Polishes -Chanel - Frenzy
frostedover 8/14/2012 12:10:00 AM
I am a polish fanatic, but this is my first Chanel polish. I purchased it for the unique color — it's a taupey grey that leans just a smidge toward lilac on the nails. (For the record, I'm about a NW30.) I balked a bit at the price ($28 with sales tax!), but I have to say, I am very impressed. The formula is the smoothest polish I've ever put on my nails, and the wear time is ridiculous. I have virtually zero tip wear, even after 4-5 days. The polish also doesn't shrink when paired with Poshe top coat. The color is beautiful, and it's virtually opaque in 2 coats. AND it dries quickly on its own, sans top coat. If all Chanel polishes have the same formula, my wallet is in for a world of hurt. Super impressed! I don't regret the $28 one bit.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Chloe - Love, Chloé
frostedover 8/14/2012
I prefer floral orientals, for the record. I received this as a sample from Sephora, and it is absolutely horrendous. It could be worse, but it reminds me of an upper middle aged lady (a woman in her 50s-60s). There's a sharp fruitiness that keeps the powdery floral from going too granny, but this scent is not only not me, but it makes me extremely nauseated. Full on headache material. This doesn't smell cheap, per se, but I wouldn't say it smells expensive either. There is indeed a soapiness that keeps this cloying fragrance from smelling expensive. Going to take a shower now to wash this horrible fragrance off my arm.
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Top/Base Coats -Unlisted Brand - INM - Out the Door Top Coat
frostedover 5/20/2012 11:58:00 AM
I've tried most of the popular quick-dry topcoats — Poshe, Seche Vite, Sally Hansen Insta-Dri, you name it. And while Out the Door does not dry as quickly as the top two (Poshe and SV), it does dry fairly quickly, just not within a couple minutes (SV wins that battle). However, the reason why I keep going back to Out the Door is because it DOES NOT SHRINK. Seche Vite is the worst offender in this, and I get major shrinkage with a multitude of polish brands at my tips (which drives me nuts) and also at my cuticle. Poshe also shrinks often, but not as badly depending on the polish at the tips. So although I prefer the shininess and hard coat of SV, Out the Door still does pretty well in both those departments, but its lack of shrinkage totally wins it for me.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Zoya - Minka
frostedover 2/21/2012 7:54:00 PM
I'm an NW30, and I think this nude does flatter my skintone. However, I don't get one or two-coat coverage. It takes 3 coats for this to be opaque, unless I use 2 medium-heavy coats. I also can see brush drag marks on my nails now that they are dry. It's a pretty color, but it's not the a great formula.
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Lipstick -NARS - Funny Face
frostedover 2/18/2012 10:35:00 PM
I'm an NW30, and I typically shy away from blue-based reds or pinks in favor of orange-reds, etc.. That said, Funny Face actually looks fantastic on my skin tone, so other NW30s out there, this might look good on you too! I know some reviews say that there's a hint of blue duochrome, but I don't see that on me at all. It's very much a true fuschia. It is more pink than purple, which is probably why it works better with my yellow undertones. This is a semi-matte, and while it isn't moisturizing, I don't feel like it robs my lips of moisture. I can barely feel it when it's on my lips, which is a huge plus in my book. Funny Face does stain your lips a bit, but it can be a good thing when your lipstick is wearing off. It lasts a good long while for me (at least 4 hours), and it doesn't make my lips peel at all! Definitely one of my favorite lipsticks.
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Eyeliner -Sephora - Retractable Waterproof Eyeliner
frostedover 1/12/2012 1:28:00 AM
This is my HG eyeliner! Eyeliners smudge like crazy on my eyes...not so much on my upper lid (except for the corners), but I often look like a raccoon on my lower lid. I've tried Revlon Colorstay, Urban Decay 24/7, Make Up For Ever Aqua Liner, a bunch of different waterproof pencil and liquid liners. NOTHING stays on me. Liquid lines flake off my lids, pencil liners smudge or fade. But this one has been the absolute best I've tried so far. It's a little pricey at $13 or so but the lasting power has been unbeatable. I get a few smudgies in the outer corners on my lower lash line at the end of the work day (12+ hours from when I wake up), but nothing I couldn't live with. It lasts through workouts, too. I hope they never stop making it!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Essie - Red Nouveau
frostedover 1/12/2012 1:16:00 AM
I love this polish. It's a bright red with orange undertones. It goes on very smoothly, spreads easily, and delivers thin coats, and I'm not the best at polishing my own nails! But I have no problems controlling this polish. And even though I don't often wear a base coat, this polish LASTS a long time on me. I haven't had the chipping problems other reviewers have had, and I do use my hands a lot for work (typing and cooking). I've had trouble with other Essie polishes before (hello Turquoise and Caicos), but this formulation is awesome. The only gripe is that it dries a little bit matte on me (hence the 4 lippies). But to make it glossy, just use a top coat.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -John Frieda - Full repair shampoo
frostedover 10/20/2011 12:36:00 AM
I'm not sure if it's the lack of B-vitamin, dryness, or what, my hair just tends to fall out a lot. Whenever I shampoo and condition, a good deal of hair comes out in my hands. But just in using this Full Repair shampoo and conditioner, even after just 3 times, I could tell that my hair was no longer falling out in such mass quantities. I get a couple of hairs now instead of close to a dozen. For that alone, I'd buy this shampoo/conditioner again. BUT I also like the smell. Not like, but LOVE. Another reviewer described it as floriental, which I get. But it's subtle, very soft amber and vanilla, but not powdery. If they made this shampoo into a candle, I'd totally buy it. My only con with this shampoo is that it is called Full Body shampoo, and I don't think it gives my hair any more body than a normal, non-volumizing shampoo. For reference, I have fairly straight (a little wave) hair, thick individual strands but not a lot of it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -L'Oreal - Youth Code Day/Night Cream
