Self Tanners -Fake Bake - Self-Tanning Lotion
dawl_1015 6/29/2012 8:55:00 PM
I like this, but I probably wouldn't pay full price. Starting with the packaging, it comes in a cute little box that contains the bottle, instructions, and some gloves. The bottle has a squirt top, and makes it easy to apply. In the tube, the tanner is a very dark brown (think chocolate pudding) color, with a thick pudding-like consistency. It goes on very dark (I'm assuming that was the color guide, so you can see where you're putting it). It rubs in easily, but will apply better if you apply it after a shower, when your skin is till semi-moist. I've been self tanning for almost 10 years and that's one of the tricks I've learned for the easiest and most even application. I globbed it on and rubbed it in, I used a small amount and the color guide actually looked natural once it rubbed in all the way. I did this during the day and not at night, because I didn't want to stain my sheets, and planned on sitting around the rest of the afternoon anyways. The tanner smelled nice, not that overwhelming DHA smell most tanners have, it kind of smelled like clay or something, not bad just very neutral and unoffensive. I liked that it gave an instant bronze when I applied it too. To be honest, I didn't bother with the gloves since I basically have self tanning down to a science at this point, but I don't recommend that unless you're a pro. I just applied it with wet hands to my entire body, rubbed it in, and then just washed my hands (palms) really well with a good liquid hand soap. Yes, they looked scary dark, but it comes off your hands entirely after washing them. If it doesn't come off after one wash, wash them again until it does. It's just the bronzer staining them, the DHA in the tanner can't develop that quickly so as long as you wash them right away, they will not be stained. (Just make sure you get the sides of your hands, in between your fingers, and around your nails!) I left the tanner on the rest of the day, night, and the next day since I had already showered before I applied it. I had great color the next day, very brownish and believable, although I already have a fairly dark real tan, so I don't know what it would look like on someone pale. It was very deep and even, although this could also be because I hadn't washed the color guide off yet. When I showered the next night, it lightened a tiny tad, but not noticeably (again though, this could be because I'm already tanned), it's a bit hard to keep track of what's from the tanner and what's natural color, as I live in Southern California and spend alot of time in the sun. I thought this was a nice product, and especially enjoyed the scent, however I probably would not repurchase it at the full price. I just don't think it's worth the inflated price for the small amount and fancy packaging (which they could probably cut down on by the way, for environmental reasons!). I found it very comparable to my Banana Boat Summer Color in Deep, so for $5 I will probably opt for that instead as it gives the same results. If I can get another great deal on this though, I wouldn't mind using it again :) Happy tanning!
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Self Tanners -Banana Boat - Summer Color Sunless Lotion Deep Dark
dawl_1015 6/21/2012 10:45:00 PM
I'm LOVING this. Previously I was a fan of L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Gelee in Deep, however I tried this when I saw it at Walmart for a couple dollars cheaper. It's more of cream consistency, and out of the tube it is a muddy, chocolate brown color. Very smooth and easy to apply, and smelled fantastic! Not that weird DHA smell that self tanners usually have. There is also no glitter or anything in it. I slathered this on after my shower and washed my hands (I have self tanning down to a 5 minute science, I've been doing it so long lol) and waited patiently. The color developed gorgeous, a very natural brownish tan color (not orange at all, although this could also be because I already have a good tan from the tanning bed). There were zero streaks (although again, I'm just good at applying tanners and have never had streaks with any product, if you can believe it). It smelled really nice and fresh, and it darkened my existing tan to a very believeable tropical island hue. I will 100% be repurchasing this, I give it 5/5 stars as far as quality, price, and packaging. What a great tanner for a bargain price!
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Lotions/ Creams -The Body Shop - Coconut Shimmer Body Butter
dawl_1015 4/6/2012 6:52:00 PM
My best friend gave this to me for my birthday, and I LOVE IT! It's pretty much the same as the regular coconut body butter as far as scent and quality, except loaded with shimmer! (think along the lines of Mac Strobe). I'll also let you in on a little secret, I use it on my face! I never break out, and have very dry skin, so I always use body shop butters as my facial moisturizer during the dryer months. With this shimmer butter, I mix a little bit with my Mac Face & Body foundation, and apply it to my face... I get compliments on how soft and glowy my skin looks every single day! I also mix a teeny tiny dab with my foundation and use it specifically under my eyes, the shimmer helps lift and lighten the area (I don't have especially dark circles) but it works better than the under eye brightening creams/pens I used to buy. My skin gets the moisture it needs (especially around the eyes) and looks great at the same time... with this I don't need to use a special eye cream at night or brightener during the day, and I use less foundation now because I split it with this. LOVE this stuff and will repurchase forever!
