Mascara -BeneFit Cosmetics - They're Real
fierymermaid 4/29/2013 9:32:00 PM
Got this for free, thank goodness. I have naturally long, thick, curly lashes but I want some mascara so my eyes can look BAM. This made me look not so bam. It was way too wet, to the point that it smeared everywhere as I waited for it to dry. It makes my lashes thicker, the same way tarantula legs are thick. I tried multiple application methods but it always looked goopy. Not clumpy, but goopy. The brush is a nice idea, but the domed end holds WAY too much product and the bristles are so long I hurt my eyes a few times. Ow! Revlon made a brush this style and did it better so it wasn't a tiny medievil torture device. This may work for someone who actually really needs something to thicken lashes. If you already have thick lashes, this formula just globs them all together. Very poor separation. Loreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes does a better jobs on length and volume and with better separation and buildability.
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Lipstick -Yves Saint Laurent - ROUGE PUR COUTURE SPF15 - Pure Colour Satiny Radiance in #20 Rouge Flamme-Cranberry Red
fierymermaid 12/10/2012 7:38:00 PM
YSL lipsticks are AMAZING. On one hand, I regret ever purchasing my first one because ever since then I have wanted NOTHING else on my lips...and this is an expensive lipstick addiction. :< I'm a pale redhead, and this red looks fabulous on me and doesn't make me look crazy in photos. The formula is wonderful...it doesn't settle in the lines in my lips, it doesn't bleed, it doesn't disappear in 15 minutes (it lasts and lasts, actually), it doesn't roll off in weird balls, and it doesn't make my lips peel (why do so many lipsticks do that to me? Gross.). It just feels wonderful, makes my lips so soft...the packaging is beautiful and it is a treat to just take it out of my purse and put it on. :)
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Eye Shadow -Wet 'n' Wild - Color Icon Eyeshadow Collection - Blue Had Me At Hello (737)
fierymermaid 12/10/2012 6:56:00 PM
The silver in this is probably my favourite. If you apply it wet, it's like chrome eyeshadow! The teal is super fun, and looks really nice with the lime from the I Dream of Greenie palette. My least favourite is the dark, dark blue crease colour. It doesn't look dark navy, but it isn't dark enough to look black. It's a meh. The colour payoff for all of the shadows is wonderful, of course. There is literally no reason to ever buy any other brand of eyeshadow as long as Wet n Wild keeps up with this level of quality (other than lack of a certain colour, obviously). I give this palette a 4 only because I only use three of the colours on a regular basis (white, silver, and teal).
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Pressed Powders -Cover Girl - Clean Oil Control Pressed Powder
fierymermaid 12/10/2012 6:35:00 PM
It does what it's supposed to do: sets liquid foundation and controls oil (for a few hours, anyway). I just don't favour it because I feel it doesn't do much to help hide my huge pores, and I think it is too sheer. Maybe I'm just spoiled by LORAC porefection powder, lol. The upside with this powder, however, is I think you could put the entire compact of it on your face and it still wouldn't cake. I seriously don't know how this cakes on anyone. Apply with a brush and it's one of the most goof-proof make-up products around.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Gucci - Gucci Guilty
fierymermaid 11/20/2012 11:00:00 AM
Omg can I ask myself out, take myself to dinner, and have sex with myself? Cause holy cow, that's how good this makes me smell. That's really ALL I have to say about Guilty.
6 out of 10 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Urban Decay - 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil Perversion
fierymermaid 11/14/2012 11:43:00 AM
Best black eyeliner pencil I've found...I usually favour liquid, but sometimes don't want such a severe, defined line. I favour creamy eyeliner pencils that you can smudge, soften, and "fade out." This is hard to find, because: 1) many pencils don't smudge, 2) a lot of pencils are hard and tug the eye, 3) many "soft" pencils don't "dry" and smudge too much, and 4) many soft pencils begin to break apart when you sharpen them after a while. I was using Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen, and while it had good colour and the texture was what I wanted the pencil would dry into a waterproof, smudgeproof finish, it suffered from problem #4 listed above...about halfway through the pencil, it would start to sharpen all stupid. Wood splintering, eye pencil inside breaking, etc. So I picked up UD Perversion and HOLLA. It's even darker than the Pixi pencil. It's as black as liquid liner. I can smudge it and blend it, but it doesn't smudge too much. It's creamy, but not so much so that it ends up smearing everywhere and being ugly. And it sharpens just dandy. KEEPER! I don't wear eyeliner in my waterline, so I can't comment on that.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Lady Gaga - Fame
fierymermaid 11/14/2012 11:27:00 AM
This smells very, very similar to Britney Spear's Fantasy. Not exact, but enough to make it worth buying if you already own Fantasy.
