Eye Shadow -MAC - Grand Entrance [DISCONTINUED]
hedgehog2484 12/13/2008 7:14:00 PM
Grand Entrance is a light champagne shade. I love the color, but it was much frostier than I expected. Some may use this as a highlight, but I don't care for frosty highlighters on myself. I have very fair skin, cooler undertones, grey-blue eyes, brown hair. As I am fair, I find this to be a similar shade to my skintone, which makes it wearable for me. I like to wear this as a wash on the lids and along with Laura Gellar Ethereal Rose blush and tinted lip balm for a subtle, youthful look. I am not always in the mood for frost, so this is not a shade I will wear on a daily basis. However, I will keep it around as I love champagne shadows.
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Blush -MAC - Satin Blush - Apple Red
hedgehog2484 10/26/2008 3:59:00 AM
Apple Red is a pretty true red in the pan, but with some pink that shows up more on my brush and on my skin. This is a pro blush (but fairly easy to obtain) and quite pigmented. The finish is Satin, meaning this is not shimmery, no shimmer visible on the face, but not as flat as a matte. I'm sure Apple Red is lovely on deep skintones. Lighter skintones should not overlook this. I am actually very fair (probably nw15 or lighter) and I really like this. I would say this is more cool than warm. You do not need to be an expert to apply this. What you do need are the right tools and some time to play around with it. I think a skunk (duo-fiber) brush is a must as well as a blending brush. You may also like to use some translucent powder. If you are fair like me, this is how I use it: apply lightly with a 188, even stipple, and then blend, blend, blend with another brush. Either apply translucent powder beforehand or dip your brush in it before swiping or tapping Apple Red. This is simple and not time-consuming ... it's just not a swipe and run out the door blush. On me, this comes to a sheer wash of clear red. Apple Red can be surprisingly natural on me (perhaps because I am pink, white, and red). This is pigmented and bright, but wearable because it is not muted or mixed with browns, bronzes, or other shades that can leave certain skintones looking dirty or bruised. I'm sure this could be layered with other blushes as well. I am now interested in picking up some more pro blushes.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Cover Girl - Wetslicks Amazemint - Sillylily
hedgehog2484 10/22/2008 2:48:00 AM
I had read some rave reviews about these Amazemint glosses and picked one up when on sale. I chose Sillylily because I knew it would be a wearable, my-lips-but-better, daytime color (even though the red one was very tempting). At first I thought this was nothing special, especially as it goes on sheer, but I kept wearing it and have been right about this being a good color for me. Sillylily (I think this is one word) is a medium rose that goes on sheer and shiny. This does add a bit of color, but looks very natural. Although glossy, this is not over-the-top or glittery. For reference, I am very fair, cooler-toned, with pigmented lips for my skintone. I don't think Amazemint glosses have a lot of lasting power. No lip color lasts long for me as I always have a water bottle or a cup of tea at hand. However, this needs more frequent application than most. The other drawback, is that these are prone to leaking a bit. I noticed that I seemed to be getting a lot of buildup inside the cap and on the neck and when I checked reviews, leaking seems to be a problem for many. The mint reminds me a bit of Tic-Tacs. It tingles, but not too much. I will repurchase Sillylily (although I prefer Rimmel Snog), especially if on sale, and will probably try at least one other shade. Sillylily is, for now, a staple, but no "holy grail."
