Liquid -Almay - Almay Truly Lasting Color longwear makeup
bonnydoon 10/24/2012 8:20:00 PM
Growing frustrated with HE foundations, I purchased this on a whim in CVS, having had a good experience with another Almay foundation in the past. I'm NC 20-25 (yellow undertones) and one of the 'middle of the line shades' (neutral or sand?) works really well for me. My skin is leans toward oily with normal sized pores and this does an amazing job of a) covering imperfections w/o looking cakey - in fact it is a wonderful, dewey natural finish b) blurring my pores c) keeping oil at bay even on my forehead. d) giving me a well-rested appearance. I no longer need concealer since I pat this in the corner and under my eyes. e) looking 'skin like'... My face looks neither too matte, too dewy or in any way unnatural. I use it sparingly, only in the mid-portion of the face and the effect is great. It takes me just a few minutes to dab about a pea-sized amount of product and I'm set for the day. No break outs, no dry skin. Spf 15 with ZnO and TiO2 (major plus) so it doesn't interfere with avobenzone containing suncreens to the extent that octinoxate would. No oxidation or colour change over the course of the day. The pump is super! Love the packaging. I've been using for 3 months so HG for me. A winner.
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Liquid -Revlon - PhotoReady Makeup
bonnydoon 10/24/2012 7:03:00 PM
I've had my hands on this foundation for at least two years, and have tried this in Shell, Nude and Natural Beige (I'm NC20-25 --not sure if NC or NW, but I look better in yellow toned fndt, Nars Deuville). Colour-wise, Nude was the best fit for me, though Natural Beige was nice too for the summer. My skin is normal-oily. When paired with the right moisturizer, this product works really for me but if I layer it on top of a zinc oxide containing sunscreen, it's a disaster. My pores look clogged, the finish is splotchy...yuck. However, over LRP anthelios SPF 15 or LRP hydraphase UV SPF 30 ( Canadian version), it looks amazing with a nice soft focus finish. The color is perfect for me and I've received several compliments from my husband and perfect strangers on how great my skin looks. Coverage is medium to sheer but definitely enough to cancel any redness or unwanted pigmentation. Skin must be really well exfoliated otherwise the product accentuates flakes but that's par for the course for most foundations. My skin leans toward oiliness but now that I'm in my early 40s, I like moisture. This doesn't cause my skin to be greasy nor does it dry it out. Overall, thumbs up and I will repurchase!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Revlon - ColorStay 16 Hour Eye Shadow
bonnydoon 10/22/2012 9:10:00 PM
I purchased this in Addictive (neutral, mostly matte taupes and browns) and Adventurous (richer olive green, browns) and guess what - I like 'em! I'm surprsed at all the negative reviews but it could be that Revlon reformulated... Anyway, I wanted some work-friendly, light weight quads to tote to work in my MU bag, and these have served me well. I wish there was a mirror in the compact though. The matte Attitude shadows aren't buttery, but neither can they be described as chalky. They're good, neutral colours that I can slap on in a flash without messing up. Lasted all day on my without a primer (no time for that!) which is great b/c my eyelids are so oily. The Adventurous shadows are more deeply pigmented, and wear just as long. More dramatic but still SFW. Pretty good overall, and I feel pulled together without looking made up. I wasn't expecting loads of pigment but was pleasantly surprised, and no I don't work for the company. :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Revlon - Smooth On Blush Trio - Berry Rich
bonnydoon 10/22/2012 8:59:00 PM
I really have to layer this on to get some colour, and being an NC 20 (yellow undertones) I shouldn't be having this problem. It does last a while though and i don't need to reapply during the day and in the end, I do like the shade, a pinky berry as others have described. The compact has a little brush and mirror, both of which I find useful for touch ups. Somehow, it's turned into a go-to product for me, probably because it's difficult to over do and with a bit of bronzer, it all adds up to a polished, natural look.
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Bronzers -Revlon - PhotoReady Bronzer - 100 Bronzed & Chic
bonnydoon 10/22/2012 8:44:00 PM
My new staple. I dropped and broke my Nars Laguna and not wanting to spend $40 on a bronzer, I purchased this at Walgreens. Love it!!! No shimmer, no muddy effect, just a nice natural tanned colour. The product is finely milled and easy to blend, and I happen to love the packaging, which includes a nice-sized mirror and small brush. I use a large brush but in a pinch, believe it or not, the little brush works quite well! Nice work Revlon!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Revlon - Photoready Sculpting Blush Palette - 004 Berry
bonnydoon 8/2/2012 7:54:00 PM
I purchased this compact on a whim two weeks ago, wanting to save $45 that I would have shelled out for the similar Nars compact, and have been wearing it nearly every day. Im an NW 20-25, blue eyes, light brown hair for reference. I really like this palette for the following reasons: 1. it looks natural, not garish. Having about 15 super pigmented Nars blushes + multiples at my disposal (OK, it took 10 years to accumulate them!), I just like the simplicity of knowing that i"ll use these colours, and I will not look overdone. the colours are very natural, skin-like so even you get heavy handed, you won't look like a clown. 2. I can work with it, quickly. In other words, when I'm in rush (always), this pallete is a no-brainer since everything harmonizes 3. very light texture that blends into the skin; i have not observed any chalkiness at all 4. the palette is thin, has a mirror and fits nicely into my daily MU bag. It's light for travel. 5. I look healthy, naturally glowy and contoured! the tan, the berry and bronzer work well together. Update: 3 months later and I use this off and on. The problem is that the blush seems to have become quite hard and its difficult to deposit the product on my brushes (which I clean regularly). I'm using Salma Hayek's Nuance trio blush in Mauve instead... same concept, but a bit darker and more pigmented.
