Top/Base Coats -Orly - Bonder Rubberized Basecoat
flossfairy 8/24/2008 10:11:00 PM
I had resigned myself to being someone whose polish was never perfect until I picked up this base coat at CVS. Even though I love dark polish, I'd steer away from it because it so obviously chipped. I would paint my nails in the evening and have all sorts of chips by noon the next day. With this base coat, I get full days with no chips and another 2 with minimal chipping. . .by then I'm ready to change my polish anyway! It dries super quickly and polish goes on smoothly. I like the rubberized applicator. The bottle is a generous 0.6 oz. At CVS, it was $6. I think it's a bit less elsewhere, but for me it was worth being able to pick it up locally.
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Foundations -Sally Hansen - Inspired By Carmindy Natural Beauty Your Skin Makeup ] [DISCONTINUED]
flossfairy 5/21/2008 8:16:00 PM
I tend to be very oily in areas and have problems with foundations not performing well for a full day at work. Usually by 3 o'clock foundation turns into a heavy, greasy mess on my face. This foundation works wonderfully for me. It provides enough coverage for bad skin days without looking chalky or mask-like. Lasts all day and keeps the oiliness to a minimum. No breakouts in the 3 weeks that I've been using it, so I feel pretty confident that it will continue to agree with my skin. I have this in 2 shades - Porcelain and Ecru Beige. Both seem to do the trick, although a heavy application of Porcelain would probably be a bit ashy looking. MAC NW/NC15-20 for reference (I prefer the NC in MAC because it neutralizes a bit of redness)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Party Mate - Naughty Nauticals
flossfairy 5/2/2008 10:11:00 AM
After the in-your-face pinkness of Heatherette, it was nice to see a MAC collection that was more my speed. I like that there are 4 distinctly different lipsticks in this collection. Party Mate was my clear favorite. Whenever I browse lipsticks at the MAC counter, Party Mate is the kind of color I look for but can never find. It's a perfect bright raspberry and a terrific color for PPP/LLLs. I think it would also look fabulous on cool, deeper skin tones. There's quite a bit of shimmer in this l/s(it looks lilac or white to me, depending on the light). I don't think the MAC website has an accurate swatch or description of it (not that they ever really do, but this one just seems particularly off). I didn't find it to be sheer (with a very light hand I get a sheer effect, but with a normal application, i get a full l/s effect) and I think it's a bit darker and redder/more raspberry than a "mid-toned pink" and the shimmer is heavy enough to be worth mentioning. I have never purchased a back-up of an LE item, but this l/s will probably be my first.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Cover Girl - TruBlend 
flossfairy 4/17/2008 12:47:00 PM
I wanted to like this because I found a great color match, but by the end of the day I was kind of greasy with painful cysts all over my face. Areas that don't normal break out like my forehead and cheeks had enormous whiteheads. Even my neck had welts, where I had blended this foundation over my jawline. The color seemed to oxidize a bit on me through the day and the color wasn't the perfect match it started out as Today I switched back to MAC SFF to cover up the redness from the TruBlend disaster of the last 2 days. My skin is less oily and the cysts have calmed down. I'd like to find out what is in TruBlend that isn't in my MAC SFF so I can avoid it. I wish there was a MAC shade that matched me as well as the TruBlend :(
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Lipstick -NARS - Roman Holiday
flossfairy 3/27/2008 12:09:00 AM
I'm pretty stingy about handing out HG status to beauty products because I'm so fickle, however Roman Holiday is an absolute HG pink lippie for me. In the tube, it's a scary creamy, Barbie lilac pink. If I hadn't tried it on, I never would have purchased it. Swatches and a glance at the tester push this lippie into a Florida- grandma-carrying-a-crocheted-purse category. It looks like the kind of color that would be painted onto disappearing denture lips. I tried it on because I was wearing a preppy combination of a navy top and kelly green pants and my friend and I were trying on some pretty silly lippies. I was ready to poke fun at this color until I took a good look and loved what I saw. It's so subtly bright and cheery on my pigmented lips. It's definitely not an OMG LIPSTICK kinda color. It's more of a slight "oh that's pretty" pop of color. The lilac in it just made it work so perfectly with my PPP cool skin tone. Where so many light-medium pink lip colors are just a bit off on me, this one hit the nail on the head. The formula is creamy and smooth. Lovely pigmentation. It lasts longer than I expected too. The only downside is the $24 price tag. It's definitely a try-before-you-buy shade, but it's certainly worth a look, especially if you find yourself in a lipstick rut and need a new, fun shade.