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Femme-Fi from Neo Sci-Fi Collection
hedgehog2484 10/22/2008 2:27:00 AM
When I received this, at first I was afraid I had bought another shimmery, light highlight. (All I could remember was that I had seen a photo of someone wearing this and immediately decided I wanted it.) Once I started wearing Femme-Fi, I fell in love. I consider it to be a cream color, but I suppose it is an off-white or pale champagne. This works very well as a highlight (not chalky, not frosty). I actually love this as a wash. I am very fair, cooler-toned, brown hair, blue eyes with grey. Femme-Fi might be too light for a wash for some, but works very well on my fair skin. Although there is yellow in Femme-Fi, it is overall a neutral color and very wearable, even for cooler tones. I actually find it works well to neutralize the pink/purple/grey/blue around my eyes and to complement the blue/grey/green in them. No shadow is going to suit everyone, but I think this would work for many. Femme-Fi came out as a limited edition with the Neo Sci-Fi collection. I wish this were not LE, but it is already being repromoted! with the Brunette Blonde Redhead collection. Hopefully, this will be the first of many repromotes. I know I plan on snagging a backup.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -MAC - Blooming [DISCONTINUED]
hedgehog2484 10/5/2008 10:16:00 PM
Blooming is described by MAC as "frosty deep dirty peach" and I would never purchase based off of that description. However, swatch pictures tempted me and the high reviews settled it. On my fair, cooler-toned skin, Blooming is a natural pink and in the pan, I see a bit of mauve in it. This is my first MAC frost and it does not look frosty to me at all (fortunately). I do wish this were not limited edition. As I am fair, I only need a little bit. This is buildable.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -MAC - 188 Small Duo Fibre Face brush
hedgehog2484 10/5/2008 10:05:00 PM
I am very fair and used to avoid blush because I always got "clown cheeks." For a while, I was even using a pink highlighter as my "blush." I absolutely needed a brush of this type. Now, I can use this for just about any type of blush. I sweep normally across a medium or lighter pigmented blush and tap lightly on a highly pigmented or bright blush. I use this for both powder and cream. The 188 distributes evenly. I chose the 188 over the 187 because I tend to prefer smaller brushes in general and because I do not have very broad cheeks. I may pick up the 187 at some point or the Sonia Kashuk highlighter, too. I recommend one of these three for fair people like me who have struggled with blush application. I look forward to expanding my blush collection.
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Lipstick -MAC - Viva Glam II
hedgehog2484 10/5/2008 8:57:00 PM
I am very fair, cooler-toned, and have pigmented lips for my complexion. This color falls flat on me. I wear a lot of cooler-toned lipstick so I don't think this is too cool-toned. I think this is a tad light for me and needs more pink. I think this looks like natural lips for someone with a pale complexion (like me) and lightly pigmented lips, but if my natural lip color was like this I would wear lipstick all the time! I prefer light natural pinks with more pink like Faux.
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Lipstick -New York Color - 309B Sheer Red
hedgehog2484 10/5/2008 8:42:00 PM
I have been getting into sheer reds lately and kept reading recommendations for N.Y.C. Sheer Red on the boards. Overall with this brand, the quality is sometimes "what-you-pay-for", but very reasonable for the prices. Still, I tend to overlook it unless there are recommendations. I wasn't impressed at first as Sheer Red seemed darker and more pigmented than I was expecting and applied unevenly. However, when I applied this over balm, this became a soft rose-red. This is very wearable and flattering for me if I use it over balm. I have very fair skin with lots of pink and pigmented lips for my complexion. The price is under one dollar. I buy New York Color at Meijer and it is also available at Target.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Shiny Sheers in Sheer Mauvy Star
hedgehog2484 10/1/2008 12:58:00 AM
I am very fair, cooler-toned, and like subtle looks so a sheer mauve gloss-lipstick looked like a great choice for a my-lips-but-better look. However, (at least for my skintone) I have pigmented lips and this did not show up at all. I was expecting at least a tiny bit of color but this is invisible. Even on my hand or wrist, this is very sheer. This shade is probably best suited for those with lightly pigmented lips. Although this shade is a disappointment for me, I also bought the cherry one and find it to be a nice wearable red. It looks like I will have to stick with the red and plum shades in this line.
