day two - no frizzing, no puffiness, no curling up. Day 3: My hair is still straight as a board, still no frizz. My roots are starting to get a little oily (I usually don't go 3 days without washing my hair, as I have an oily scalp), but otherwise my hair still looks great. I can't believe it held up for three whole days, though humidity and through sleeping on it. I'm impressed with 3-Day Straight and will repurchase. If it continues to perform this well, I can see this becoming an HG product for summer for my crazy hair!
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Revlon - stormy pink
beauty_junkie_04 4/26/2011 9:37:00 AM
This is a LOVELY shade of pink for spring and summer! It's a very wearable bright, bubblegum pink, I think it's especially good for those ladies who want to try a bright lip but don't want it to be too far over the top. The color is quite sheer, but can be built up for more opaque color. One swipe creates a sheer pink flush, and three swipes gives you a brighter, more opaque pink. For a matte formula, it isn't drying at all. It's actually quite creamy and nice on the lips. I'm loving this lipstick!! I've worn it a few times and have received many compliments every time I wore it.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Avon - Lotus Shield
beauty_junkie_04 8/25/2010 4:11:00 PM
My hair is naturally curly, quite thick, about mid-back length, and frizzes like crazy at the slightest hint of humidity. I've tried dozens of "anti-frizz" products over the years, with very little success. Due to the fact that nothing really has helped to tame the frizzies, I wear a ponytail about 75% of the time during the warmer months and anytime it rains. My mom recently started selling Avon, and I saw the Lotus Shield frizz treatment in the catalog, so I figured it couldn't hurt to try yet another so-called "anti-frizz" product. Well, I just received it yesterday and tried it this morning for the first time. For my thick, long hair I used a quarter-size amount of product. I distributed it through my hair with my fingers, and blew my hair straight with a round brush and hair dryer. (Keep in mind that normally, I could NEVER do this with good results, I would need to follow with a straightening iron and hope for the best). After blow drying, my hair was 1.) very shiny, 2.) very straight, and 3.) no hint of the usual puffiness that would normally cause me to follow up with the straightening iron. So I thought, "OK, I'll head out to work and see how my hair behaves for the rest of the day". Also, today is a bit rainy, with high humidity. Well, it's not 4:00PM, and my hair hasn't frizzed at all. Not even a slight hint of frizz to be found. My hair is still straight, still shiny, and still smooth. This has NEVER happened before. Previous to using Lotus Shield, if I just blew my hair dry and went out the door, my hair would be frizzy and puffy by the time I pulled into the parking lot at work. Since this is just my first time using Lotus Shield, I'm hesitant to say that it's a "holy grail" of hair products. I want to try it a few more times to be sure. But, it's looking like a true winner so far. Today was a good test for this product, and so far, it's passed with flying colors. EDIT: Day two of using Lotus Shield - my hair actually looks better on the second day than it did the first day. I'm shocked and amazed, to be honest. I have NEVER had two good hair days in a row, without washing and starting all over. Wow. EDIT: Day three of using Lotus Shield - the ends of my hair are beginning to show signs of frizzing, but not much. I have fried split ends to begin with, so I wasn't expecting miracles. The rest of my hair, though, aside from the very ends, is still looking really good. Lotus Shield has kept it's promise to keep my hair frizz-free for up to 3 days.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -MAC - Going Casual Cremesheen Glass
beauty_junkie_04 8/13/2010 12:41:00 PM
I will definitely be getting a back-up or two of this. Instant LOVE. It's the perfect pale pink lipgloss for my skin tone, and pairs exceptionally well with smoky eyes. No shimmer or sparkle, just lovely milky pink with a hint of lavender. The texture is very nice - not sticky - I'd say it's "comfortable" on the lips, if that makes sense. Nothing at all that I don't like about this lipgloss. I'm in lipgloss heaven right now with this one.
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Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express The Falsies
beauty_junkie_04 8/10/2010 4:26:00 PM
#1 - I hate the "bendy" brush wand. #2 - While this mascara did make my lashes long, it also made them look spiky and sparse. NOT the look I was going for. #3 - With 2 coats, it seems to take forever to dry. It's difficult not to blink or move your eyes for 10 minutes as you wait for your mascara to dry...I end up blinking and getting black dots on my upper eyelids! Will not repurchase. I will stick with Lash Blast, which provides all the length AND volume/thickening that I'm looking for.
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Lips -MAC - Adoring Carmine: Neutral Lips Bag
beauty_junkie_04 6/1/2010 8:45:00 AM
I picked this up at my local CCO this weekend, and I'm quite pleased with this set. Included are - Real Treasure (Lustre) lipstick, Soft Spot (Glaze) lipstick, and My Dear mini Lipglass.
