Bronzers -Tarte - Park Avenue Princess
cgw1 6/19/2013 12:44:00 AM
I really thought this would be the bronzed for my pasty white skin. I suspect it caused some major breakouts for me and it looked muddy. I prefer nars Laguna by far.
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Moisturizers -Josie Maran Cosmetics - Argan oil
cgw1 5/26/2013 2:38:00 AM
EDIT: after finishing the mini bottle I realized Arran oil does not add enough moisture in the long run to my very dry skin. Too bad because it really helped with my acne scars. I also suspect it clogged my pores after prolonged use. Will be trying my sample of tarte marajuca oil next This is a miracle product. I've never had a skin care product change my skin so quickly. My scars are fading and my nose stopped flaking. This is only after a month of use. I was terrified to use oil on my face since I had such a bad reaction to oil cleansers, but this stuff hits the spot. I got the mini size as a sephora vib gift, but I think I will try a cheaper Argan oil when I run out. Love.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Urban Decay - All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray
cgw1 5/26/2013 2:34:00 AM
Worth the hype and worth every cent I paid for it. In Texas heat and humidity my mufe F&b foundation falls apart pretty quickly. With all nighter spray everything including eyeshadow blush and concealer stays in tact. I've never tried any other setting spray so I can't compare, but I would recommend getting the travel size at sephora to test it out. Love it and will repurchase
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Lip Gloss -MAC - Cultured
cgw1 5/26/2013 2:30:00 AM
It's so hard for me to find the right lip gloss. I received cultured as a gift and almost returned it because I really dislike how stick mac lip glosses are and pink is not my thing. Well cultured had become my favorite lipgloss (I don't wear lipstick). I have some tricks that help make cultured perfect: I first exfoliate my lips with the lush lip scrub. I then apply some rosebud lip salve and line and fill my lips with too faced perfect lips lip liner over that. Then I apply cultured lipgloss and bam perfect sheer pink pouty lips that aren't too shiny or sticky or opaque. Perfect!
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Toners -Clarins - Toning Lotion w/ Chamomile for dry or normal skin
cgw1 5/22/2013 12:17:00 AM
Eh. This wasn't great and wasn't terrible either. I have normal/dry skin and use this after the alpine herbs milk cleanser (which is an hg for me). It feels nice but a little sticky on my skin before it dries completely. I honestly don't get the appeal of toners aside from maybe removing all dirt or makeup completely. This is way too expensive given the fact that it didn't have any beneficial effects on my skin.
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Misc Beauty Tools -beautyblender - the sponge
cgw1 4/5/2013 1:35:00 AM
I finally gave into the hype. I was expecting a miracle sponge to be honest! Miracle sponge it is not, but I have found its uses. I tried using it with Nars Sheer Glow fdtn, but honestly I had to use 5x as much fdtn just to cover my scars (I get better coverage with my fingers). After reverting back to my tried and true fdtn, MUFE F&B, I realized thinner fdtns just do not work wtih the beauty blender. The damp beauty blender sheers out fndts, so taking an already sheer fdtn like Nars SG and mufe f&B, It really ends up having zero coverage. So, I used it with my concealer (MAC select coverup and studio finish), and using the pointy side It worked fabulously for under eyes and on scars/blemishes. It helps blur out any lines unlike any brush I've used. I just kind of bounce the concealer with the bottom side on my acne scars and it really does provide a great blurred finish. I don't think this is a miracle sponge, but I don't blame the beauty blender for its shortcomings, I blame my skin. I know this is a long rant, but if you're reading this the most important thing I can say is that your skin has to be in good condition. Otherwise, no little pink sponge is going to make your skin look great.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -LUSH - Lemony Flutter
cgw1 4/5/2013 1:22:00 AM
