Eyeliner -NYX - Dark Brown 
giraffejousting 12/20/2011 10:30:00 AM
I'll be the first to acknowledge that this product does not do well as an eyeliner - it is stiff and dry. It reminds me of first starting with eyeliner and not getting any pigmentation from the pencil. This tugs the eyelids and is hardly pigmented on the eyes. But as an eyebrow pencil? That is where the magic lies. My hair is really dark, almost black, and this pencil works wonders for filling in my brows. It is shades darker than my brows but looks great. I actually bought several backups of this because I found it at a store for about $1.50.
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Lip Treatments -SoftLips - Cherry Lip Protectant/Sunscreen SPF20
giraffejousting 12/20/2011 7:49:00 AM
I really like SoftLips Cherry. I love the scent; it's my favorite of all of them. When my lips are really chapped because it is really windy and/or dry, this product will help a little, but not much. That explains the number of lippies I gave it. That being said, this is the only lip balm I've ever finished. I apply lip balm under my lipstick every time. It's a must for me. My lips aren't typically dry, but this step really makes almost any lipstick more bearable. What I love about SoftLips is that you can apply color over it. Try applying over other lip balms and they are typically too greasy; no color will be imparted. This product is not like that. I get full-strength color when I apply over it. Overall, I love this and just stocked up on a bunch from Evil Bay because I thought they had discontinued this and it can be really expensive anyway.
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Pressed Powders -Maybelline - Dream Matte Pressed Powder
giraffejousting 12/20/2011 7:36:00 AM
I have oily skin. Particularly in my t-zone, I get shiny within two hours of using other powders. My nose is just...gross. It's to the point where I can't wear glasses because they'll just start sliding down my nose. Rarely have I heard of someone more oily than me. This is just to give you an idea of how oily I am. I use this product after applying liquid foundation and a couple sprays of MAC's Fix +. I used to be unsatisfied with it, as it would only keep me matte for about three hours, then I'd have to begin blotting. That was when I applied it like a regular powder. Recently, I have begun sweeping my brush across the powder then dabbing it onto my face. Makes sense, but this has made all the difference. I can go at least 5 hours (I haven't counted exactly how many, and don't want to overestimate), without blotting. Amazing. Love this.
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Scrubs -LUSH - Ocean Salt
giraffejousting 10/30/2011 7:56:00 AM
Let me first say that this product should not be used daily by anyone with normal, dry, or sensitive skin. Given that, I have extremely oily skin, am prone to cystic acne, and my skin is not sensitive. I have been using this product for about six months now, and it has made a difference for my face. I use it nightly, and I have noticed a reduction in acne. It also helps my cysts go away faster, which is great because they tend to be painful. Other than that, it has made my skin much softer and it's great for exfoliating underarms. Mine tend to get rough from shaving, but using this has made them much softer.
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Eye Shadow -L'Oreal - HiP Metallic Duo - Platinum
giraffejousting 5/23/2010 2:56:00 PM
I do not use the black side to this because it is very chalky and I'd rather use NYX black, but the silver is amazing. The look that it gives is the same as the result I get from foiling pigments. However, with foiling, that wet look doesn't seem to last like Platinum's does. I used this for my prom makeup and it was great. It blends very well. The only thing that used to concern me was that it made the whites of my eyes look very yellow. But with enough eyeliner, that is no longer a concern.
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Eye Shadow -Revlon - Matte Eyeshadow in Vintage Lace
giraffejousting 5/23/2010 2:52:00 PM
This is the perfect matte highlight for when I have a lot of shimmer on my eye and want to tone it down a little. This blends very well and helps erase any mistakes I may have made when applying my shadows.
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Lip Gloss -Revlon - Peach Petal
giraffejousting 5/23/2010 2:50:00 PM
I bought this at CVS, which meant that it was $8 before tax, which I believe is a lot when these sell for less than $6 at Target. However, this was not available at my Target and I really wanted it, so I took the plunge anyway. I do not really care to wear this alone, but I have been looking for some sort of lip product to make my lipsticks less intense. This is perfect. It tones down red lipsticks to make them more wearable, and the packaging design means that I don't have to clean off any tube to get rid of the lipstick. Alone, this gloss doesn't really show up too much on me unless I layer it, and then it becomes very milky, which I do not care for. However, I gave it 5 lippies because of the sheering effect this can have.
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Liquid -MAC - Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15
giraffejousting 5/23/2010 2:43:00 PM
I'm not sure if I would buy this product again. I'm thinking about exploring other foundations. I probably shouldn't use this because I have acne-prone skin, but my mom bought it for me as a birthday present. I like that this foundation gives decent coverage, but it settles into my smile lines and really emphasizes them. It also really makes any dryness obvious, even if I use a moisturizer underneath. Another downside is that once this is applied, it makes any whitehead that I may have super obvious, which is a pain because then I want to extract but have to resist because my makeup has already been applied. Overall, I think I'd like to see what else there is in the foundation world. Paying $6 extra for the pump also annoyed me a little bit.
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Blush -NYX - Rouge Cream Blush - Orange
giraffejousting 5/23/2010 2:37:00 PM
As a recent convert to orange, peach and coral blushes, I must say that I absolutely love this blush. I apply using a stippling brush and then blend. Since I have oily skin, blush doesn't last very long on me. So I use this with a powder blush on top in the same color family. The blush then lasts for hours. Even though this may look intense upon first application, it does fade a little bit, so I usually leave a little extra on. This gives such a healthy glow, I'll be using it all summer.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Milani - Minerals Blush - 203 - Mai Tai [DISCONTINUED]
giraffejousting 5/23/2010 2:33:00 PM
After hearing that luminous was a dupe for orgasm, I went and purchased that along with this blush, which caught my eye. I usually stayed away from peaches, but now I realize that oranges, peaches and corals look amazing on warm toned skin. It gives me such a natural glow, I absolutely love it. This is my go to blush.
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Blush -MAC - Superdupernatural - Holiday 2009
giraffejousting 4/28/2010 2:05:00 AM
I am about an NC25-30, depending on the season. I bought this blush last week when the SA at a Pro store did my makeup for me and I saw how beautiful this blush was. When she told me it was limited edition, I knew I had to have it. Even though the blush looks like it has tons of glitter, it goes on pretty much matte. It looks very natural on me and provides a nice level of glow. I absolutely love this blush and it has quickly become a favorite, maybe even HG status, but I'm not sure yet. I would have rated this lower because it does disappear on me within a few hours, but I haven't been able to find a blush that doesn't, which explains the 5 lippies.
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