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Eye Shadow -Revlon - Colorstay Smoky Shadow Stick
bonnydoon 7/28/2012 2:16:00 PM
I purchased this on a whim since I had a CVS coupon not expecting much, but I'm pleasantly surprised. I have light brown hair, blue eyes, NW20 skin tone and the Torch shade works very well to bring out my eye colour. Don't expect loads of pigment. The light colour gives the lids some glimmer, and the cocoa-bronze works nicely as an eyeliner, but nothing like what you'd expect from HE shadow. But, I don't always want highly pigmented ES and this product really does give a subtle, polished look. IN addition, this product does way more for me than NARS creme shadows (I have 4!!) by way of staying power, and this is even without a primer, powder etc. I'm talking 8 hours and minimal creasing. So, $22 for one nars shadow that creases in 30 min or $7 for two, nearly equivalent Revlon shadows that last all day? your choice.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Laura Geller - Creaseless Concealer
bonnydoon 10/7/2011 8:56:00 PM
For reference, I'm an NC25 (yellow undertones) and purchased the medium shade. As others have noted, after the first few clicks, a clear oil appears on the brush, as if the product separated. It hasn't - the clear liquid probably keeps the product from drying and clogging the brush dispenser on the pen before consumer use. Anyway, you can see when the actual concealer is on it's way because the pen is clear plastic. The actual product is excellent, though quite different from the YSL TE and Guerlain highlighters I've used before. Firstly, it is opaque and a bit heavier and thus more like a concealer. Second, it has that silicone 'slip' that the aforementioned highlighters do not. I am very happy with this product. It stays put all day around my eyes and nose, truly no creasing, migrating, dryness, creppiness and a good match for my skin. It is quite opaque, yet nice and smooth. Unlike the other highlighter pens, you get at least twice as much product for half the price so it's a good deal. I paid almost $50 for the Guerlain wand! The LG creme concealer in the small tube seemed very very greasy to me by comparison. Overall, I"ve been very happy with all of my LG purchases.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Tinted Moisturizer -Laura Geller - Barely There Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20
bonnydoon 9/9/2011 2:51:00 PM
Fantastic product. I came in for Cargo's TM but happily chose this. For the record I'm an NC20-25 (yellow undertones), normal-oily skin in pretty good shape. I chose the light shade. The product is unscented and comes in a nice, light squeeze tube with a pump that dispenses about a pea sized amount of product. The product is super light, sheer and yet gives the most amazing glow. On close inspection there is some degree of very finely milled tasteful shimmer (goldish not silvery) that makes all the difference as far as giving a nice glow, especially to tired skin. I think what this product does is take away the chalky ghoulishness that mineral sunscreens can impart on otherwise fresh complexion. Thus, the skin is protected and has a nice appearance. Hence, this does not give a truly matte finish but the Almay TM does a fine job of this. I used this after a 12-hour day with 6 hrs of sleep. I washed off the crappy Clinique spf25, put on some light lotion followed by the LG product and looked fantastic for the rest of the night. A winner.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Almay - Smart Shade Smart Balance SPF15
bonnydoon 9/5/2011 6:12:00 PM
This should fall under the category of tinted moisturizer because it does not offer even medium coverage. However, this is exactly what I was looking for so I'm well pleased. I am an NC 20-25 (yellow undertones) and the light-medium shade works excellently. It will even out your skin tone and give a natural look. The product comes out looking like a whitish cream and should not be applied directly to the face as such. It needs to be applied like a moisturizer. So, squeeze a chickpea-sized dollop onto your fingers, rub both hands together so the product is evenly dispersed on tips of fingers on each hand and then apply to the face, moving from the centre and outward. Blend. As soon as you rub the product between your fingers, the pigment beads will disperse colour quite evenly, and thus apply the colour evenly to the face. After a 12-hour workday, no streaks, gray tones, oxidation or anything but the true color. A bit of oiliness after 5 hrs, but not a big deal. Unscented. This product is just as good as many high-end foundations, and this is coming from someone who only uses NARS. I hate to say it Francois, but this product is why I will not buy your $45 foundation. :-)
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No