Crème -Revlon - ColorStay Whipped Creme Makeup
desertmom4 6/3/2012 11:44:00 PM
Gonna keep this review quick ( hopefully) & to the point. First off, I am not a fan of d/s fndtns as I have never found one I liked. After getting suckered into the hype for this fndtn, I caved and bought it. I have worn it for 3 days straight ( long enough to render an opinion on it), all times w/ a primer, all times set w/ my MSFN, and sprayed w/ Fix +. Applied w/ RT stippling and buffer brush. I have normal, clear skin, and prefer a dewy look with long wear. Here goes the pros/cons: Pros: Good match ~ bought Natural Tan am NC35-40 Nice creamy texture Loved the glass jar pckging ( felt elegant, perhaps I have Chanel on my mind). Looked good initially Didn't feel heavy on face Cons: light/ med coverage, bordering closer to light ( prefer more of a med coverage) as day worn on started to fade making me look older ( according to DD) semi-matte finish ( hoping for dewy like some other ppl said it gave them) made face look flat/ one dimensional ( I do contour/ highlight daily) All in all, this is going back 2morrow. I tried it, and even though it is one of the better d/s fndtns I have tried, I will stick to my beloved higher end fndtns that deliver.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -MAC - Mineralize Skinfinish in Give Me Sun!
desertmom4 4/22/2012 2:03:00 AM
Absolutely love this bronzer! I am NC35/40 and this is a really nice contouring bronzer. I apply a little in the hollow of my cheeks, around my hairline, under my chin, under my jaw...and I look like the sun just "kissed" me. I don't find it orangey or glittery, or flat...just right to be exact. Since it is a mineralize powder, the pigmentation is crazy good, and a little goes a long way. I can see this bronzer lasting a long, long time. I also like that I use it as my transitional e/s color when doing bronze, brown, warm-toned eye looks. It looks fab w/ ATG on the lid, dazzlelight on brow, and this sandwhiched inbetween the 2. A nice winged liner and I have a neutral, not boring simple eye. Overall, I would repurchase as well as highly recommend it for those NC/NW 25 or darker :)
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Laura Geller - Spackle primer/corrector in Bronze
desertmom4 11/11/2011 1:24:00 AM
I used to use the reg version of spackle in the past. I have normal / dry skin and found it to be somewhat moisturizing. It worked well for me, but purchasing it was always a pita as no stores carried it. I have always wanted to try the bronze version. Well I was @ Ulta the other day just browsing as I was bored, and low-and-behold behind me were LG products. I was surprised to see a few shelves dedicated to LG as I though since she was out of Sephora, she was basically out of all brick and mortar stores. Needless to say when I had seen the bronze spackle I knew I had to try it, rather buy it. My first impression was "wow" the bottle is huge. It carries 2 oz, comes in a pump bottle which is good for hygenic purposes. The cost was $20. Not bad at all! To begin, I am NC30 w/ normal/ dry skin. I have redness around my nose and cheeks for the most part. I always loved a tinted primer as it helps to even out my skintone. I pumped out about 1 1/2 pumps of this spackle onto my fingertips and applied it all over my face like I would a moisturizer. At first I tried a reg foundation brush, but I felt that it absorb my spackle, as I really couldn't feel it on my skin. Fingers work best for this primer. It felt good on my face, almost cool sensation, and it evened out my skintone slightly ( no orange color) while giving me a subtle glow. Heaven knows I need to glow as I am getting older, my skin looks duller :( It didn't feel tacky, but moist...it did dry down after a few minutes. This is fine for me as I prime my face, then do my eye makeup, then my fndtn. My fndtn glides on my face, blends easily, and works well with this spackle. I don't have huge pores, so can't really comment on this reducing pore size, but for me this foundation really works well. It does help my fndtn wear longer, even out skintone, gives me a subtle glow, adds a tad more moisture. Just from the texture of this primer, I honestly don't think it would be all that beneficial for oily skinned ppl, as there are no mattifying ingredients. I would recommend it to ppl w/ the same skin type as me. I am happy with this primer, and will repurchase as long as it's easily available. I do alternate between this and my MAC P&P :)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Josie Maran Cosmetics - Protect Daily Sun Protection Argan Oil infused Sunscreen
desertmom4 10/26/2011 1:59:00 AM
