Blush -Wet 'n' Wild - Color Icon Blush 831E Pearlescent Pink
bionicbigjames 8/18/2012 12:56:00 PM
This is one of my go-to blushes, because, well...it's awesome! For the mere price of $2.99, you get a beautiful, finely milled, highly pigmented blush in a lovely shade of warm peachy-pink w/ a slight golden sheen. Normally, I despise anything w/ shimmer, but this leaves more of a sheen, despite how it looks in the pan. In my opinion, this looks a lot like a mix between NARS Orgasm & Deepthroat, only w/ less shimmer. It looks great on me with and without a tan. If it wasn't for the packaging, this would easily pass as a high end product. It comes in a slim, plain rectangular compact. It has never broken on me and I have went through several. It lasts a very long time, since it's so pigmented. You definitely need to apply this w/ a light hand. For those of you who love NARS Orgasm and/or Deepthroat, but are turned off by the excessive shimmer, you should definitely give this a try, since the shimmer in this product is much more subtle. It's not like it'll break your bank account, which is great. :-) Wet 'n' Wild continues to impress me w/ their products. They are the one drugstore brand that actually delivers and the best part is they're also the most affordable of drugstore brands!
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Stila - Custom Color Blush
bionicbigjames 8/18/2012 8:43:00 AM
I *LOVE* this blush!!! I have it in pink and it's the only blush that can truly emulate the color of my natural flush, which is a cool pink color. The color looks really scary in the pan and you definitely need to apply this with a VERY LIGHT hand, but it really looks beautiful once it's on your skin. I have had several compliments already. I will buy this again and again! The only thing I am not crazy about is the packaging. I find that it isn't very easy to open. I actually have to look at it and insert my fingernail inside the indention to open it. I would rather have a normal clasp like most compacts have, but this is definitely not a deal breaker. I paid $20 for this at Sephora. For a great blush, I think this is actually a reasonable price. I recommend this to any girl who wants to look gorgeous! :) :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Yves Saint Laurent - Teint Touche Eclat Foundation
bionicbigjames 8/18/2012 8:09:00 AM
I finally got my hands on the much anticipated YSL le Teint Touche Eclat Foundation! I have been so excited about this, since, like many others, am a huge fan of the Touche Eclat highlighter! Since I don't live near any department stores carrying YSL, I had to make the plunge on Sephora's website. I was very nervous about purchasing without doing a color match, so after a lot of research and making my best educated guess, I went with B60, since I am really tanned right now. I was still a little worried it might be too dark, but the B50 is currently not available for purchase yet. Anyhoo, I really REALLY like this stuff! It is now my official summer foundation. It is definitely a YSBB (Your Skin, But Better) foundation. Coverage is light, but can be buildable to medium. It literally melts onto my skin. It has a luminizing effect, making me look dewy fresh. This does not oxidize on my skin, with is a definite plus! No streaking. Just a light and lovely finish. Packaging is absolutely gorgeous, of course! It smells good....like cucumbers. For application, I have found that it is easiest and most effective to just use my fingers. I tried using a stipple brush, a flat blending brush and my Beauty Blender sponge, but it turns out, the old fashioned fingers worked best. lol. The only con is this doesn't last as long as I would like it. This requires a touch up around the middle of the day. Deducting one lippie for that reason. I'm not so sure if I will use this in the winter season, when my skin is more oily, due to the lack of sun on my face. Usually, I like more coverage that time of the year anyway. If I do, I'll definitely need a significantly lighter shade, which will kind of suck, since this stuff isn't cheap. But, that's just the way the cookie crumbles.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -MAC - select cover-up
bionicbigjames 8/13/2012 7:38:00 PM
Not a fan of this at all. It is very drying and looks cakey when I put it under my eyes. It also settles in the lines. I sometimes use this to cover blemishes and that's only because I don't like wasting something I paid for. The only thing I do like is the packaging. The squeeze tube is hygienic and will allow you to get every drop of product. Other than that though, this concealer is just not for me. :-/
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Studio Powder Brush
bionicbigjames 8/13/2012 7:31:00 PM