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Mascara -L'Oreal - Voluminous False Fiber Lashes~Waterproof
fierymermaid 5/20/2012 9:12:00 PM
I bought this because I wanted a waterproof mascara for the beach. I hadn't worn waterproof mascara for years after an allergic reaction to a wp formula (turns out it was just that specific mascara), so I decided to try something cheap in case something bad happened. This stuff is pretty good, actually! I can't wait to try the black laquer version! So you know where I'm coming from: my lashes are naturally long, dark, thick, and curled. However, I want them BLACK and I want them even thicker and longer and crazier. Because of how my lashes are, most mascaras never impress me one way or the other. My lashes always look the same, save for being super black. This stuff, however, really does make it look like I have falsies on IF I APPLY IT PROPERLY. This is NOT a mascara that you can swipe on quickly as you're heading out the door. If you want the false lash look with it, you're going to need a few coats, and you have to apply it slowly and carefully. Slap it on fast and you'll end up with super thick lashes alright--three of them. Wipe the tip of the applicator a bit and stroke the brush slowly from root to tip. DO NOT wiggle the brush or your lashes will stick together!! Allow it to dry a bit between coats, do not apply it to your lower lashes (the brush blows for lower lashes, and the formula clumps those little hairs all together). No more than 3 or 4 coats or the fibers will make your lashes look like spider legs.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Wet 'n' Wild - Panther
fierymermaid 5/20/2012 8:40:00 PM
This matte black is perrrrrfect! I bought it because I wanted a matte black to play with, and figured I'd get a "better" one later. Hah, screw that, this doesn't need replaced by something "better." I'd just be spending $14-19 on the same item, but with a fancier name. Colour payoff is great, it isn't chalky in the least (a problem I've had with some matte shadows that were $14-19), no fallout, no creasing or fading. It blends great. I love to pair this with the lime green from the WnW I Dream of Greenie palette (I wore that look to the interview for my new job, so I guess it's a winning combo!).
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Wet 'n' Wild - Color Icon Trio - I Dream of Greenie
fierymermaid 5/20/2012 8:22:00 PM
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! I've been looking for a great, bright, neon-ish lime green for a while now. The only shade of green I ever liked came in a set of Physician's Formulas shadows, of all things, and I dropped it and broke it. D: I looked for almost a year for a new one, as the PF palette apparently wasn't being made anymore or at least I couldn't find it...and nobody made a green I liked. None of the brands at Sephora or Ulta had one. Sure there were bright greens, but they were more like astroturf green or something. I saw this in the drugstore one day and remembered people raving about WnW shadows, but just assumed that the hype was from people talking out their butt. But it was cheap, the lime green was the exact colour I had been looking for, so I gave it a shot and OH EM GEE. I would buy this over and over just for the lime colour (the "eyelid" colour). The light colour is nice, I'm not sure about the middle one (the payoff is fine, I just haven't found a look that can use the shade best). The colours are so plush, so vivid, and long lasting. They never crease and never end up all over my cheeks. As for people who say this flies everywhere in a green powder, I wouldn't know. I apply my shadows wet, just a matter of application preference. I feel cheated and lied to by prestige brands, no joke. I cannot believe you can get shadows THIS AMAZING for so insanely cheap. I'd feel I had my money's worth if I had spent $35 on this palette, straight up. Though for $35 I'd hope for slightly better packaging (the plastic on this is cheap and scary-breakable).
