Lips -Cover Girl - Natureluxe Gloss Balm
hullabaloo 2/24/2011 9:51:00 PM
I love this new product. I have purchased many of the colors and while there were several that I didn't care for (some were too frosty and some had too much glitter) I have decided that Pinot (soft plummy wine) and HIbiscus (bright raspberry pink) are my new go to favorites. The sheerness and color payoff of this balm/lipstick is remarkable in my opinion. For women who don't want their lipstick to feel heavy or to emphasize any lines in their lips these are ideal. I'm so excited that these exist and that I can buy them at Target. Plus, they have sunscreen. Lately, I only come to MUA and write reviews for things that I absolutely love or absolutely hate. I almost feel guilty for not coming and writing a review of Nature Luxe balm sooner. I hope CoverGirl makes this a permanent part of their line and I hope they expand the color choices, particularly with more shades that are solid creams without frost. Steer clear of some of the lighter shades in this line as they are too heavy on the frost. You can see from just looking at the top of the lipstick through the little plastic cover that some will have a milky white sheen to them; avoid those shades (Tulip and Thistle being two of them). Around $7 at Target. And you can also buy it at Drugstore.com.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Cover Girl - Natureluxe lip balm Hibiscus
hullabaloo 2/24/2011 9:38:00 PM
This is may be the best drugstore glossy lipstick of all time in my opinion. Particularly this color, Hibiscus, which is a bright raspberryish pink. For women who don't want a thick heavy lipstick this is ideal. Hibiscus is a nice face brightening shade. It goes on so easily and gives a great amount of color and yet your lips still look somewhat natural as this product is so sheer and smooth. The texture of your lips shows through nicely. To think that it might be a limited edition product (as I've seen in some ads) sort of boggles the mind. Someone at CoverGirl produced a stellar product; hopefully they'll see that sales of this are strong and will continue its production. I also love the color Pinot, which is a soft reddish plum shade on me. My advice is to go to Target to purchase it as they have the best and largest selection of shades in this lipstick that I have seen. I've tried some other shades in the line that were too bright, frosty, or had glitter but I absolutely love these two colors. I got some for my mom who has a more olive complexion and it looks great and natural on her, too. The touch of gloss in these two makes your lips have a nice sheen. I don't find it to be drying and I think the staying power is very good for such a sheer product, but I do have to reapply it during the day.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Paula's Choice - RESIST Daily Smoothing Treatment with 5% AHA
hullabaloo 1/9/2011 11:08:00 PM
I have been using this product for about a month now and am so thrilled with it that I felt compelled to come post a review. Paula has struck gold with this one. My skin is sensitive combination and I have a heck of a time finding a product that doesn't break me out or irritate my face. I use this at night after washing and using one of Paula's toners. My skin feels very soft and smooth the next day. I've had no breakouts because of it. There is silicone in this but it's fairly far down on the list and has not clogged my pores like most silicone primers and serums tend to do. I've recommended this to friends and family. I also am using her once a week Resist liquid AHA and have been pleased with it but this is my favorite of the two. Highly recommend this to anyone. I feel like it would be truly good for any skin type. Am about to order it for a second time and will continue to do so. Its $24.95 for 1.7 ounces.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Revlon - DoubleTwist
hullabaloo 10/5/2009 3:29:00 PM