This is a fabulous brush! E.L.F. continues to impress me with their products, especially their brushes. This Studio Powder Brush should be a must-have for everyone who wears makeup. It is soft and very dense, it doesn't shed at all and for the price, it actually looks high end as well. I have 2 of these bad boys. I use one for my liquid foundation and the other for loose powder. It makes my liquid foundation look practically airbrushed. Works better than any stipple brush I've ever tried, which is very impressive! The best part is it's only $3! I have nothing bad to say about this. I recommend this to anyone who wears makeup.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -NYX - lipgloss with mega shine
bionicbigjames 8/13/2012 7:13:00 PM
I just recently discovered this awesome product, thanks to all the wonderful reviews from my fellow MUA'ers. Thank you guys, by the way! :) I am so in love with this lipgloss! It is so hard to believe that it's only $4. Yes, you heard that right. $4!!! I can't say enough good things about this stuff! The consistency is nice, thin and not gloppy or sticky at all. Staying power is good, packaging is sturdy and adorable (I love the deer-foot applicator and the cute little black bow design on the cap), the color selection is plentiful and gorgeous and did I mention it was dirt cheap? I ordered mine through Ulta's website as well as NYX's website. I am not fortunate enough to have an Ulta store in my area, so I have to settle for ordering online. That is fine, since I love online shopping anyway. The colors I have so far are Smokey Look, Natural, Frosted Beige and Pink Frost. I love every one of them, but my favorites are Smokey Look and Natural. I love a nude lip and those two colors are perfect for that. I have heard a few people complain about the cherry scent and while it is a little strong, it doesn't bother me at all. I actually think it smells nice, like a cherry sucker you would get after seeing the dentist. Once you put in on your lips, the scent kind of dissipates anyway. I plan to order Sponge Cake, Perfect and Tea Rose soon. I can't believe how many colors there are to choose from! 50 different shades! Some that are glossy, some that are frosty, some with shimmer, some with glitter. (Wow, I just sounded a bit like Dr. Seuss for a minute there. lol!) There is literally a perfect color for everyone. So, for those of you who are sick and tired of shelling out 20 bucks per lipgloss, don't hesitate to get this! It is better than MAC and many other high end lipglosses I have tried. No joke, no exaggeration whatsoever! This is the HG of lipglosses! Trust me! :) :)
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lips -MAC - Lip Erase - Pale
bionicbigjames 8/13/2012 6:22:00 PM
I am a fan of this product. It does exactly what it says and it does it well. I love wearing a nude lip & before I found this, I was using concealer on my lips to tone down my naturally rosy lips, which never lasted long enough. This lasts several hours on me, which sometimes includes me drinking from a straw & whatnot. I have read some have had some issues with this being a bit drying, but I have never had that problem with it. But, I always exfoliate my lips before putting any lip product on and I am an avid chapstick user (it's an obsessive-compulsive issue...I can't survive without my chapstick. LOL), so my lips are in good shape & I never have any cracking problems, even in the winter, so maybe that has something to do with me not having a drying problem with this product. I'm not too crazy about the packaging. It comes in a pan, like a lip balm pan, only much larger. It doesn't seem very hygienic, but then again, I'm not sure how else they could package it. Because of this, I use a brush to apply, then I blend it with my fingers. I like how much product you get: 15 mL/0.5 US oz. I paid $24 for this on eBay. I couldn't find it on the MAC website. I suppose that's because it's a MAC PRO item. Not exactly sure. Either way, it was worth every penny. I would recommend it to anyone with pigmented lips, looking for a way to wear lipstick or lipgloss in its true color.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Yves Saint Laurent - Touche Eclat (Radiant Touch)
bionicbigjames 8/12/2012 6:40:00 PM
