Eye Shadow -MAC - Goldenaire pigment
elaina 1/3/2006 11:12:00 PM
I haven't really bought any high-end makeup in a year. But I got the e-mail from MAC and the lure of the rosy-gold eyeshadow was too much to resist, so I bought it because it looked nice on my hand in the store and the salesgirl said she liked it with my skintone. Yep, I'm easy.
Then I came home and compared it to some other stuff I have, and it's pretty similar in shade to Stila Icon and MAC Naked Lunch: a golden/champagne with a touch of pink type of affair. Neutral but hinting at warm, though not peachy enough to be considered straight-up warm. (I'm NC20, for reference.) Slightly frosty but not as obnoxiously frosty as Stila Kitten, which shows up white on me.
Where Goldenaire differs from these regular eyeshadows, however, is that it is BLINDINGLY SHINY, as in, my-eyelids-could-be-disco-balls shiny. It looks basically like my eyelids are dripping wet and coated in diamonds. When I'm wearing it, I feel like I should be doing lines in a bathroom at Studio 54 or something. I guess I'd forgotten that's what pigments are like because I tried some Tan pigment on afterwards and it was the same story.
Anyway, I'm unsure I'll keep this. It's a pretty enough colour--although not terribly unique--but it seems suitable for nights out only and seeing as I don't partake of many of those, it will never get used up...unless I start snorting it.
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Eye Shadow -Stila - Icon
elaina 1/15/2005 11:41:00 AM
Icon is actually a unique shade to the Stila line, something I haven't seen for awhile. It is a light to medium peachy-pink with a hint of beige. Now, if that sounds like Kitten, hold on a sec: unlike Kitten, Icon does not have the frostiest frost that ever frosted. Because of all the frost, Kitten appeared whitish/ashy on me. Icon does not. Icon does, however, have a fine microglitter that loves to flake all over the place, so you might want to apply it using a damp brush. The microglitter isn't really silver or gold; but I'm warm-toned and it suits me fine. I'd say Icon is rather similar to MAC Naked Lunch, except a bit peachier, less beige, and more garish, due to the microglitter. It's not exactly a subtle/natural effect, but it works as a lid/highlight shade.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Unlisted Brand - Spectro Jel 609
elaina 12/14/2004 3:25:00 AM
Remember the good old days when facial cleansers actually removed makeup? Yeah, those were good times. Unfortunately, this cleanser does nothing to rid me of the ColorStay Stay Natural long-wearing makeup I use. It also reeks of alcohol. I will give it due props for leaving my skin feeling smooth and balanced, but on the whole, Spectro-Jel Spectro-sucks.
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Lip Gloss -Stila - Lipglaze - Mocha
elaina 12/13/2004 1:28:00 PM
Mocha is one of the new shades released in Fall 2004. It is a medium pinkish brown that is a perfect YLBB shade on my pigmented lips. No shimmer, just very glossy and healthy looking. Scent is true-to-life, a hint of a plasticky note, but it's neither cloying nor annoying. There isn't much more to say than that! Love the new, larger size, even if I don't especially love the click-pen style.
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Lips -Stila - Lip Pot in Amande
elaina 8/20/2004 12:07:00 PM
Quite surprised by how much I've been wearing this. Amande is a peachy-brown that basically just tones down the redness in my pigmented lips, nuding them out a bit. The texture is quite nice: more substantial than MAC Tinted Lip Conditioners, not too sticky, not too greasy. No scent that I can detect, and I'm sensitive to such things. My only complaint is that you don't get much product for your money. I'm already about halfway through and I've only had it for about a month.
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Liquid -Revlon - ColorStay Stay Natural Makeup
elaina 7/24/2004 10:50:00 PM
Amazing stuff. I'm not a big Revlon fan, but I was looking for a foundation that would stay put in the humid months, and this has lived up to my expectations. It's not as glittery or even as shimmery as I thought it would be given some of these reviews, and that's coming from someone who is naturally shiny and doesn't need any further assistance in that department. It stays put all day, even when I'm sweating, and I rarely need to blot. It comes off with my regular facial cleanser. The only problem is--and of course there's a problem, wouldn't you know it--is that I don't have a good shade match. I'm PPP with warm undertones, but Ivory is way too pink for me. Buff works in the summer when I'm self-tanning, but it's still a bit too dark. I guess the search continues, but really, this foundation is perfect for me in every other respect. Bah.
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Polishes -Sonia Kashuk - Ideal Nude Nailpolish
elaina 6/8/2004 1:42:00 PM
Aptly named. I find most sheer nudes go on streaky and wash out my pale skintone, but not this one. I have pigmented nailbeds--seriously, they verge on blue-purple. But one coat of this nailpolish warms them up to a pink-beige that looks natural and polished. Perfect for job interviews. It wears surprisingly well, too.
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Lip Gloss -Stila - Lip Glaze Palette - The Nudes Summer 2004
elaina 5/27/2004 1:26:00 PM
I have a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell--er, I mean, Stila Lip Glazes. I really love these palettes, even though there are a lot of valid reasons that you may not. They are not terribly pigmented, but that's actually what I like about them; the sheer colour and subtle shine is what makes them appropriate for days when I don't feel like glittery, bright, blindingly reflective lipgloss--which are most days, for me.