Sometimes you try a product that is so great that you immediately have to get on MUA and write a review about that product after trying it. And then sometimes there's a product that is so bad that you must get on MUA and write a review to save your fellow makeup fans some dough at the drugstore. This is the latter of those two. I was reading a women's magazine this week which was recommending various mascaras for certain types of lashes (straight, stubby, sparse etc.) and this is the one they recommended for sparse lashes like mine. I don't know what I paid for this at Target, but it was too much. Did I get on MUA and check the reviews on this first? Obviously not. I'd never have bought it if I'd seen the rating its getting. And yes, I'm old enough to know better than to listen to what a beauty magazine is recommending I try. Will I ever learn? This mascara gives me the creepiest dried out looking spider lashes ever. I rolled the odd double wand (it has both regular mascara bristles and the newer rubber ones on alternate sides) and combed it through several times and then used my eyelash separator and it was still a clumpy straw like looking mess. Yuck. I gave it three tries which was two tries too many. Plus, its incredibly hard to get off even with a good eye makeup remover. I had these football player black eye smears under my eyes for a good couple of minutes when trying to wash it off. Think Courtney Love on a regular day. O_o For reference my favorite mascaras are Maybelline Full n Soft, Cover Girl Lashblast, Shu Uemura Basic, Lancome Definicils, Chanel Inimitable, and most recently Dr. Hauschka's Volumizing mascara. I'm sticking with the Dr. Hauschka for now and this Revlon DoubleTwist is going into the trash. Worst mascara I've tried in a while. Save your money for something else.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lips -Sonia Kashuk - Sheer Lip Color and Plumping Glossy Tint - Passion Fruit
hullabaloo 5/4/2008 9:38:00 PM
This is a double ended lip product. It contains a sheer lipstick on one end and a plumping lip gloss on the other. The Lipstick is indeed sheer, but has a lot of pigment and no shimmer. Its moisturizing and gives a lovely moist but very natural looking finish. Its my favorite part of the product. The gloss is also lovely and sheer and is the mildest feeling plumping gloss I've tried. I don't find it to be irritating at all. The color of Passion Fruit (#03) is a soft pinky coral. It appears very vibrant in the tube but goes on sheer with a nice little jolt of color. On, this looks exactly like I'd hoped it would. Its softer than a red, but is face brightening and perfect for spring and summer. I love this shade. And the gloss isn't sticky. I paid $11.99 at Target , which seems high for a Target lip product. But I guess you are getting two in one. Highly recommend this one. I want to get another one to keep in my purse. Lipstick side is .09 oz. and the Lip gloss side is .08 oz. I would definitely repurchase.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Giorgio Armani - Face Fabric Second Skin Nude Makeup
hullabaloo 5/4/2008 8:59:00 PM
Wow! I'm really liking this product. I'm an NC20 in MAC and wear Porcelain and/or Nude in Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturizer and the #2 in GA's Face Fabric is just right for me. I'd say the coverage of Face Fabric is light but it also evens out the surface of your skin sort of like a primer (which is what it feels like going on) and it leaves your skin with this beautiful velvet finish that both looks and feels wonderful as other reviewers have mentioned. It is extremely natural looking on the skin and I don't think you can make a mistake putting it on as it blends so well. I have been patting on powder lightly on top, but that is also because I like to wear a fairly rich sunscreen under my foundation or tinted moisturizer. That leads me to another impressive thing about Face Fabric. I can layer it over something else and it doesn't do that goofy pilled up little ball thing that some other silicone containing products tend to do. This is an excellent product. I paid $45 at Saks Fifth Ave for the 1.35 oz tube. My only complaint (which is a small one) is that I wish they'd packaged it with a flip cap as sometimes screwing on the cap is a pain; it has to be centered just right. But maybe that would have made it cost $50 instead of $45. ; ) I will definitely repurchase. I think its perfect for spring and summer.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Clinique - Continuous Rescue Antioxidant Moisturizer (Dry/Combination) [DISCONTINUED]
hullabaloo 1/20/2008 3:45:00 AM
I bought this product as it was a Paula's Pick a couple of months ago and have been using it nightly after I apply my BHA. I'm using the Dry Combination formula. I have to say that I have seen a marked improvement in my skin tone and the texture of my skin. It definitely looks more even toned and some little odd bumps on my forehead have diminished. I was not using an antioxidant nightly prior to this. And I am completely sold now that they make a difference. I'm just starting to use it in the am as well under my sunscreen as I need the added moisture during the winter. This has not broken me out and feels great going on. I'm considering trying the Very Dry to Dry formula next as I could use some extra moisture at night. Highly recommend. I'm thrilled with this product. Retails for $39.50.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Prescriptives - Flawless Skin Total Protection Concealer 
