Mascara -Max Factor - Lash Perfection Volume Couture [DISCONTINUED]
ersatzlove 4/17/2008 7:12:00 PM
Let me start off saying how frustrated I've been with mascara. I have the oiliest lids ever, and it seems like my eye makeup just slides right off. I've tried nearly every single drugstore brand out there, and even waterproof left me with raccoon eyes in a few hours. I gave up mascara, loving the way it made my sparse, short lashes look great, but hating the way it made me look dead by midday. I've tried virtually everything, used primer, powder around my eyes, and alas, no difference. I heard a lot of good things about Volume Couture, and decided to give it a try. It was inexpensive, and what did I have to lose? It made my lashes look long, and voluminous, opening up my eyes. I didn't get excited, I knew the feeling. I went about my day normally, and at lunch I checked a mirror. I fully expected those familiar raccoon eyes, but instead, I still had flawless lashes. I was blown away. It wasn't even the waterproof formula. After trying mascara after mascara, that all left me looking dead, I had finally found the product that wouldn't budge on me. This is absolute love. I think I'd die if this ever got discontinued.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Almay - Almay Truly Lasting Color longwear makeup
ersatzlove 4/3/2008 7:45:00 PM
I was looking for a new long wearing foundation, after wanting a little more coverage than what Revlon's Colorstay Active Light provided. I attempted Rimmel's Lasting Finish, which I hated. My other choice was Almay's which I promptly went out and got. For drugstore, it's a little pricey, but totally worth it. I got it for $12 in Neutral, which seemed closest to the shade of Revlon I had been using. It comes in a nice glass pump for easy, and sanitary use. With a cleansed, moisturized face, I applied the foundation. It smells like peanut butter, oddly enough, but I smoothed it in with my fingers. It blended beautifully, but looked a little pink at first. After a few minutes it had dried, and looked much better. It matched my skin tone perfectly, and the finish was nice, dewy, and fresh. I did however, had to still use a little concealer on my blemishes and under eyes. That said, with this foundation I used a lot less concealer. It lasted throughout the day, and still looking unbelievably fresh at the end of my day. I've used it for a week, and have experience no breakouts. Now I use it on top of Monistat Anti-Chafing gel and use it with moisturizer for an even dewier look. The coverage is the same, and my skin looks absolutely fabulous throughout the day. I love this.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Rimmel - Lasting Finish Enriched w/ Minerals
ersatzlove 3/20/2008 6:05:00 PM
I really wanted to like this product. After reading rave reviews, I decided to try it out. I'd been using Revlon's Colorstay Active Light, but I wanted to try some new longwear. Lasting Finish we inexpensive, I got it for $7 at Walmart. The color selection was pitiful, I was really unsure of what to get. I settled on Soft Beige which looked the closest to what I wanted. When I got home to try it, I was really disappointed. The tube is very sensitive, and the lightest touch will send out a lot of foundation. I had used it on top of moisturizer, and it didn't seem to blend at all on my skin. No matter how much I rubbed, patted, blended, it seemed to just sit on top of my skin, and leave visible areas on my face where it hadn't blended in. It highlighted everything on my face, it just looked terrible. The color was also off. After waiting for it too dry, it was still too pink. I wanted to like this very much, and tried. For a few days, I exfoliated my skin like crazy and moisturized, perhaps improving the texture of my skin. No luck. Moisturizers, even primer didn't work. I threw it out. Perhaps it you have oily skin, it would work well, but not for me.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Revlon - A Floral Affair Sheer Powder Blush - Peachy Keen [DISCONTINUED]
ersatzlove 3/1/2008 4:18:00 PM
I absolutely adore this blush. I was really excited to see Revlon's new Limited Edition products and after reading the reviews here, I decided to go out and get it. It's so incredibly gorgeous, almost too pretty to use. The blush comes in a floral design with three different colors. These all blend in to create a gorgeous peachy glow. I bought it at Wal-Mart for about $10, which is a tad expensive for a drugstore product. But, this blush is totally worth it. Gorgeous. I can't tell you enough how much I love it.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Aussie - Sun Touched Shine
ersatzlove 1/26/2008 6:43:00 PM
I. Love. This. Conditioner. I've always been content with my hair. I'm Asian, so it was naturally thick and straight. (Something that other women labored after, so I thought I was pretty blessed in the hair department.) My hair was also very course. Sure it was straight and had little frizz, but every strand showed like a horse's mane. My hair certainly wasn't unmanageable, but it wasn't very pretty or sleek. Since my hair was straight and not frizzy, I didn't really use many products. I washed with my Pert 2-in-1 Shampoo/Conditioner every day, brushed it, and was out the door. I got bored with my dull hair, and so I started to switch to a different shampoo. I was browsing Wal-Mart and decided I might as well try a conditioner too. I picked up Aussie Sun Touched shine, which I rounded up to a very attractive $3. I was intrigued by their fun commercials, and decided to give it a go. I took my shower like normal (this time shampooing with Herbal Essenes Break's Over) and used Aussie's Sun Touched Shine Conditioner. The packaging is the one this I really did not like. Overall, it came in a large, "easy" dispense bottle, but the top was very difficult to pry open. The first time, It felt like it pulling my nails off. Finally I just used my tweezers to pry it open. Even after the first opening, the top remains very stubborn. Anyway, back to the product. It smelled light and fruity, but not overpowering. I applied it, and stood relaxing in the shower for a good minute or so before rinsing it out. When they say immediate results, they mean it. After I dried my hair, it wasn't only shiny, but soft, and had a beautiful texture. I was so surprised. I'd looked in the mirror over the years to see coarse, dull hair, and now it looked absolutely gorgeous. I love this conditioner, and can't help but look in the mirror every time I use it. Highly recommended. Now, only if the blasted cap was easier to open.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Maybelline - Mineral Power Powder Foundation