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Eyeliner -E.L.F. - Cream Eyeliner - All Colors
dawl_1015 3/19/2012 12:37:00 AM
...I feel like alot of people reviewing this are makeup amateurs, or aren't using a good brush... or just have really oily eyelids or something? This is amazing for the price and stays on perfectly all day AND night for me (yes, I slept in it). Definately equal to if not better than (in my opinion) the MAC version. This has a really dark rich color to it (the black shade) and holds up to its claim of not smudging. Heck, when I swatched it on my hand when I first bought it, I couldn't even get it off! This is my staple cream liner now, screw MAC and Bobbi Brown. I have normal not overly oily skin, so I don't have a problem at all with this product staying put. I will 110% be purchasing this again. EDIT: If you don't think it's going on dark enough, dampen it a tiny bit.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Studio Powder Brush
dawl_1015 3/19/2012 12:23:00 AM
This thing is ridiculously soft and fluffy... as soon as I came home and took it out of the package, I spent a good 5 minutes just sitting there petting my face with it. And I don't even care how weird that sounds, I'm in brush LOVE! I feel like an idiot for spending so much on more expensive brush brands, when I could've saved a ton of cash and just bought this thing for $3. It's incredible at buffing makeup into your skin and truly gives a flawless airbrushed look. There are never any lines or streaking with this, and personally I prefer this brush over the Sonia whateverherlastnameis version. Great brush, great price, go buy one! ......now!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Eyeshadow Brush
dawl_1015 3/19/2012 12:19:00 AM
For the price, this brush is 5 star quality. I've purchased more expensive brushes in the past (Aloette, MAC etc) and this does the trick just as well. It's a very comfortable brush to use, and as far as application, it delivers color well as the bristles are very dense but fluffy at the same time. I'm convinced that with brands like MAC you're paying for the name not necessarily quality. I should've saved $100 on brushes and just bought this for $1 at Target. I will definately be using this line should I ever need more brushes.
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Makeup Brushes -Aloette - 7 pc. brush set
dawl_1015 3/9/2012 8:55:00 PM
Bought these on Ebay at a fraction of the cost, they're amazing in my opinion! My best friend had an Aloette party a few years ago, and acquired the brushes as part of her hosting benefits. Fast forward to now, she did my makeup one night because I was being lazy (lol) but I couldn't get over how soft her eyeshadow brushes were, and how dense the shadow went on (we use the same shadow, so I definately noticed a difference in the application!). She said they were the brushes she got from her Aloette party. I didn't want to spend $60 but kept my eye on Ebay and was able to find a brand new set for half the price. They truly are great quality, and I can definately tell a difference in the way my makeup looks using these vs. other brushes that I own. Glad I bought them!
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Trax
dawl_1015 11/5/2011 6:23:00 PM
I'm kind of over my Mac craze, as I've started to find other cheaper alternatives that work just as well (thanks to this site!) But I love the shade of this. A friend of mine gave this to me a long time ago, but I didn't start using it until recently, it just kind of sat in my drawer forgotten about. When I dusted it off and tried it out though, I really love it! It gives just enough pigment, and is the perfect color to compliment my green eyes. It really makes them 'pop' and I get tons of compliments whenever I wear this. I don't really use a shadow primer unless I'm going somewhere special, so on a daily basis it doesn't really crease or give me any problems. I really enjoy this shade!
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Blush -NARS - Orgasm Blush
dawl_1015 4/15/2011 6:03:00 PM
I honestly don't understand why everyone makes such a huge deal about this blush. I just don't get it. I read tons of awesome reviews for it online, and about 6 different magazines told me this blush was the "perfect shade for everyone", so I got all hyped up and ran out to Sephora to buy one... Thank God I decided to try out the tester before hand, because it's honestly horrible. On me at least. I feel like it could be a really pretty color on someone who's extremely pale, but I'm fairly tanned so the color didn't even show up! It just looked extremely chalky and powdery on me, like I'd taken a really pale powder and dabbed it all over my cheeks... it didn't look pink/peach at all, and it was just completely wrong for my skintone. I don't really know who this would look good on, but they'd have to be pretty pale for the color to show up. I didn't even think the pigment or the texture were that nice! Definately NOT worth the price in my opinion. It was disappointing because I had such high hopes for this blush, and it was nothing I expected it to be. To be honest, I own an Elf blush in Candid Coral (supposedly a dupe for the Orgasm shade) and it looks just lovely on me... it's basically everything I was expecting the real Orgasm to be. I've been a Sephora fan all my life, but I'm slowly starting to realize that not all the higher priced/higher end brands are actually worth it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Blistex - Fruit Smoothies SPF 15
dawl_1015 3/4/2011 1:28:00 AM
Chapsticks are very subjective, and it depends on how dry your lips are/what ingredients work for you... These work great for me. I love the scents and they keep my lips extremely smooth and moisturized. I like the SPF factor as I like to wear chapstick while I'm in the tanning bed or at the beach. Obviously if you dislike scented/flavored chapstick, you're probably not gonna like these lol... I happen to be a fan so these are my #1. I also like how they give you 3 different flavors, it's nice to be able to mix it up a little bit when I get tired of using the same one.