hullabaloo 1/17/2008 6:52:00 PM
I have terrible dark circles and very dry skin and this concealer has been working well for me provided I wear a rich eye cream under it. I wear Warm 02 and I agree with other reviewers when they say a little goes a long way. I also find it necessary to go over it with a little loose powder to set it which sounds like a bad idea for someone with dry skin, but again if I start with an eye cream I can get away with it without looking too dry and cakey. The coverage this concealer provides is very good and it also has a sunscreen of SPF 25 which gives broad spectrum (both UVA and UVB) protection so I'm happy about that, too. It also is quite natural looking for such a good covering concealer. Retails for $22. I will most likely repurchase if something else doesn't catch my fancy first. ; )
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Giorgio Armani - Armani Silk 7
hullabaloo 1/14/2008 12:58:00 AM
I went to the Giorgio Armani counter and asked the SA for a lipstick for spring. Something that would be face brightening but nothing over the top. She recommended this and I just love it. Its my first GA Silk Lipstick. Its a soft mauve pink with a slightly glossy sheen to it. I've tried GA's Sheer lipsticks and one GA Mania lipstick and this is my favorite. The texture of this is out of this world good. Its moist and somewhat sheer but still provides an ample boost of color. Similar in texture to Chanel's Aqualumiere, but this is more moisturizing. Great product. $25 at Saks Fifth Avenue.
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Polishes -OPI - Hollywood Blonde [DISCONTINUED]
hullabaloo 12/14/2007 5:50:00 PM
Wow. I'm surprised to see such negative numbers for this polish. I like it a lot and I'll tell you why. Its festive without being ridiculous. The color is icy shimmery champagne beige and is very sheer. It takes two coats for me to get the look that I want with it; I'd probably like three even better. It keeps my hands looking polished, my nails looking bright and crisp (I keep them short) without being garish. Its sort of fun without being too teeny bopperish. I think it looks glamorous and if you've read any of my other reviews you'll see that I have no real love for micro-glitter in my makeup products. This has that sort of holographic shimmer to it which I like in nail polish and gives it some depth. If you don't like that effect then this is not for you. This polish is very smooth; there's no gritty feeling to it. Its definitely sparkly, but somehow I don't think that its too much. Unless the people you come in contact with are taking your hands and holding them under a bright light I don't think that you have to worry about it looking too flashy. ; ) My skin tone is very fair with neutral to warm undertones and I love the way this looks. Going to a party tonight and will keep this on. I've already had someone ask me what shade I was wearing while wearing Hollywood Blonde and that's rare for me.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Wet 'n' Wild - Mega Plump
hullabaloo 11/9/2007 1:41:00 PM
I bought this in #586 which is also called Plum Desert. And it is the mildest plumping lipgloss that I've tried. It gives just the slightest tingle to my lips without a distracting strong irritation that some plumping lip glosses can cause. This is the perfect everyday color of lipgloss for me. Its not overly shiny and it gives just the slightest hint of light pinkish plum. It comes in this futuristic George Jetson looking tube (the shape sort of reminds me of a lava lamp) and has a doe foot wand which I actually prefer to a brush. The shimmer in this is nice and subdued. Big rave from me for this gloss, especially the color. I haven't noticed any unusual residue on my lips after wearing it. And the lasting power is pretty good for a gloss; it ends up feeling like a balm after an hour or so which I like. I don't find it overly sticky like say, Bobbi Brown's gloss or Lancome Juicy Tubes. I think I paid around $3.99 for this at Rite Aid. I would call this lip gloss light and a nice product well worth trying.