16 out of 16 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -MAC - Beauty Powder Blush in Shy Beauty
flossfairy 3/16/2008 9:58:00 PM
I was applying Shy Beauty this morning and had an epiphany. This blush looks very similar to Benefit Dandelion in the pant. However, the color payoff is soooooo much better. Where Dandelion barely shows up on my NW20 skin, Shy Beauty gives me that "glow from within" look that I had hoped to achieve with Dandelion. I find that I end up look shiny and huge-pored by the time I am able to build enough color with Dandelion. Shy Beauty gives me an apricot-pink glow with very little shimmer with a couple sweeps of a brush. Granted, my experience with Dandelion is limited to my old Decked-Out Dandelion palette and several times picking up the full-size and putting it down at Sephora when I hear MUA's voice in my ear telling me that it's not that great. I really like the texture of my 4 BPBs (Shy Beauty, Sweetness, True Romantic, Joyous) They are very fine and soft. The shimmer is barely noticeable. . .when applied it contributes to more of a "glow" than a "sparkle". "oooh gold shimmer" wasn't the first thing I thought of when I saw this blush. It's faint in the pan and barely noticeable on my cheeks. I'd say they are closer to a satin finish than a shimmer. ***photos in profile of Dandelion vs. Shy Beauty***
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -L'Oreal - HIP Color Rich Cream Crayon in Meticulous 
flossfairy 3/5/2008 8:01:00 PM
I've been searching for creamy, affordable eyeliner. Something about spending ~$20 on eyeliner is just kind of pushing it for me, so I went in search of a drugstore product. I tried this and "Authentic" (dark green) because CVS was having a BOGOF sale and I figured I had nothing to lose. I am very happy with the pigmentation, creaminess and wear of these liners. When I tried it on my hand, I couldn't make it budge, no matter how hard I tried. Meiculous is a nice bronzed brown that I think will become an everyday item in my makeup collection. A built-in sharpener helps keep the point sharp for lining, although, it probably could be used all over when dull. The color selection is pretty limited, but that is my only complaint. I wish they had a dark brown and a plum shade.
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Blush -NARS - Sin
flossfairy 3/4/2008 10:32:00 PM
I'll admit, I didn't purchase this blush with high hopes. I had found Angelika and Orgasm to be good colors on me and I approached the NARS counter wanting to expend my collection. As I browsed, everything seemed too dark or muddy for my PPP with cool undertones skin. The ladies here had recommended Sin and Outlaw so I went back and forth between the two until I settled on Sin. Sin seemed completely different than either Angelika or Orgasm. It's kind of plummy and sparkly. I figured it would be a good direction in which to expand. (on a whim, I also grabbed Deep Throat, but now I'm wondering if it looks too much like Orgasm) I wasn't expecting HG material when I swiped it on in combination with a smokey eye and nude glossy lips, but what I got was the perfect muted berry flush. It wasn't too warm and sunny for my smokey eyes (like Orgasm would have been) and it wasn't too pink and cutesy for my nude lip (like Angelika). This was one very SEXY blush. My male friend said he didn't know what it was I did that night, but I was killing him. I really think it was this blush. Where my pink and peach blushes make me look fresh, rested, and cute, this made me look like I was sex on wheels in a completely un-trampy way. Not only did this blush look beautiful, but it also just made me feel confident and a little sassy. I like the gold shimmer of this blush. It makes me look glowy, but doesn't sparkle like a disco ball. I also didn't have a problem with it accentuating my crater-like pores. The gold works well with the neutral/cool berry shade. I think it might lean toward flat or muddy with out that bit of warmth. If you're concerned that this blush is too dark, it wasn't for me over NC15 foundation (I'm closer to an NW15 this winter, but the yellow does wonders to even out a bit of red my skin has picked up this harsh winter) I used this with a very light hand and found I had good control as I built it up for a night out.
18 out of 18 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -LORAC - LOTSA LASH
flossfairy 3/4/2008 8:14:00 PM
Not good. I'm glad I tried this a couple times in a couple different settings before reviewing. It was fine for dinner out. . .good volume, thickness, and length. When I attempted to wear it for a work day, I had raccoon eyes by lunch time. It is also really thick and kind of hard to apply. I felt like I had to force it onto my lashes. In all fairness, it was a small tube that came with a palette, so full size might be less thick. The brush seems decent. Too many other good mascaras with much better staying power out there to spend the money on this one.