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Lipstick -Cover Girl - Continuous Color in Classic Red-new formula
hedgehog2484 9/7/2008 12:39:00 AM
"Classic Red" is no red on my lips, but quite pink. In the tube, this appears to be a medium-deep blue-based red, but on my lips this is a deep, bright pink. No red whatsoever. This was a clearance bin find, so it's no biggie. The shade looks ok on me, but I don't see me wearing it that often. I know many reds can turn pink-ish, but I find it pretty odd that a shade called classic red is not at all red, much less a true red.
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Other -Yankee Candles - Tart in Buttercream
hedgehog2484 9/7/2008 12:31:00 AM
Buttercream is a great, yummy foody vanilla. I didn't detect any plasticky smell to it at all. I thought the throw was pretty decent, but I have not tried very many e-tailer tarts, which I believe tend to be stronger. Overall, I am pleased and will repurchase the next time I stock up on Yankee tarts.
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Treatments -Jason Natural Cosmetics - Tea Tree Oil
hedgehog2484 9/1/2008 6:10:00 PM
Tea tree oil is one of the most effective spot treatments I have tried. This works especially well for those pesky hormonal cysts. It may take a couple days for the swelling to disappear, but it definitely works. I use this straight and sometimes this will leave some flakiness, but I would rather have a dry spot than a sore swollen one. I haven't noticed as much prevention and I think this is a bit strong to use all over undiluted, but I plan to try it diluted at some point. This bottle may seem a bit pricy upfront but it is actually really cheap because it lasts for a long time. The smell is strong, of course, but I don't mind it. I will definitely repurchase and wish I had tried this sooner.
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Clothes -Unlisted Brand - Bitten by SJP-General
hedgehog2484 9/1/2008 5:44:00 PM
Overall with this line, you get what you pay for. I like the concept and some of the designs are cute. I picked up some elbow-length tees and a t-shirt with a design on it. I would recommend looking at some of the basic items in this line like jeans or t-shirts. I didn't even really consider some of the other items like dresses because the material and cuts were very cheap looking. Someone who normally buys from more inexpensive lines can probably find something she likes - like a variation on a basic item. Someone who is used to higher quality clothing will probably be disappointed. I sometimes pass through Steve & Barry's at my mall and will browse the Bitten section then, but otherwise I would not go out of my way to shop this line. I am happy with the items I have, but I have only purchased a few items.
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Clothes -Unlisted Brand - New York and Company
hedgehog2484 9/1/2008 5:32:00 PM
My friend introduced me to New York & Company in college and this became one of my favorite stores. I find a lot of the items fit my body type really well (size 10 tall hourglassy). My friend is about a size 16 and also found a lot of clothes that worked. I find the clothing is fairly consistently sized which is helpful if I do not have a lot of time to try everything on and even more helpful since online ordering is now available. I think the clothing runs fairly true to size or large. I like that there are a lot of tall sizes and I have picked up several pairs of slacks as well as yoga pants. Skirts and dresses tend to fit well as well as sweaters, although they tend to pill. I usually have to see the tops in real life as some can be too stiff or clingy, but I like the ones I have bought. I haven't cared for the jeans I have tried on. Overall, I can always find several items, the prices are within my budget, and the quality is reasonable. There are always items that follow current trends and some of them have potential to be worn beyond that season. I sometimes have trouble striking a balance between looking youthful and grownup. Stores aimed at younger women and teens can be too trendy and the clothing too tight in the hips and chest. Stores aimed at more middle-aged women don't always seem as up-to-date and the clothing is not fitted enough for me. New York & Company offers a combination of fairly fresh and classic looks suitable for women my age.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Other -Tom's of Maine - Fennel Natural Toothpaste
hedgehog2484 9/1/2008 5:09:00 PM
The fennel is different and I really love it. I like fennel and other licorice-types of flavors/smells. This left my mouth feeling very clean, especially as it wasn't as sweetened up as many mainstream toothpastes. I like that this product uses natural ingredients. I just wish this was easier to find in my area. I'm not sure if I like the metal tube as I remember it getting a small hole in it, but it wasn't a big deal. I plan on buying this again.
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