First off, let me just say that this is NOT a concealer. It is a highlighter & an awesome one at that. I have seen many negative reviews due to some people assuming that it will cover their dark circles & blemishes, but that is not what Touche Éclat is made for. I am in love with this product & it's a staple in my daily beauty routine. It highlights beautifully. I put it under my eyes to highlight as well as the top of my cupid's bow, along my marionette lines & inner corners of my eyes. It does a great job at brightening the shadows on my face. I have heard some people even put it along the outside of their lip line to make their lips look plumper. The shade: No. 2 Luminous Ivory, is perfect for my LLL skintone. It also looks just as great when I have a tan in the summertime. The first time I tried this product, I bought No. 1 Luminous Radiance & I was not happy with the results as it didn't show up at all on my LLL skintone. Thankfully, I gave it another chance & bought this shade and I'm so glad I did. I completely understand why this product is so popular! My only complaint would be the packaging. It is quite beautiful and I like the brush ok, but I absolutely loathe having to click it to get enough product on the brush. Sometimes I have to click it 6 or 7 times. It takes time for the product to get on the brush, so it's more like: click a few times & wait...click a few more times & wait....well, you get the picture. You either end up with too much product or not enough. It's impossible to see how much or how little product is left in the pen & you can't get every last drop. Because of this, I'm deducting one lippie. Despite the unfortunate packaging, I still adore this awesome little highlighter & I will continue buy this again & again & again. :-)
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Yves Saint Laurent - Touche Eclat No 2
bionicbigjames 8/12/2012 6:29:00 PM
First off, let me just say that this IS NOT a concealer. I don't even know why it is in the concealer category, because it is a highlighter, and an awesome one at that. I have seen many negative reviews, b/c people think it's going to cover their dark circles & blemishes, but that is not what Touche Éclat is made for. I am in love with this product & it's a staple in my daily beauty routine. It highlights beautifully. I put it under my eyes to highlight as well my the top of my cupid's bow, along my marionette lines & inner corners of my eyes. It does a great job at brightening shadows on my face. I have heard some also put it along the outside of their lip line to make their lips look plumper. This shade, No. 2 Luminous Ivory, is perfect for my LLL skintone. It also looks just as great when I have a tan in the summertime. The first time I tried this product, I bought No. 1 Luminous Radiance & I was not happy with the results as it didn't show up at all on my LLL skintone. Thankfully, I gave it another chance & bought this shade and I'm so glad I did. I completely understand why this product is so popular! My only complaint would be the packaging. It is quite beautiful and I like the brush ok, but I absolutely loathe having to click it to get enough product on the brush. Sometimes I have to click it 6 or 7 times. It takes time for the product to get on the brush, so it's more like: click a few times & wait...click a few more times & wait....well, you get the picture. It's impossible to see how much or how little product is left in the pen & you can't get every last drop. Because of this, I'm deducting one lippie. Despite the unfortunate packaging, I still adore this awesome little highlighter & I will continue buy this again & again & again. :-)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Highlighters -Yves Saint Laurent - Touche Eclat No 1
bionicbigjames 8/12/2012 6:07:00 PM
Let me start off by saying that I absolutely love YSL Touche Éclat. It is just this particular shade that I am not a fan of. It doesn't show up enough on my LLL skintone. Doesn't highlight it whatsoever. This was the first shade I purchased and had it not found a great deal on Ebay for No. 2 Luminous Ivory, my opinion for this product would be a negative one. Thankfully, I have found that No. 2 is perfect for my skintone. It's a staple in my daily beauty routine & it shows up enough to truly highlights selected areas. So, for those of you who have only tried this shade, do not be discouraged. Get the next shade up & I'm sure you will find out why this product is so widely acclaimed. My only complaint about this product as a whole would be the packaging. While it is beautiful, it is not practical. I have to click the pen numerous times to get enough product on the brush, especially when its almost empty. You can't tell how much product is left & it is impossible to get every last drop. Other than that, this is a great highlighter, just not this particular shade.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Highlighters -NARS - Highlighting Blush Powder in Albatross
bionicbigjames 8/10/2012 5:16:00 PM