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Palettes -Christian Dior - Flower Blossom
flossfairy 2/28/2008 9:25:00 PM
I didn't actually buy this palette, but I came veeeeery close until I saw it in person. At the Dior counter, they had to have one palette under plexiglass to show what it is supposed to look like because they tester was unrecognizable, even though it was mostly full. The new palette appears very glittery, but the used tester barely had a sheen to it. On my cool PPP skin, all this palette did was give me a shiny glow without any real color. Nothing special that couldn't be acheived with a bunch of other products. This might be gorgeous on dark skin, as the pink glow might show up as a pink glow rather than shiny cheeks. I'll give it 2 lippies because it is a beautiful palette when unused. For something so pretty there is very little pay off. While it looks beautiful on display, it would probably become quite ordinary when 1/2 used in my jumble of a makeup stash. Will be skipping this one and spending the $52 on a couple NARS blushes.
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Toners -DDF - Glycolic Toner 10%
flossfairy 2/28/2008 8:17:00 PM
So far this product has performed beyond my wildest dreams. I turned to MUA for some skincare advice after massive random oiliness this winter. I had a laundry list of skin complaints (oily and dry areas, acne for the first time in 10 years that was leaving red marks, large pores, dull texture). This toner seemed like it worked for a variety of problems. I'm finding that my skin is less oily overall. I did purge and was a little alarmed at the rapid rate at which cysts would appear. Fortunately, they would come and go within a couple days and stopped after a week or so. My pores are still visible, but smaller and rounder - not the deep, wide angry looking things they used to be. The areas that I was concerned about scarring seem to have faded to a much duller shade of pink that is barely noticeable from more than a foot or so. I use this toner morning and night on a clean face. At night, I wait about a 1/2 hour before moisturizing to give it a chance to sit. I use a mattifying lotion during the day to keep my makeup from melting. My only complaint is the stupid bottle. I'd much prefer a flip top cap. The cap is just asking to get lost and the dispenser always dribbles. At $32/bottle, I don't want to waste a single dribble of it! Bottom line, it is certainly worth a try considering all the success that the ladies on this board have had. It's probably a good place to start for ladies who want to improve their skin texture/appearance but aren't sure if they need more professional intervention. It's much cheaper than a lot of corrective treatments!
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Paint Pot in Painterly
flossfairy 2/26/2008 9:47:00 PM
This is everything I wanted UDPP to be. I think my lids were a bit too greasy for UDPP. Painterly goes on nicely with a concealer brush. I had no trouble getting smooth, even coverage. The result was a perfect neutral canvas for my eyeshadow. My shadows went on over Painterly with more depth of color and blended very easily. I have no problems with creasing or oily lids from the time I apply my makeup in the morning till I take it off at night. This will be a staple in my makeup collection unless my skin changes. It might be a little dry for very dry skin. My only complaint is that the jar was hard to open. . .a quick board search later, I was able to get it open after tapping it on the counter, prying the lid a little with a butter knife and giving it a good twist . Other suggestions included putting a rubber band around the top for more grip and prying at the lid with a spoon before attempting to open.
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Lip Gloss -NYX - NYX 127 Pink Frost
flossfairy 2/24/2008 9:55:00 PM
I think I underestimated the amount of pigment in this gloss. After rave reviews on MUA, I checked out the NYX display at Ulta. I was impressed with the packaging of the NYX line. Being a sucker for packaging, I decided to try one of these lipglosses. It just looked and felt like a much more expensive product. I picked out this light pink, expecting a much more sheer gloss. It turned out to be very pale pink and very, very shimmery. I have a hard time making it look even because my lips are fairly pigmented on their own. To get through this tube, I'll use it with a light hand or over a darker shade of lipstick. I'll certainly be trying this gloss in other colors because I like the formula and the tube, but this color just didn't work for me. YMMV. Also, I could live without the strong scent. I'm not sure if it is different for each color, but this had a very strong fruity, vanilla, candy mish-mash of a scent.
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Eye Shadow -Stila - Kitten
flossfairy 2/24/2008 9:21:00 PM
This works as a good weekday shadow for me. I can wear it alone and swipe it on in a second. The color and shimmer really brighten up my eyes and make me look better rested than I actually am on any given workday. It's very shimmery, but the subtle color keeps it from looking garish. I'll add it to the inside corner of my eye for a little shimmer and brightness even when it isn't a major component of my EOTD/N. Very soft and smooth formula. Lasts all day for me. Works well with my green eyes and NW20 complexion.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Digit Eyeshadow
flossfairy 2/24/2008 9:15:00 PM
Digit seems to be more of a gray-blue based lavender than a red or brown-based lavender. I think this is why I like it so much. It's so different than most of my purple family eye shadows. It works nicely with my green eyes. It's highly pigmented and blends well like any good MAC eyeshadow should. The shimmer is very subtle and I found that it looks great blended with a matte shadow like Post Haste. It adds a slight shimmer, but it doesn't look detached from the matte shadow because of a big difference in finish. I think I'll be reaching for this shadow a lot this spring.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No