I really like Real Treasure in particular, as this gives me the closest I've come to a "MLBB" lip color. In the tube, it appears brown-ish/bronze-y color, but when applied, it's quite sheer and (on my lips) has a slight pink-ish tint - or maybe it's just sheer enough to allow my natural lip color to show through?? This lipstick is definitely a keeper.
Soft Spot is difficult to describe, I find it to be a unique color. It's gold/pink/silver all at the same time. It's very sheer, and just gives a slight hint of color, but it's especially pretty when you're outside in the sunlight. Great color to wear when you're not going for a "made up" look, but something more natural/minimal. This is more like what I'd hoped Phlox lipstick would be.
My Dear mini Lipglass is pretty useless for me, as I'm not really into frosty super-pale pinks.
Overall, I really like this set and I'm considering buying another while it's available just so I can have a back-up of Real Treasure.
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Blush -E.L.F. - Studio Blush Peachy Keen
beauty_junkie_04 4/30/2010 2:09:00 PM
I'm wondering if I got a different Peachy Keen than everyone else??? I just got mine, tried it this morning, and after applying like 5 layers to my cheeks, I still can't see it!!! I'm a fairly pale person, so there's no reason this shouldn't show up on me with ONE layer, much less with 5 layers!! Disappointing. So pretty in the pan.
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Eye Shadow -NYX - Trio TS41 - Anti Diva
beauty_junkie_04 3/4/2010 2:14:00 PM
Ditto all of the reviews below. The colors in this trio are to-die-for, great staying power, great texture...there's not one single negative thing I can say about this trio. LOVE.
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Eye Shadow -NYX - Luxor
beauty_junkie_04 3/4/2010 2:11:00 PM
This color is gorgeous! Bright, but not scary purple with a slight hint of blue and pink. The texture is amazing, applies like a dream, and the color stays vibrant all day.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -NYX - Diamond Sparkle in Sparkling Apricot
beauty_junkie_04 3/4/2010 2:06:00 PM
Holy cow, I've found a light coral that I can wear! I've tried several others, like MAC Costa Chic and MAC Colour Me Coral, but they end up looking wierd on me, and are way too frosty. But Sparkling Apricot is fairly sheer, has a nice "slippery" texture, and lots of sparkle without feeling gritty on the lips. The color, on me, is a light coral, more on the orange side, but there's a hint of pink that keeps it from being *too* orange. The sheerness helps, too, I think. So far, I really like this one! I may try a few more from this line.
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Lipstick -MAC - Lustre in Utter Fun
beauty_junkie_04 3/4/2010 1:55:00 PM
Wow, I may have found a HG with Utter Fun!! This, so far, is the most perfect sheer cherry red, with a hint of pink and just enough shimmer so that it doesn't look "flat". The Lustre formula is great, the color is great...I'm in love!!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Milan Mode
beauty_junkie_04 3/4/2010 1:52:00 PM
In the tube, it's a very bright, sparkly fuchsia...but on the lips, it's a sheer, sparkly pink-berry that's very wearable. For me, the Lustre formula lippies are hit or miss - some of them feel thick and somewhat dry, and some of them have a wonderful "glossy" texture. Milan Mode is one of the best so far for texture, feels very nice on the lips, more like a lip balm feeling than lipstick feeling. And luckily, the sparkles in this aren't gritty at all. LOVE.
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Lipstick -MAC - Naked Paris
beauty_junkie_04 3/4/2010 1:48:00 PM
When I first saw this color, I wasn't thrilled, as I don't typically go for brown-ish lipsticks at all. But it still looked pretty in the tube, and I decided to try it on anyway...I'm glad I did! When applied, this does NOT look the same as the color in the tube. It's quite sheer, and goes on a light plummy beige...and the sparkle adds a little "oomph" to what might otherwise be a boring shade. I think the sparkle is what truly makes this shade pretty. Really like this one!
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Lipstick -MAC - Party Mate - Naughty Nauticals
beauty_junkie_04 2/25/2010 9:00:00 AM
Very pretty raspberry pink with a bit of silver glitter. I don't find the glitter to be overpowering at all. There's just enough to give a nice sparkle to this color. This is a Lustre formula, and one of the more sheer ones, IMO. This lipstick is definitely darker in the tube than it is on the lips. When applied, I get a nice sheer wash of raspberry pink, just a shade or two darker than what a "MLBB" shade would be, if that makes sense. This one is definitely a keeper for me. EDIT: Wow, I'm so in love with this lipstick! I liked it when I first got it, but the more I use it, the more I love it! The texture of Lustre lippies is awesome anyway, but this one in particular is nicer than usual...almost like a Clinique Buttershine, in texture. LOVE.
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