Colour descriptions (Sephora names them Mandarin, Green Tea, Lemon Grass, and Ginger, but aside from Mandarin, I can't tell which is which, so I'll just name them by quadrants):
- Top quadrant (12:00): a soft peachy-melon with subtle gold flecks, appears as a sheer peach on my pigmented lips
- Right quadrant (3:00): a pale mauvey-pink with subtle gold and pink shimmer, appears as a rosy pink on my pigmented lips
- Bottom quadrant (6:00): a dark chocolate brown with subtle gold shimmer, appears as a pink brown on my pigmented lips; close to the top quadrant in the old Nudes palette
- Left quadrant (9:00): a medium burnished gold, appears as a sheer gold on my pigmented lips
The thing is, these aren't clear on my pigmented lips (and I don't use a liner), so I don't know if I'm lucky or just delusional--perhaps both. I like that they last several hours without reapplication, but I enjoy tacky glosses. I'm probably in the minority on that, and also for the fact that I'm okay with these being less pigmented than most people would prefer. Just keep that in mind before you purchase.
Oh, and a word on the packaging: it's attractive and durable, a bronze metal-type compact with a starburst graphic (I miss the Stila girls, though), but it doesn't include a retractable lipbrush, like the older Lip Glaze palettes did, and I think they charged the same (ridiculous) price. Boo-urns for that.
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Eyeliner -Prestige - Eyeliner E-70 Denim
elaina 5/25/2004 7:50:00 PM
I agree with BCBabe, Denim is a misnomer for what is essentially a vivid turquoise blue with a bit of shimmer. And I also agree that it is identical to the Lagoon kohl; the reason I chose Denim is that it seemed softer on my hand. I don't usually like pencil liners because I don't find they give the precise line or staying power of eyeshadow or Stila Smudge Pot/Bobbi Brown Gel Liner + MAC #266, but with a colour like this, you want the line to show up anyway so it works. I wish it were a little more green-hued with a golden shimmer, but it's very pretty paired with a peachy eyeshadow like Stila Jezebel. It actually lasts pretty much the whole day on my oily lids (the upper lids, anyway), but I like to set it with L'Oreal OTL in Diva Down, which is virtually the same colour.
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Gels/Soaps -Philosophy - Amazing Grace Bath, Shampoo & Shower Gel
elaina 5/17/2004 1:52:00 PM
So overpriced, so fleeting...so amazing: this is the dilemma of Amazing Grace 3-in-1. The scent is a light floral with musky notes. Just to give you an example of other scents I enjoy: J. Lo Glow, Banana Republic W, Demeter Laundromat. The 3-in-1 lathers up nicely and leaves my skin soft; I tried it once as a hair shampoo and while it would do in a pinch, it's a little too drying (not to mention expensive) for me to use on a regular basis. Unlayered, the scent doesn't last long outside the shower, but every now and then, I'll catch a whiff and smile.
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Makeup Brushes -Sonia Kashuk - Smudge Brush
elaina 5/17/2004 1:27:00 AM
This brush has been through a lot during its tenure with me. At first, I tried to use it to line with powder eyeshadow, and found the resulting line too thick and imprecise for my liking. Down to the pits of my train case it went. Next, I tried to use it to apply my Bobbi Brown Gel Liner. Again, a too thick line = back to makeup hell for you. Just when I was about ready to chuck it, I decided to put it to the task it was intended for: smudging. Novel, I know. I smudged the line I'd created with my MAC #266 and my Stila Smudge Pot. Hello, sexy, smoky line. The moral is--and I'm sure you've already caught onto this--this brush is best for blending/smudging liner that has been applied with a more precise brush. It now has a prominent place in my duckie brush cup--and my heart. Aw.
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Lip Gloss -MAC - Viva Glam V Lipglass
elaina 5/17/2004 1:16:00 AM
This gloss tricked me! I tested it on my hand and it appeared as a nice, neutral pink with subtle gold shimmer, more pigmented than Nymphette and less warm than Lust. So I bought it without trying it on, because I was in a rush and I'm usually happy with colours that I like as they appear swatched on my hand. Not this time. It's nice, but too mauvey/plummy/cool for NC15 me, not a true neutral. I like my warm-toned makeup, and it doesn't seem to pair too well with that. I can warm it up a bit with Subculture lipliner, but it's not my favourite gloss. However, it's for an awesome cause, so I'll deal. I just recommend warm-toned folks try this one on to see if they like how it appears on the lips, not the hand.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Lustre in Jubilee
elaina 5/17/2004 1:12:00 AM
Jubilee is a more neutral version of Hug Me: a medium beigey-pink. As much as I like the Lustre lipsticks in theory, my lips are pigmented, which means I need a base (like Subculture lipliner) for this to last for more than five minutes without my natural lip colour peeking through. Even then, the staying power isn't great. But the colour goes with just about anything, which is why I let it hang around.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Quo - Blush Brush
elaina 5/16/2004 2:04:00 PM
I have a large, round face. I've come to terms with this, really. But this blush brush is ridiculously large--so large that I use it for bronzer and blending out blushes and powders more than I do for actual application. It stands up to repeated washings, it picks up pigment extremely well, it's oh-so-soft, yadda yadda, but it is HUGE. Perhaps it was made for chipmunks.
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Eyeliner -Stila - Smudge Pot in Black
elaina 5/16/2004 1:55:00 PM
Quite simply put, sex in a pot. BUY IT.
What, you want more? Okay, this is a smoldering, inky black that smudges perfectly each time without diminishing in intensity or looking messy. I like this better than Bobbi Brown Gel Liner in Black Ink, which was a little *too* intense for daytime; Stila's version works for both day and night. It's also waxier and a bit less pigmented than Bobbi Brown's, and I don't think it wears quite as long on my oily lids (it does stay about four or five hours on my inner rims, however), but the difference is neglible. I don't really have a preference between the two formulas; I enjoy the subtle differences, in fact.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No