I had to check out this cult favorite. Even people who dislike Lush have said this cuticle/hand cream is worth it. So far I really like it. I have the worst cuticles (all chewed up...gross I know) and they need all the help they can get. Lemony flutter helps, and it tasts horrible haha and has such a strong scent that it keeps me from messing with my cuticles. I also have really dry hands especially knuckles from washing my hands too much. Lemony flutter helps. I'm going to try it on my feet next, even though touching my feet terrifies me lol. All in all what I find best about this product is that, despite the price, a tiny bit goes a looong way. I go through my nivea cream so quickly so I prefer Lemony Flutter. I'm a fan : ) I am finally getting back into LUSH products after a long hiatus. I had such a bad experience with all their face products, but now that' i'm sticking with bath/body products I am in love again!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -NARS - Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner - Via Veneto
cgw1 4/5/2013 1:16:00 AM
Oh wow. I don't know why this e/l hasn't gotten more attention! I have the oiliest lids..I mean even with Nars Primer my eyeliner always creases and smudges and gets in the corner of my eyes. I was using MAC smolder eye kohl but knew there had to be something better. THIS IS IT!! (yes, I'm screaming..I apologize but this is the best e/l I've ever used). It is so black which I love and so creamy which is a must for me. And yet, as creamy as it is..it doesn't budge! I'm in shock still..I didn't think this was possible. The only drawback is that I'm really not feeling the packaging. While I do like that it's twist-up, I really do not get the whole sharpener thing on the end. I've tried it and, maybe I'm dumb, but I just couldn't get it to work. It's frustrating, but you can still use it without sharpening you just won't get as precise a line. I'm going to keep playing around with it, but it is really annoying I don't mind sharpening pencils the old fashioned way personally. Anyways, if I didn't repurchase this would be the reason, but the fact that I found an e/l that is so black, so creamy, and doesn't smear/smudge..I believe I will repurchase. EDIT: I did repurchase. Only problem is that I run out so quickly I'm not sure I can afford this habit! I will have to suck it up and she'll out the $$ each month since this is literally the only eyeliner that doesn't smudge on me.
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Lotions/ Creams -LUSH - Sympathy for the Skin
cgw1 4/4/2013 11:30:00 PM
I've finally come to the conclusion to never ever buy another face product from Lush, because their body/bath products are what they're best at doing. Oh my goodness I wanted to hate this because of the ridiculous price, but I love it! First of all, I love banana anything, and this smells like banana pudding but it's not overpowering. Most importantly, the consistency is the perfect balance between cream and liquid. It moisturizes really well and sinks in pretty quickly but still leaves a nice sheen. I only wear this at night before I go to bed as I hate moisturizer during the day. I really recommend this, and will for sure be repurchasing!
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Gels/Soaps -LUSH - Sweetie Pie Shower Jelly
cgw1 4/4/2013 11:14:00 PM
Ok so I'm going to have to eat my words..I wrote a review about Lush saying I would never shop their again after multiple product let-dowsn, but then I decided to try this sweetie pie shower jelly. I've tried their shower gels (ok..but I ran through them too fast) I find bars of soap drying, and I wanted something new and exciting. Shower Jellies are definitely exciting this makes me so excited to take a shower!! It smells incredible and makes my shower smell amazing. All I do is take out a small chunk with my fingers (or a knife...more sanitary), crush it up into my loofah..and it suds up immediately. you really don't need much product at all. It's not drying as far as I can tell but not that moisturizing, no sparkles are left on my skin. I recommend this product above all of Lushes shower ges/soaps because it makes showering so much fun!! I think that's what Lush is best at, making pampering yourself something you look forward to. EDIT: I got tired of this pretty quickly. I'm almost done with the large size tub and am forcing myself to finish it. The novelty of it wore off and the smell started to annoy me. Now I wish I had gotten whoosh. I've moved on to lush soaps now since loofahs started to freak me out with all the bacteria and what not. Won't repurchase this
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Liquid -Make Up For Ever - Mat Velvet PLUS Matifying Foundation
cgw1 4/4/2013 1:08:00 AM
I should have never tried this. I have combo/dry skin and this just clung to my dry patches and made me even drier. The good news is that 20 was a perfect match for me, more perfect than any foundation I've tried. I could see this working for people with oily skin.