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Highlighters -Bobbi Brown - Pink Quartz Shimmer Brick
hullabaloo 11/8/2007 10:30:00 PM
I've never really been a fan of Bobbi Brown's Shimmerbricks until I tried this one. And I've purchased a couple before and ended up not wearing them, but this one is getting a lot of use. It is part of Bobbi Brown's 2007 Holiday collection and is Limited Edition, unfortunately. Maybe I've come around to the idea of wearing a highlighter more often in my routine, but this is very wearable and is not over the top shimmer in my opinion. I use a skunk brush to apply it over my regular blush on my cheekbones and it gives a lovely sheen and highlight to the cheek area. I don't find the micro-glitter to be too large in this which has been a complaint I've had with other shimmerbricks in the past. The mix of shades in this one is really nice; they are subtle beiges and pinks. I'm very pale, usually the lightest or second to lightest shade in a foundation w/ yellow undertones and this works nicely as a highlighter for me. And its not as frosty as say those Summer eyeshadow palettes that Bobbi has come out with for the past couple of years that are super tiny and instead of getting color payoff you get frost. I paid $38 at Nordstrom. I think its similar in color to MAC's Porcelain Pink Mineralized Skin Finish, but it does not have the large glitter that the MSF's have which is a big plus; its also not as pigmented as Porcelain Pink, but that's fine with me as I'm using it to highlight. I have tried using the shades individually as eyeshadows and am surprised how much I like to wear them that way as well, particularly the golden beige shades. Good job, BB.
10 out of 10 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Bobbi Brown - Pink Quartz
hullabaloo 11/8/2007 10:12:00 PM
I love this. Its Bobbi Brown's 2007 Limited Edition Holiday nail color. Its a shimmery icey beigey pink that has tiny multi-colored shimmer in it which gives it some depth and makes it more interesting. It almost has that holographic look. The bottle is tiny, only .24 oz., but that's fine with me as I never use up a nail polish. Its $8.50 at Nordstrom. Pale shimmery nailpolish lovers should go get this one immediately. You could wear it year round or to a holiday party. Subtle and gorgeous. Bobbi Brown's website is already sold out of this one. But Nordstrom online still has it.
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Mascara -Lancome - Courbe Virtuose (Divine Lasting Curves)
hullabaloo 10/5/2007 12:44:00 PM
Oh, I like this mascara a lot. I think this one is going to appeal to the same crowd who likes Shu Uemura Basic, Maybelline Full n Soft, and Clinique Naturally Glossy mascaras. It darkens, lengthens, thickens and separates the lashes really well. Does it curl my lashes? No. But after 20 years of mascara companies telling me that their mascara was going to curl my lashes and them not doing that, I am not surprised. So, I use my lash curler and then use a few swipes of this mascara and they look much better, but still like real lashes. I do think that it holds the curl pretty well which is saying something. The one goofy thing about this mascara tube is that the top is designed with a curve which makes it a little odd to twist off, but its not a big enough pain to make me not want to use it. Other reviewers mentioned that it dries fast and that is true; I quickly comb through them with my Sonia Kashuk eyeliner comb after applying the mascara and they are dry. I like not having to wait for my mascara to dry. Who has time for that? But I'm very happy with this mascara and would repurchase. Lancome comes through with another good mascara. I've been a Definicils fan for a long time. Virtuose is $23.00 at Nordstrom which is great, because its cheaper than Shu Basic which is $27.50. And to tell the truth I think I like it better than my Shu Basic which is really saying something. To me, this mascara is like Shu Basic on steroids which in the realm of mascaras is a good thing.
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Eyeliner -Sonia Kashuk - Eye Definer in Iced Coffee
hullabaloo 9/17/2007 3:06:00 PM
I'm surprised to see the good reviews for this product. I put it on my top lash line this morning and headed out the door for breakfast with a friend and when I got home from breakfast, this liner was smudged beneath my eyes. Also, the little sparkles from the liner were scattered under my eyes (another big pet peeve of mine). It wasn't hot outside and I didn't cry over my oatmeal, so there was no good reason for this product to smudge, especially within 2 hours time. Big thumbs down for me. Giving it 2 lipsticks because it applied rather easily and the color is nice, but I won't be using this again.
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