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -Smashbox - Bronze Lights - Sunkissed Matte
fierymermaid 5/18/2012 12:50:00 AM
I looked for months for a matte bronzer for contouring that would compliment my pasty skin and help me look less like a corpse. I bought this in Sunkissed Matte, the Suntan is a wee darker. PROS: -Very, very pigmented. This is going to last decades, it seems. -Great colour. Not yellowy, not orangey, not dirty looking. -Blends beautifully -Long lasting CONS: -It's almost TOO pigmented! You have to use a TINY amount, have a light hand, and blend like a beast!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Cover Girl - Cheekers in Snow Plum
fierymermaid 5/17/2012 6:17:00 PM
Quick, fun fact: this isn't named after plum fruits, it's named after plum blossoms! The blossoms are super light. :) I'm practically see-through and I do not tan, at all. I go from translucent to firetruck. After finally finding an appropriate colour powder for contouring, I was still on the hunt for a powder for highlighting. My search among the higher end brands was getting me nowhere...almost everything was a liquid that was super shimmery and/or too dark, and the few powders I found had the same problems. Wrong colour (more golden-based), or disco-ball sparkle. I have no qualms with sparkle, I enjoy it, but it's not appropriate for daytime use. I was in Walgreens the other day looking a nail polish display, turned around, and this just ended up in my line of vision. It looked pale enough to possibly work, and didn't seem to have giant chunks of glitter. I had a $1 off coupon for Covergirl, and decided to give it a shot. One word: PERFECT. Sephora let me down, but Covergirl came back from my middle school and high school days to help me out! No sparkle or shimmer, just a glow. I don't really know how that happens, but it does. Looks great indoors or outdoors. Lasts and lasts (7am-6pm has been my longest time I've had make-up on so far with it, so it may stay longer). It blends wonderfully. Some people complain about the smell, but I love it. I remember when almost all cosmetics used to have a fragrance like this, and I miss it, to be honest. I think it's soft and feminine. The packaging is plastic, but is thick, sturdy plastic. It isn't all that stylish, but it is simple, durable, and works. I find the tiny brush that comes with it works for applying it to the areas I wish to highlight. I just use a bigger brush to blend everything out. I don't get why some complain that it "has no colour" or "is too light." If you want colour, don't get something that is almost white!
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -L'Oreal - Studio Secrets Magic Perfecting Base
fierymermaid 5/17/2012 2:37:00 PM
I had a $2 coupon and decided to use it on this, as I had been hearing great things about it for a while. I'm kind of a primer collector...whether it's high end or drugstore, I buy them all. I think primers are awesome and love seeing what different ones feel like it. I think all cosmetics lovers have that *one* type of product that they buy 8,000+ different versions of, and for me that's primer. My skin has large pores on the cheeks and nose, some pockmarks around my chin, is combo/oily, and I have two scars on my lower lip from old lip piercings. This primer is the ONLY one I have ever used that actually fills in my pockmarks and helps fill in my old piercing scars (they're not totally gone, but much less noticeable). I switched back to a different primer for today, and was wondering why I had weird spots around my chin/mouth...turns out I actually spoiled myself with this primer and forgot that I had pockmarks and scars! I think it's the texture of this that makes it useful for filling in any kind of "hole" in your skin...it's WAY thicker than most primers. That's why I have no problem with it being in a jar; this couldn't possibly come comfortably out of a tube and there is no way it could come out of a pump. This primer also succeeds in keeping my skin more matte than any other I have tried. This combined with Urban Decay De-slick Spray proves to be a potent oil/shine killing combo! For the record, I've used this with both powder and liquid foundation to great success.