ersatzlove 1/5/2008 2:00:00 PM
I was at Walmart browsing the makeup section when I stumbled over Maybelline's new Mineral Power foundation. It was a display featuring the powder foundation, liquid foundation, finishing powder, blush, and concealer. I didn't remember seeing any advertisements or mentions of it on the Maybelline website, so I was eager to try it out. I grabbed that powder foundation in pure beige. It ran me $9, which is slightly expensive for a drugstore brand, though, all the 'mineral' makeup is rather pricey. It covers sheerly. I would say this a beautiful, light coverage. The brush provided does a surprisingly okay job compared to other brushes provided with drugstore makeup, but I would still recommend using a different, quality brush. Overall, a great product.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Phisoderm - Phisoderm Deep Cleaning Cleanser
ersatzlove 12/22/2007 8:33:00 PM
Horrible. Smells like laundry detergent and made me break out.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -L'Oreal - Lash Out 
ersatzlove 10/12/2007 4:01:00 PM
It's an okay mascara. The tube is ugly, but the mascara give my lashes a natural oomph. It's good for daily use, but it isn't fantastic.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Revlon - 3D Extreme Mascara - Blackest Black
ersatzlove 10/12/2007 4:00:00 PM
I'm still undecided about this product. I just got it today. With tax at Walgreens, it was a littler under $10, what I consider expensive for a drugstore mascara. I got it in waterproof black. The packaging is pretty, but the wand is strange. It doesn't look like the picture, and is tiny. I finally figured how to work it, and at first, it seemed mediocre. It clumps and doesn't curl much. But after using a lash comb and curler, my lashes looked fabulous. The problem is, I don't know if its worth all the effort. Didn't flake or smudge and lasted all day. But I'll be updating this as I use it more.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -Rimmel - Natural Bronzer - 22 Sun Bronze
ersatzlove 9/1/2007 10:22:00 AM
I bought this because of the reviews, and I'm glad I did. It has great buildable coverage, doesn't have too much shimmer, great color, and lasts all day. I originally wanted Sun Dance, but the store was out. It looks great anyway.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Maybelline - Superstay Silky foundation ]
ersatzlove 9/1/2007 10:17:00 AM
After seeing the commercials and all the positive reviews, I decided to give this foundation a try. The shade I bought was a little too dark, but that was only the tip on the iceberg. The pump doesn't dispense the foundation and primer evenly, and it gets stuck quite often. I got it for a little under $10 at Walmart. It highlights the dry areas on my skin, and when outside or under bright lights it is extremely OBVIOUS your are wearing makeup. It just didn't look right. It wasn't as 'silky' as I'd hoped, but it did last quite a while. But, I don't think I want my face to look weird all day. It also made me breakout. I was really disappointed, especially since I had paid $10 for such a mediocre product. I guess it would work on someone with really good skin. Now I just use the primer, which is actually quite good, for my other makeup.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Revlon - ColorStay Active Light Makeup SPF 25 ] [DISCONTINUED]
ersatzlove 9/1/2007 10:10:00 AM
I wanted a foundation that was light, but had some coverage, looked natural, and would last through the ups and downs of the day. After trying Maybelline's Superstay Silky, I was desperate for something that worked. After doing a little research I decided to try out Revlon ColorStay Active Light Makeup. I went to the Revlon site and used their product recommender, and they suggested Medium Beige. I was really apprehensive, seeing as the bottle looked extremely dark. I was tempted to buy a shade lighter, but I decided to trust Revlon. I got it for $10 and some odd cents at Walmart. It comes in a small squeezable tube. The formula is really thick and hard to spread, not what I think when I think 'light'. I blend in separate areas of my face at a time because it dries rather quickly. The color matched my skin perfectly, even through the first dab I put on looked dark, it blended well. It doesn't feel like I'm wearing makeup, and looks gorgeous. Even in my brightly lit bathroom where I usually see all the flaws of my makeup, I couldn't tell I had foundation on. It really does last all day, It doesn't get shiny, oily, or wears off. I'm extremely happy and will definitely buy it again when I run out.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Maybelline - Superstay Gloss
ersatzlove 8/11/2007 8:53:00 PM
I saw the commercial for Maybelline's Superstay Power Gloss on television and decided to give it a try. Since school is starting up again, I really don't want to have to reapply often. I went to Wal-Mart and got it in Citrus Glow for a little less than $9. The color in the tube was a sparkly, deep coral. The color on my lip is gorgeous. (I have medium toned skin). Don't over apply, and only press your lips together immediately after application. Wait any longer, and it will clump up as it's drying if your touch it. It lasts a long time, maybe not 12, but it's gorgeous. It came off fine with makeup remover.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Maybelline - Superstay Gloss
ersatzlove 8/10/2007 7:33:00 PM
I saw the commercial for Maybelline's Superstay Power Gloss on television and decided to give it a try. Since school is starting up again, I really don't want to have to reapply often. I went to Wal-Mart and got it in Citrus Glow for a little less than $9. The color in the tube was a sparkly, deep coral. The color on my lip is gorgeous. (I have medium toned skin). Don't over apply, and only press your lips together immediately after application. Wait any longer, and it will clump up as it's drying if your touch it. It lasts a long time, maybe not 12, but it's gorgeous. It came off fine with makeup remover.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Cover Girl - Cheekers Blush in Pretty Peach
ersatzlove 4/22/2007 8:11:00 PM
The pan is tiny, and the brush useless, but the blush is great. It gives my warm toned skin a nice pretty flush. Wish they'd replace the brush with more blush. EDIT: Took off a lippie because it doesn't last very long at all, but still a great color blush. I can extend the wear a little however with some primer.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No