I love this moisturizer / ss combo. I have normal/ dry skin and this moisturizer really hydrates my skin. It contains argan oil, which I love as I use argan oil at night for added moisturizing. It smells citrusy, and sinks into my skin making it feel super soft. It does have SPF 40 ~ UVA/UVB protection which I want, and for me does not leave a whitish cast to my face. It comes in a pump bottle, which is great for sanitary reasons. The costs isn't too steep either ( $32) compared to other higher end lines that don't work for me. It is compatible with my primer and foundation :) I am thrilled to have finally found a HG moisturizer/ sunscreen! Yes, I will repurchase. I originally purchased the trial size to well "try it out", ended up using it all up...so literally the other day I went in and purchased the full size. I don't want to be without this stuff ;)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Rimmel - Volume Flash the MAX Waterproof
desertmom4 10/26/2011 1:45:00 AM
Let me start off by saying I have sparse lashes. I need volume more than I need length, and when I ran out my current mascara ( CG LB), I decided to try something different. I picked up this Rimmel mascara as the name " volume flash the MAX waterproof" seemed to fit the bill for my lash needs. Besides the hot pink packaging suckered me...love pink! lol. This mascara did give my sparse lashes volume without clumping. I used 2-3 coats. I was impressed with the results, but my complaint comes with the fact that this masacra is too "wet". Meaning, it coated my lashes fine as the brush picked up enough product when pulled from the tube, but the formula itself was wet to where it took FOREVER to dry. When I'd blink, it would transfer to under my eye area. I let a few minutes pass, as I do my eyes 1st, then my foundation, then back to do my lower lash line with liner and mascara, and when I got to the point of doing my lower lash, the mascara from the top still was wet & smudged underneath. What a PITA to clean it up! Needless to say, I used up the tube as I didn't want to waste my $, but I will not repurchase. I will stick with my trusty CG LB.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Shu Uemura - Eyelash Curler
desertmom4 10/8/2011 2:38:00 PM
I have this in the LE gold version. Found it at Lancome Outlet in Las Vegas, so the price was right ( $7 iirc). Before I purchased this curler, I have recently been using Revlon's, and thought it did an ok job of curling my sparse, semi-straight lashes. I mean I never noticed a difference with curler's as they all do the same thing. The Shiseido one was no different imo. My lashes looked the same afterwards as the same it did when I used Revlon's. I will admit that with Shu's. I didn't have to press down so hard to curl, and that it didn't seem to pull as much as Revlon's. With both curler's my curl stayed all day too. In reality, most curler's are the same for me, but if I had to choose just one, I would choose Shu's as it was tad more gentle. You can find this at Ulta now....the reg one, not the gold LE.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -MAC - Select Moisturecover
desertmom4 10/8/2011 2:30:00 AM
This is truly a gr8 concealer for under the eyes. It's light and moisturizing enough to not leave the undereye area dry, crepey looking. Packaging resembles a l/g tube ~doe foot wand. Easy to dab on just where you need it. I have dark circles under my eyes, and when just using this to conceal, I do find it doesn't cover them up completely. My darkness still shows through, but I find my undereye area is lighter/ brighter. With a little experimenting, I find that this product works best as an eye brightner rather than concealer. After I have applied foundation to my face & undereye area, I apply a few dots of this concealer under my eyes and blend it out with 217. I set it with MAC Prep and Prime powder, and it leaves my eye area looking more awake / fresh most of the day. It doesn't accentuate dryness or fine lines. I have used this for blemishes and redness, and this product is just too thin to do any good in those areas. I have tried it as an e/s base to even out eyelids, and it creased on my quickly. So, if you're looking for a light weight under eye brightener or have slight darkness under your eye, give this concealer a try. Definitely will repurchase.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -MAC - Studio Sculpt [DISCONTINUED]
desertmom4 10/8/2011 2:21:00 AM