frostedover 10/19/2011 1:39:00 AM
Let me first say that I am probably not the typical demographic when it comes to people who purchase such creams. I'm 23, have good skin, and don't have many lines at all. That said, I do notice a difference in my skin when I use this cream. I use it at night prior to bed, and when I wake up, my skin looks and feels much more refreshed than if I use a different lotion. After I rub it in, I do notice a warming sensation on my face, which is pretty peculiar, as I don't experience this when I rub in other lotions. It makes me think it's working, but who knows. I don't have a problem with this cream absorbing into my skin quickly — it'll be a little tacky for a few minutes, but after that, it is completely absorbed. There is a very light fragrance, but if you've used other moisturizers (like Lancome's) that have scents, this is barely noticeable in comparison. I have combination skin (oily nose, dry brow bone and cheeks), and this does not make my skin more oily. All in all, a good product for me. It makes my skin brighter, more refreshed, and full of moisture and not sallow. I can't speak to deeper wrinkles, but for me, this works.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -NYX - Snow White
frostedover 9/4/2011 10:00:00 PM
Let me preface this by saying: I'm a medium-light Asian, typical yellow undertones but can wear both orange and blue based reds. I picked up this lipstick while looking for a new mascara at Ulta. I am NOT a lipstick wearer; in fact, I usually don't wear anything on my lips except for lip balm. So, I actually shy away from lip color, especially because I have thicker lips. But Snow White is so incredibly wearable. The texture is super smooth and it lasts through eating pretty well (and I didn't do the powder in between blotting trick). But the color is wonderful. It's a satin texture, no shimmer. It's only $4, so try it out! ***EDITED: Took off 2 lippies. This lipstick seems to go bad very quickly. It turned very very brown in the tube after only a couple months. That's pretty unacceptable.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Tarte - Picture Perfect Eyelash Curler
frostedover 8/9/2011 10:54:00 PM
LOVE this eyelash curler. I've been looking for the perfect curler for years. I have Asian eyes, but I have a double lid. The Shiseido curler is too flat for me. Regular curlers (Revlon, ELF, etc.) are too round for me. This is a nearly perfect curler for my eye shape AND it curls well. I've had to resort to a heated eyelash curler prior to finding this Tarte one, and I have trouble (with all curlers) keeping my stick straight Asian lashes from pointing down. This has done the best job of keeping them curled. For reference: Shiseido's curler is too flat for me and pinches the middle of my lid without curling the corners of my eyes. Shu Uemura's curler doesn't do a good job curling my lashes. They uncurl after a few seconds with Shu's curler. I highly recommend this curler, especially if you have rounder Asian eyes like me.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Sally Hansen - Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in Flirt (#38)
frostedover 6/26/2011 3:32:00 PM
The color is gorgeous — it's a fine shimmer burgundy erring on the edge of black. It's great, though, because it doesn't read as full on black. HOWEVER, the bottle I have is pretty thick and goopy. Drives me nuts. The formula does even out, but I'm going to have to thin it out for next time.
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Hair Styling Tools -Goody - Spin Pin
frostedover 7/2/2010 1:55:00 PM
These really do work. I have thick strands of hair but NOT a lot of it. So basically, my hair is thin. They even make my hair stay up. If you want your hair to stay even better, put a ponytail holder in before wrapping it into a bun. I RAN on the treadmill with this in, and my bun stayed. The only thing I don't like? Because my bun isn't very big (thin hair, again), you can see the ends of the spin pin poking through. I wish they made this but in a shorter variety.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Top/Base Coats -Sally Hansen - Insta-Dri
frostedover 7/2/2010 1:51:00 PM
Wow! I've tried plenty of quick drying topcoats because I'm very impatient and tend to smudge my nails before they dry completely. This is the QUICKEST topcoat I've ever used. I've tried Poshe, Seche Vite, etc. This is an HG. I haven't noticed shrinkage, and wear is about the same as any, but to me, the quick dry is more important than anything. Edited: took off one lippie because I notice this top coat creates a lot of bubbles, and I don't shake the bottle.
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Misc Beauty Tools -E.L.F. - Mechanical Eyelash Curler
frostedover 9/15/2009 11:34:00 PM
EDIT: Although this is a decently good curler, I need to heat it up with a hair dryer before curling in order for the curl to last. Although this is the 2nd best curler I've tried, I prefer Tarte's, which fits my eye even better and doesn't require heat to hold the curl. And after using the ELF curler more frequently, I do find that it doesn't get all of my inner lashes without a little pinching. So I moved this down to 4 lippies. Firstly, I have Asian eyes, though they're double lidded and aren't super flat. I have a Shiseido curler. I thought it was perfect for my eyes, though it pinched a teeny bit. I'm a total convert, now that I've tried the ELF curler. I thought I wasn't curling all of my lashes because I couldn't really feel the curler on my skin. Turns out, that's exactly how a curler's supposed to feel...like nothing. The one thing I did, though, was replace the ELF curler pad with my extra Shiseido one. Curls perfectly now.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No