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Other -Neutrogena - Deep Clean Oil-Free Makeup Remover Cleansing Wipes
cgw1 3/22/2013 2:50:00 AM
Out of all the makeup wipes I've tried, these are my favorite. The other neutropenia wipes I've tried (blue, pink, and purple) all leave an awful oily residue on my skin. This oil-free one doesn't leave that icky residue which is great. It is drier than the other wipes so it doesn't remove mascara well, but I only use it on my face not eyes. It removes makeup in a pinch, but if I have time I always follow up with another cleanser to make sure no makeup is left behind. For me makeup wipes shouldn't replace a cleanser, but for their purpose they are great. Main reason why I give them a 3 is because of the awful smell. If u don't mind medicinal smells then give it a try EDIT: oh my goodness that smell. So terrible I can never use these again. I really despise makeup wipes anyways they make my face feel icky
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Moisturizers -Philosophy - Miracle Worker Miraculous Anti-Aging Moisturizer
cgw1 3/19/2013 11:52:00 AM
I recently went on a trip with my family and forgot to bring moisturizer, so I borrowed my mom's Philosophy moisturizer. There is a 30 yr age difference between us and I realize at 24 this probably is a little too strong, but nonetheless my skin LOVED it. I have acne scarring and after only 1 week this moisturizer has faded my scars significantly. My mom so kindly gave me the rest of hers because the packaging is so crappy that the top broke. After I finish it I will check out some more Philosophy moisturizers that are probably better suited for my age. I can't deny it though--my skin loves this stuff and in general i break out to everything.
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Lip Gloss -Smashbox - Smile Brightening Lip Gloss
cgw1 3/19/2013 11:43:00 AM
I received this in a swap a year ago and was so underwhelmed. Fast forward to present-day, and it is now officially my favorite lipgloss! I have a love-hate relationship with lipgloss because I despise sticky lipglosses or lipglosses that are too slick. This is the perfect in-between texture and it stays on for hours even through eating!! I love love love the minty fresh flavor and it makes my lips tingle and actually plumps them better than any lipgloss I've tried. The color is perfect for my extremely pigmented lips--it's not opaque but it blends in with my natural color nicely to create a beautiful translucent pink color with a little shimmer. I also love the brush applicator. I didn't know I could be this excited about a lipgloss! I don't know if they discontinued it or not, but either way I look forward to buying more smashbox lipglosses!
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Blush -NARS - Madly
cgw1 2/11/2013 8:01:00 PM
This is a tough review for me to write. Usually when I'm on the fence about a blush it means it just doesn't work on me. I received this in a swap, and was really excited about it because I've started getting into nude/bronzey blushes. This is a rosey bronze color which reminds me of a more bronzey GA #10 and a more rosey Benefit Dallas (I own both). I also own Sue Devitt Koh Samui, which is much lighter and sheer than Madly. Madly has a sheen to it (not glitter), but the sheen is gorgeous and definitely adds to the "glow" factor that Madly gives. Now for the bad part: Unfortunately, on my NC20 skin this just does not work. Even if applied lightly it looks muddy, and like other Nars blushes it tends to fade patchily throughout the day leaving me with a patchy bronzey mess on my cheeks. I have combo skin so this may be a contributing factor. Worst of all, I have acne scarring on my cheeks which I have to cover with concealer. Madly makes my acne look 10x worse. The brick rose color combined with the shine just makes my acne stand out (and it's not even that bad!). I've had to stop wearing GA 10 because of this same reason. I also tried Madly as a bronzer, which looks ok, but I think Benefit Dallas works better as a bronzer. I'm disappointed because I've seen this look AMAZING on darker skin tones and it just didn't work on my pasty acne scarred cheeks : ( I will be keeping this though because I truly believe when I get a little tanner and when my acne scars lighten up madly will look divine. Until then, this will sit in the drawer unloved : ( I recommend trying this one on first it can be tricky.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No