Not a bad concealer, actually it's pretty good for covering up redness and blemishes. I haven't played with it under my eyes as the consistency although whipped mouse like, I feel it may be a tad thick for under my eyes. Comes in a pot w/ screw off lid. Not the most hygenic, but that's how it goes. Texture is light, almost mousse like yet product seems a tad thick. Thick enough to cover redness and blemishes w/ minimal creasing. If it creases, too much was used. Wears most of the day on my normal/ dry skin without enhancing any dryness. Tried it as an e/s base, and that was a fail. It creased within a few hours, unlike Studio Finish. Overall, a good concealer...something worth considering. Would purchase again, as I like to have a variety of products to mix things up.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -MAC - Studio Finish Concealer
desertmom4 10/8/2011 2:15:00 AM
This is probably my fave concealer from MAC. I have tried them all...literally, and while I have only 3 I have kept, this is the best of the bunch. I have normal / dry skin and mainly use this concealer for redness, blemishes, and as an e/s base/ primer. I have tried it under my eyes to conceal dark circles, but this concealer is just too thick and not as creamy as I would prefer for under eyes. It does have a tendency to emphasize eye area dryness as well as slightly enhance my eye wrinkles :( It comes in a flip-top pot form, texture is solid, yet warms up to a creamy consitency when applied with fingers. I use my fingers to apply it over my eye lid, only applying a thin layer. Enough to even out my eyelid. I don't set it, but rather let it set itself for a few seconds before applying e/s. I find e/s is easy to blend over it, so no worries there. It has an SPF too which helps decrease chances of more fine lines on the lid. It wears all day, and rarely creases. If it does, it's because I've applied too much. I prefer it over my paint pots: Painterly and Soft Ochre. When covering blemishes and redness ( around my nose), I use a paddle foundation brush to apply, and blend out with my 217. Covers them up nicely, and wears 90% of the day. I do notice some redness showing through around my nose as the day progressses, but then again I am one to blow my nose at least once a day. No problem though, as this little gem is easily portable in my purse, and I just pop it out, swipe, and reapply as needed. Overall, this is a gr8 concealer for my needs, and I will repurchase over and over.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Wet 'n' Wild - Mega Eyes Creme Eyeliner - Black
desertmom4 10/7/2011 10:26:00 PM
Not for me. Cheap, yes. I mean who doesn't want to save money this day and age. It was far less expensive than my MAC or BB gel liners. I had this in black, and it wasn't as dark/ intense as I was hoping. When applied it was more like a slate grey. The brush was hard to work with as it was small, no biggie as I used my trusty 266. The product itself was not too wet, creamy and workable. It did seem to last all day, but faded color wise as the day progressed. I don't have oily lids either. Overall, it was just ok...nothing I would consider repurchasing.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Essence - Lash and Brow Gel Mascara
desertmom4 10/7/2011 10:18:00 PM
HG Alert! I absolutely love this brow gel! It is dirt cheap ( iirc @$2-3), easily found ( at Ulta), does an amazing job at combing/ setting my brows after I have filled them in with a powder. My brows stay in place all day. Need I say more? Yes, will repurchase over and over.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -MAC - Fluidline - Avenue
desertmom4 10/7/2011 10:13:00 PM
I am usually a fan of MAC's fluidlines. I find them more intense and easier to work with than BB's gel liners. I wanted something that was day appropriate, as sometimes I feel black is a little bit too much depending on the eye shadow scheme I am wearing that day. Avenue is a black/ brown ( mostly brown imo) w/ very subtle gold glitter. The texture is creamy which makes for easy application, but I did find that this shade is hard to make a defined line. I find that the more you go over it to intensify the color, it likes to skip / wipe off color where you previously deposited it. When I try to fill in my wing on my liner, it takes a lot of dipping and reapplying. It wears pretty well, but not as long as persay Blacktrack. This shade is LE, and imo not worth it. It's nothing special to warrant a back-up. If you want a liner with gold glitter, opt for Blitz-n-Glitz. That one is NICE!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -E.L.F. - Waterproof Eyeliner Pen
desertmom4 7/13/2011 1:39:00 PM