I am extremely picky when it comes to highlighters. I find that most are way too shimmery or glittery. When I stumbled across NARS Albatross at Sephora, I was quite shocked to find how much I loved it. Now, it is a staple in my daily beauty routine. It gives my skin such a nice sheen. No shimmer and no glitter, thank goodness! This is finely milled and a tiny bit goes a long way. Tapping the excess off your brush and applying with a light hand is a definite necessity. I apply it along the top of my cheekbones and sometimes on my temples, the bridge of my nose and the center of my chin as well. I find that it looks best on me when I have a tan or when I fake it with bronzing powder. I absolutely love the packaging: a sleek, black rectangular compact that I'm sure most NARS lovers are familiar with. I paid $28 for this at Sephora. A little pricey, but worth it, IMO. You get 0.16 oz. of product, but since a little goes a long way, this will definitely last you a long while. I will definitely purchase this again and again. :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -Too Faced - Chocolate Soleil
bionicbigjames 8/10/2012 4:49:00 PM
This is a great bronzer and it smells AHHH-MAZING!! Like delicious cocoa, which makes sense, being that it is made with just that. This is a matte bronzer; no shimmer whatsoever, thank goodness! Bronzers & shimmer should *never* mix! The color is a nice brown with more cool tones as opposed to warm. There is not the slightest trace of orange in it, which is a definite plus in my book (I'm sure it is for the rest of you as well!)! While it looks very dark in the pan, this bronzer is actually buildable, which is great! And did I mention how wonderful it smells? lol. Unfortunately for me though, this particular shade of brown doesn't really match how my natural tan looks, which is more of a red-brown. So I use Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder in medium instead. I *do* use this for contouring though, which works perfectly for me. So while this particular bronzer doesn't really match well with my skintone, I know for a fact that it does for many of my girlfriends, who use this and it looks amazing on them! It all comes down to coloring. If you don't have red tones in your natural tan, then this will look gorgeous on you. I will still continue to purchase this for contouring. The price is a bit steep, ($29 at Sephora), but totally worth it, in my opinion.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -Bobbi Brown - Bronzing Powder in Medium
bionicbigjames 8/10/2012 4:24:00 PM
After many years of searching, I think I may have finally found my HG bronzer. I am not surprised one bit that it would be from Bobbi Brown. It is one of my favorite brands for a reason, after all. I love that it's matte and the red-brown shade is perfect for my light skintone. It emulates my natural tan perfectly, which is brown with slight red undertones. So if that is how your tan looks, this color will look wonderful on you too! I purchased mine through Bobbi Brown's website and paid around $33. A little steep, but completely worth it! You get a lot of product, as the pan is quite large. I have read some MUA'ers complain about the bulkiness of the packaging and while I can certainly see why it may bother those who want to carry this in their bag, I find that I like the packaging. That's just me though. It is round, black & glossy and so far, it has also been sturdy. I think it is very pretty. One more thing: don't let the dark color in the pan frighten you. While it isn't super sheer either, the color is still very buildable. It goes on beautifully!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Body -Bath and Body Works - Aromatherapy- Eucalyptus and Spearmint
bionicbigjames 7/25/2012 11:46:00 PM
I am in love with this scent! I use the shower gel, lotion, hand soap and the fragrance oil. The smell makes me think of going to the spa. So relaxing. It's the kind of scent that makes me want to melt in my bed. Pure comfort! My favorite is definitely the fragrance oil and I can't go to bed without lighting up the oil burner I have on my nightstand. I wish B&BW's products were not so pricey. I can't help myself though. This is one scent I can not do without.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyes -Unlisted Brand - Careprost~Generic Brand Latisse
bionicbigjames 7/25/2012 11:36:00 PM
What on Earth did I do without this stuff??? I am so happy to have found this generic Latisse! It is like liquid magic....and for only $10 per bottle!!! I would have never known about this if it wasn't for my fellow MUA'ers, so thank you! I have been using this around 9 months and my lashes are insanely long and thick. I have grown several new rows of lashes, I kid you not! I finally put my mascara and eyelash curler aside, because with it, my lashes look so long, it's ridiculous...like up to my eyebrows. People always think I'm either wearing eyelash extensions or plain old glued falsies. When I tell them it's my bare lashes, they are completely shocked. Check out my photo gallery here on MUA to see before and after pics. I'm still amazed, myself!
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No