Polishes -Revlon - Baby Peach
iolite88 12/6/2005 11:34:00 AM
SO disappointed with this one! Agree with Elankat on the color description. It does look pretty in the bottle and I really like that subtle pearly finish, but sadly that's all about it. My search for the perfect low-shimmer nude color continues... I'm a warm-toned MMM with very yellowish undertones, and the color is too pale and too cool for me to use it as a nude color. So I think it's just a more cream-toned Sheer Nude with shimmers. Yes, it's on the sheer side, and I don't know why it insists to streak terribly on me... I'm not expecting that from a Revlon polish!
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Polishes -Revlon - Peach Radiance- Limited Edition
iolite88 12/6/2005 11:20:00 AM
This time I failed at judging the color from the bottle -_- In the bottle, it looks like a peach/beige color with a subtle orange-pink sheen. When applied, the sheen is much more pronounced then I expected. And unfortunately, I'd say the sheen is more on the vibrant pink side (thus the contrast with the neutral base color) and doesn't look flattering on my warm/medium skintone. Need to find some way to use this up...
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Polishes -Revlon - Rock Chic - LE Fall 2005
iolite88 12/6/2005 11:07:00 AM
It's now my favorite deep shade in my stash! The brown is so dark and leans towards burgundy, and I think it works fine on my warm medium skintone. I mostly wear beige/pink/rose, and when it came to dark polishes I've never considered brown - until I saw this. The color is stuningly rich and the shimmers also gorgeous. The shimmers strangely appear reddish on my nails, rather than golden as seen in the bottle. Agree that a topcoat will be needed as its not very glossy. But I won't complain, for it's such a wonderful shade at that price!
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Fragrance -Lancome - Miracle Homme
iolite88 8/1/2005 12:41:00 PM
Have a mini bottle, and actually much prefer this to the female version. I like it enough to wear it myself and tote it around in my makeup pouch. It is quite sharp when freshly applied, but it surely is not like some macho aftershave. According to my colleagues it definitely smelt masculine though, that's why they had to ask what I was wearing! I've never received such responses when I wear Bulgari pour Homme or L'eau par Kenzo - I know I wear men's scent a lot LOL.
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Lip Gloss -Maybelline - Fruity Jelly
iolite88 7/6/2005 11:47:00 AM
I got 2: Pink Grapefruit and Guava Splash coz I am addicted to fruit scented glosses & balms. What a disappointment. Yummy names but the scents really didn't live up to those. The grapefruit one smells like bubblegum, but the guava splash smells really tacky - articial! I like L'Oreal's CJ better.
The color doesn't show up on lips, as anticipated for a gloss that looks quite transparent in the tube. The guava one's glitters are gritty & make funny sounds when they came between my front teeth (!) They're not really that sticky, but feel 'thick' on my lips. Lasting power is good, but the gloss is nothing spectacular. I actually like the round tip, but am not re-purchasing this stuff.
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Fragrances -Thierry Mugler - Angel
iolite88 7/3/2005 2:27:00 PM
Got really interested after seeing the MUA reviews, and got myself a sample @ clearance. Recently I am obsessed with sweet stuff, & this is supposed to smell like vanilla, caramel & chocolate - sounds yummy. I am relieved that I:
1) waited until at home to try it on instead of spritzing at the counter; and
2) bought only a sample (3ml maybe?)
1&2 seems contradicting, coz if I tried it I wouldn't have purchased. But I would rather made that wrong purchase instead of having the stuff on me during my shopping day - it's THAT bad, and strong, and impossible to get rid of!
As usual I stopped at 1 spritz when trying it on, and an overpowering sweet smell filled up my bedroom immediately. I couldn't detect any resemblence to chocolate or vanilla (was that sweet smell aldehyde?) It's sweet, but unpleasantly so. To my whole family it smells like mixed rotten fruits... Ewww! Why did they have to name it "Angel"?
Now I fanatically wanted to wash my wrist. Hand soap & then liquid body soap. It's still there. Cleansing oil + facial soap + exfoliating powder wash along with some scrubbing ('extending' my face cleansing regime). Much better, but still there. A thick layer of oily handcream, wait for 15min. and wash with soap finally get the horrible smell cleaned. Phew! Wait... That smell was in my room with opened windows after 3 hours... Definitely a nightmare!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Pieds Nus - Eye Color Select in GY914
iolite88 6/15/2005 1:15:00 PM
My 5th Eye Color Select. I also have BE208 (shimmery deep-gold), PK107 (warm light pink w/ some beige irridescence), VI715 (muddy medium violet) and GR711 (striking olive/mint dichroic). I'm getting addicted to Shiseido's makeup...
GY914 is a shimmery & pearly gray with hints of brown. The shadow itself and the shimmers are fine and very blendable. My medium asian skintone usually doesn't like grays, especially pearly ones, but this one looks quite natural on me. I apply below the crease for workday makeup. For parties I apply all over my lids, with Majolica Majorca SV830 (a silver shimmer) as highlight :) I don't do smoky eyes because of my flat bone structure, but this is definitely more ooomph than flat dark shades for that purpose.
The reason I'm not awarding 5 lippies is that this lovely color creases on my oily lids (I don't like eye bases). I'm ok with touch up for workdays but not for parties...
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Polishes -Revlon - Nail Enamel- Nordic Nude
iolite88 6/15/2005 12:21:00 PM
Couldn't pass this one although it's very old product. It's my HG polish when I worked in a professional firm, and I got compliments from colleagues & clients. I have warm medium skintone, but I think it would match paler skintones as well. I call it a "milk tea" color - agree with kealoha on the color description. Would like to add that it has a subtle pearly sheen that gives a bit of depth.
Quality-wise, it's my 2nd bottle and already 2 years old but still in good condition. Would definitely snap up more if I see it in those parellel import stores again.
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Other -Unlisted Brand - