Lips -Nivea - Hydro Care
dustdrops 3/2/2013 7:35:00 PM
I really like this lip balm. It's one of my favorite lip balms. I had a mild case of seborrheic dermatitis around my mouth, chin, and lip area, causing the skin to flake and split at the corners of my lips. It hurt to open my mouth or even eat! I used EOS and Chapstick lip balms at the time which did not work for me. They felt too waxy and heavy and temporarily relieved the dryness, but the cracks wouldn't heal. Then I found this lip balm one day when I left my old lip balm at home and my lips were feeling tight and super dry, and I really had to find a drugstore real quick. My friend who was with me suggested Nivea, so I bought this one. It's light and not as waxy as EOS or Chapstick. It completely healed my lips and now my lips are soft and smooth again. I am now addicted and I apply it every time I have it near me lol!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
BB Cream -Annabelle - bb cream
dustdrops 9/15/2012 8:32:00 AM
I found a sample of this BB cream inside an Elle mag and I immediately tried it on. I have to say I'm amazed and went out to buy a full tube. It looks and feels incredibly natural, the coverage is good, and it imparts a glow on the skin without looking shiny. You should still use a translucent powder to set it. This BB cream is the closest to an Asian BB cream out of the other Western BB creams I've tried. The coverage is not as good as the Marcelle (which would be medium to full) but this one is quite buildable, and coverage is not much of a problem to me anyway, since all I have are old and rather faint acne scars and some redness. I am Asian and my skin is NC20-25 (NC20 in the winter, NC25 in the summer) and this matches me very well because of its yellow tone. Usually I don't have a problem with Asian BB creams and their infamous grey casts, since it oxidizes to match my skin tone anyway, but they take awhile for it to happen (around 15-30 mins.). With this BB cream all I have to do is slap this on and add some translucent powder, then my do my other makeup like blush, mascara and a light pink lip stain, and I'm out the door. Doesn't take much time at all! As for cons, I have to say that it's not as hydrating as it suggests, because it did somewhat emphasize flakes, but that was also because the first time I wore this, I did not put on moisturizer, so applying moisturizer is a must. The other con is the packaging, which is the common squeeze tube. I preferred Marcelle's pump tube because I am a germophobe when it comes to makeup and I still get a little paranoid when I put this on the back of my hand. But because this product performs so well at this price, I will definitely purchase this BB cream again.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Highlighters -BeneFit Cosmetics - Moon Beam
dustdrops 7/10/2012 6:06:00 PM
This is my favourite Benefit highlighter. I know the High Beam is more popular but I like this more because I prefer Moon Beam's iridescence to High Beam's pearly finish. My only complaint would be the price and the packaging. I don't find the bottle very hygienic due to applying the highlighter with the brush directly to your face, so instead I dot it on the back of my hand and apply with clean fingers. I would buy this again if only the price wasn't so expensive, and there are lots of inexpensive highlighters that perform just as well as this one.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Highlighters -BeneFit Cosmetics - High Beam
dustdrops 7/10/2012 5:52:00 PM
I really liked this highlighter. It looks natural and makes you look radiant and healthy. I like to mix it with a matte foundation or BB cream. I took two lippies away because first of all, the packaging is not very hygienic (I try not to apply directly to my face right out of the bottle but rather, on the back of my hand and then using clean fingers). Secondly it is very expensive, and I think that while this is a good highlighter, there are highlighters that cost less and perform just like, or even better, than this one. I wouldn't purchase this again for that reason, and because I also prefer Moon Beam more.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Avon - Perfect Wear Extralasting Liquid Foundation SPF 15
dustdrops 5/16/2011 9:37:00 PM
I LOVE this foundation. I just do. It is the best for summer especially, when I tend to sweat and produce more sebum than usual. And you know what? It lasts and lasts! It's a medium-to-full liquid foundation, definitely buildable (it dries quickly!) and it's a matte finish. Matte finish is great in the summer time, although I wouldn't use this in the winter unless my face is extremely moisturized and has been exfoliated. Although it's spring now and quite rainy in Toronto, my face is still dry and I wore it today and no dry patches! With this you don't have to even wear powder, but if you are planning to wear this for 12 hours or something, just dust a thin layer and it should last even longer, without any touch-ups. One of my HG foundations! The $15 price tag is not too shabby, but Avon often has sales; I bought this one for $9.99. This is the best long-lasting foundation I have ever bought! I will not hesitate to repurchase after I run out.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -L'Oreal - True Match Super-Blendable Makeup SPF 17
dustdrops 4/8/2011 5:57:00 PM
This is one of the worst drugstore foundations I have ever purchased; possibly even THE worst foundation in drugstore history. I was excited to try this with the L'Oreal Magic Perfecting Base (apparently it's a ripoff of Avon's Magix Face Perfector), which I bought together with the foundation. Too bad this was such a disappointment. The first time I opened it a lot came oozing out, and I ended up wasting because it's so damn runny. I then proceeded to use it after applying the Magic Perfecting Base. It was bad. Really bad. The foundation is dry and it only accented the flakiness of my dry winter skin. It also provided coverage that a tinted moisturizer would have, which is second to none. To me, that wasn't enough coverage, considering I have a few acne scars. It also only lasts about 4-5 hours, even after setting it with powder. The only good thing this foundation did for me was that it evened out my skin tone, which any foundation can do for me, to be honest. I would recommend this to anyone who already has nice skin and only needs to even out their skin tone. I wasted so much money on this. No way am I going to purchase this again.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Maybelline - Fit Me Foundation
dustdrops 4/6/2011 4:50:00 PM
I think this is a good foundation for everyday use. The lightest shades in both the Light and Medium blended into my neutral/slightly warm skintone pretty well. My shade in Light is 115 and 210 in Medium. It does look pretty natural; it's a semi-matte foundation. I liked how it doesn't settle into any lines when I blended a tiny amount in my hands. It doesn't last very long, however. Overall, I wouldn't mind purchasing it again.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lips -The Body Shop - Lip & Cheek Stain
dustdrops 3/31/2011 5:17:00 PM
I love this stain! I find that this is actually a very sheer colour once applied to cheeks or lips. It stays on all day, especially on my cheeks and gives me that beautiful rosy glow, and it did not break me out. I love this on my lips as well! It didn't make my skin dry because glycerin is listed as one of the ingredients, very unlike other stains. Also, it applies very evenly because of its gel formula and the doe foot applicators. Other stains resemble markers or Benefit's Benetint, which has the same applicator as a nail polish. It is so good, I am still on my first tube and I already bought my second one! When I use up all my second one (didn't open it yet...ha!), I will definitely repurchase.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Physicians Formula - Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Mascara Duo
dustdrops 3/31/2011 4:34:00 PM
This is one of my favourite drugstore mascaras. I got this for $14.99 and at first, I thought it was a little bit expensive for a drugstore mascara. However, I saw that only the purple one had an extra tube of it as a bonus, at the exact same price as the other colours! And those other ones only came in one tube. I quickly snatched this one, of course because my eyes are dark brown (almost black), and let me tell you, everyone compliments me when I use it! It is a beautiful rich purple, and it ACTUALLY shows up on my lashes (which is no easy feat for most coloured mascaras because my lashes are so dark) with one swipe! I like the black side as well. The shimmer is only very subtle and is barely visible even in natural sunlight, but that is completely fine with me because I didn't buy this for the shimmer. It gives my straight, short Asian lashes a good amount of length and volume, holds a curl well, and stays on all day without smudging or flaking! I find that the brush is a tad too big, though, so it's difficult to coat your bottom lashes evenly if you don't have a business card handy. I would definitely buy this again!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No