Intrigued by ELF products as they are cheap and most products work well. I love trying diff types of waterproof eyeliner from pencils, gels, pens, etc. For $1 what did I have to lose right? Well...wrong! I lost my $1 ( actually gonna return it) as this product s**ks! I read in the reviews that it dries out completely if not closed super tight, but c'mon now, I just took it out of the pckg to use it for the 1st time and it applied well on my 1st eye I did, but when I went to do the 2nd eye, this product was nearly non-existent. Meaning, I swiped it on my hand to see if there's product and all I'd get were very faint marks that skipped when I tried to draw a line. Like a marker on it's last leg. pooh! I had to bust out with my Essence gel liner ( cheap too: $3.50 @ Ulta) to go over my 1st eye so it would match my 2nd eye. Overall, this ELF eyeliner is a dud, as I am sure most of them are. But what do you expect for $1? Fail! Btw ~ forgot to mention I bought this in the shade Coffee, as I didn't even see a black one. Hmmm.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Viktor & Rolf - Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb
desertmom4 6/7/2011 1:57:00 AM
DH actually picked this out for me at Sephora on his B-day. I've always seen this fragrance on ppl's wish lists, and never knew what it was. So while we were in Sephora smelling fragrances, DH said for me to try it. Apparently he found it before I did. When I 1st smelled it, I found it to be sweet smelling. Almost like a mixture of various flowers and sweet food scents. I also noticed how potent / heavy the fragrance was. I liked it right away, as I like to smell the perfume on me all day. Sometimes when I wear a scent I can smell it in the beginning, but as the day progresses it fades. Although other's can smell it on me still. What I like about this scent is that it lasts all day and I truly like the way it smells. I have received numerous compliments when wearing it. Of course DH likes it :) I was shocked at the price, dang near $100. *sigh* Luckily I had my F&F coupon on hand and got it for around $80. It has lasted me around 6 months even though I did not wear it every day. I am sad I am out as I really love this scent. Perhaps when F&F comes again this year I will stock up :) I will repurchase.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Crème -Bobbi Brown - EXTRA Repair Foundation
desertmom4 5/26/2011 1:31:00 AM
Received a generous sized sample of this fndtn in the shade Warm Natural. I wear this shade in BB's Skin and Luminous fndtn, as well as am a Med in her Extra TM Balm. Translated in MAC lingo ~ NC30/35. My skin type is normal / dry, non breakout prone. Little red around the nose and cheeks. I love the Extra TM Balm, yet wanted a little more coverage so I decided to try this fndtn. It comes in a jar which is a PITA as I am always grabbing a q-tip to swipe out enough product. I put the fndtn on the back of my hand, and apply with my brush from that point. I can't imagine dipping my brush in the pot nor my fingers as that would cause some bacteria issues for me. Coverage is light to med. More than the TM Balm, almost the same coverage like her Skin fndnt. It covers my redness nicely, doesn't accentuate any dry spots, doesn't look cakey, and feels light. Although if I want my redness completely gone all day, I do use concealer just to be safe. The finish is dewy...very dewy. To me it looks more dewy than her Luminous fndtn. Nothing a little setting powder won't fix. It did wear most of the day and into the night for me. No touch ups needed. I also use a primer, so that may have an effect on the longevity of the wear. The only thing though that made me not want to purchase this fndtn was the fact that even though I am not breakout prone when using foundation, this foundation broke me out...BAD :( I don't know why, and I do know it is from this foundation as I changed nothing in my routine and the day after I wore this I had 2 cystic like pimples on my chin. The kind that is swollen. red, hard, yet the head has not surfaced yet. Totally sucked as my face is blemish free. Of course I had to mess with the zits, so they would heal faster, but that just left me with 2 huge red owies on my chin :( *pooh* I didn't wear the foundation again as I needed full coverage to mask my owies ( high praises to LM Silk Creme fndtn). So, a week passes, and I try the BB Xtra Repair fndtn again just on the off chance it wasn't the culprit to my blemishes. The next day.....TAA DAA...2 more zits. One on my chin and one on the side of my nose. UGH! I give up on this fndtn which is fine by me as the price is crazy $55 ( I'd rather go w/ Chanel), and in all honesty I can find a cheaper dupe that won't break me out. NOT recommended for oily / combo skin...nor acne prone!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No