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Lipstick -NYX - Fig
dawl_1015 3/1/2011 1:20:00 AM
This is close to Tea Rose, but alot more vibrant. Compared to Tea Rose I'd say this is more pink/coral looking. Great shade, goes with my tanned complexion really nicely and I've gotten alot of compliments on it. Like the other shades this is very creamy and thick, almost Mac Cremesheen quality. Some people have said their Nyx lipsticks are thin though, so I'm thinking I just got a really good batch?? lol whatever, I'll take it. I love this shade.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -NYX - Round Lipstick - Tea Rose
dawl_1015 3/1/2011 1:16:00 AM
I love this shade! I was worried after reading a couple so-so reviews, but as far as lipstick colors are concerned, it's so subjective because it depends on your personal skintone, lip pigmentation etc. Luckily, this shade suits me well. I don't find it bright or too pink at all, on me it's a pale rose shade with almost salmon colored undertones... kind of a nude pink, as opposed to a bright or true pink. Like other Nyx lipsticks, this is thick, creamy, and I would venture to say very close to a Mac Cremesheen. Maybe I just got an awesome batch of lipstick?? haha either way, I'm very impressed. Great color for daily wear.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -NYX - Round Lipstick in Pumpkin Pie #630
dawl_1015 2/27/2011 7:26:00 PM
This might be my new HG nude lipstick. Very creamy, very pigmented, and very pretty... The color is a pale peachy nude that looks very natural and goes with just about any makeup look. You can tweak the color a bit by wearing it directly on your lips, or by dabbing on a little foundation before you apply it, to make it more opaque/milky looking. I prefer it by itself as I find it very creamy/opaque looking on it's own (I have very light colored lips though). It has a creamy/satiny finish to it, and nothing about it is reminiscent of pumpkin pie.. I wish Nyx would name their shades more accurately! I would categorize this as a nude or a light peach. Considering the price, this is a nice quality and a very nice shade... I will definately be repurchasing this when I run out.
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Lipstick -NYX - Paris
dawl_1015 2/27/2011 7:19:00 PM
This picture above isn't accurate at all... This lipstick is way more blue-toned and almost a purple-ish pink. Think "Barbie" lipstick. To be honest, that's exactly why I purchased it... I have so many natural looking pink lipsticks, I wanted to mix things up a bit. I wanted the perfect obvious and in your face Barbie pink lip color... And I found it. This lipstick is very creamy, very pigmented, and not drying in the slightest. Those are all things I look for in a lipstick. I find the consistency and finish comparable to a Mac Cremesheen... obviously a lower quality version, but it's still a very nice lipstick for a drugstore type brand. I prefer my lipsticks to have a creamy/satiny appearance, and this does that effortlessly... I was expecting a much cheaper/dryer quality considering the price, but Nyx has definately been surprising me lately! The color is blue-toned and slightly purple, which may make it difficult for some people to pull off, but if you're feeling brave or do well with brighter lip shades, you might end up liking it. I also find that I can tweak the color depending on whether I apply it directly to my lips, on if I base it with a lighter foundation first (foundation makes it appear more milky/purple in color), which can be fun once in a while. I got this on sale for $2.50 so I have to say it was definately worth the price... I may not be splurging on so many Mac lipsticks anymore!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -NYX - Rouge Cream Blush - Golden
dawl_1015 2/27/2011 7:08:00 PM
This blush is a nice peachy-nude with flecks of golden shimmer throughout. I didn't expect much from this, but I really like it. I have a dark tan so it doesn't show up very well on me, but I like to use it on the tops of my cheekbones for the shimmery effect. Sometimes if I'm going out I actually use it as a base for my powder highlighter (Mac's Honor.. which is also supposed to be a blush). As far as texture, this blush is smooth and creamy, glides on easily, and lasts (on me) for hours. A tiny bit goes a long way, and the shimmer isn't too chunky or overpowering. Just a nice subtle sparkle in the sunlight. All in all, considering how dirt cheap this is, I would probably repurchase!
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No