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Fragrances -Victoria's Secret - all victoria's secret fragrances
fierymermaid 4/24/2012 1:06:00 AM
ALL fragrances? Tall order, but here is my breakdown: GARDEN COLLECTION (body spray/lotion/body butter/etc. line): This collection has gone through several re-hauls over the years. Many fragrances have been yanked. Barely any remain of the original line-up. This constant dropping of fragrances really blows. I honestly do not understand the rhyme or reason behind why the keep some and ditch others. I've worked at two different VS locations and seen really popular fragrances go and others stay that never sell. I swear I had someone ask for Passionate Kisses at least once a day, every day, for almost two years in two different states. Another part of one of the re-hauls was downsizing the EDP size. LAME. It used to be HUGE, now it's like...travel size. Along with constantly taking away things, they are constantly introducing new fragrances. This is exciting and fun, but there's also almost no reason to get excited. Most of the new fragrances end up in the Semi-Annual Sale bins and are never seen again. :( They've also gone overboard with the fragrances in the last few years...every time I go to VS it seems like there are three new ones (they really love releasing things in sets of 3). The good news is that there is a fragrance for everyone. Floral, fruity, musky, light, strong, you're bound to find something. You can coordinate products to layer scents. If you're gonna do this, get the body butter. The lotion is useless. It's pretty much just fragranced goo. It doesn't seem to moisturize or do anything...and I don't even have problematic dry skin. I'd see women buying 7 lotions at a time, talking about how they "needed" it for their dry skin...well, your skin is dry cause that stuff is useless. Get the body butter. Shower gel is crap. Has sodium laureth sulfate...shower gels already tend to be more drying than standard bar soap and cream washes. Combine the SLS and there's a reason women are buying 7 lotions. Maybe this is part of the VS master plan? Lol. Who knows. The sales are great. The best they get are $7/30 + 1 free. This typically only happens at holiday time. Overall, a fun collection. The body sprays are quality and long lasting, even if you don't layer the fragrances. It's annoying how they yank favourites (I miss you, Forbidden Fantasy!), but at least they attempt to appease by releasing new scents...which eventually go away, too. Secret Garden is kind of like pokemon...gotta catch them all! PINK: Pink started out with just the original perfume, which I quite like. It's a quality fragrance. But the whole sub-brand of Pink body splashes and lotions BLOW. Most of them suffer from being "too." Too airy, too fruity, too citrusy, too floral. Also, I don't know what the deal is with these, but the formula for these sprays is not as good as the body spray formula for the Garden collection. They don't last at all. I have three, which are all discontinued now (this line suffers the same yank/add problem as Garden) and I only put them on at bedtime...I know they won't last if I wear them for daytime. This stuff is really aimed for teenagers. That's the majority of people who buy it. That also would explain why it isn't strong or longlasting, and why none of them are really "complicated" scents (lol undertone? what's that?). BEAUTY RUSH: Ugh. I really don't want to smell like food, which is what pretty much all of these are fashioned after. :( I like the fun packaging and the body spray formula is wonderful, much more moisturizing than the sprays in all their other lines...but the fragrances...eeewww. PRESTIGE: This is where VS really shines. There is a reason VS wins so many Fifi awards (kind of like the Oscars for fragrances lol)--they make great scents that are truly wearable. Part of the reason Heavenly is so popular is because it smells good on almost EVERYONE. I've seriously never experienced it smelling bad on anyone. I can't say that about any other fragrance. They're all longlasting and priced amazingly well. What you get for $50 or $60 is the same quality fragrance as ones that cost $90 at Macy's. I do, however, have two beefs: 1) VS has an obsession in recent years with make "sub fragrances" of current popular fragrances...Heavenly Enchanted, Sexy Little Things Noir,Sexy Little Things Noir Tease (huh? a sub fragrance of a sub fragrance?). This is dumb. Just give it its own name instead of trying to make it ride of the coat tails of the popularity of another fragrance (VS does this with some of the Garden lines too, ugh), and 2) questionable packaging. I love the retro squeezy poofs (I forget their real names!!) but they need to make them better. I've had two crap out on me. One I was able to replace at the store, but the other I can't because it's a discontinued fragrance (*SIGH*). Also, perfume tends to evaporate out of containers with this kind of spray applicator. If you don't use the fragrance that often, KEEP THE TRAVEL CAP ON IT. My mother had an ENTIRE bottle of Ooh La La evaporate. With Gorgeous and Simply Gorgeous, they thankfully fixed this...you can't add a separate lid, but the perfume "closes" when you turn the cap. They need to add this design feature to the other perfumes. OVERALL: With an amazing variety of fragrances, prices, and sales, there is something for everyone. The quality is good, though some packaging leaves something to be desired. The constant discontinuing of scents is annoying, but there is always something new to try as well.
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Yves Saint Laurent - Volupte Sheer Candy Lush Coconut
fierymermaid 4/23/2012 11:04:00 PM
Yet another great shade from this line. It is very sheer, but as a VERY pale-skinned gal, it works great for me. Goes great with a smoky eye. If you're darker than the colour of sheetrock, then this probably won't even show up on you. But if you're like me, and can practically use gesso as a primer, then it's a great nude.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No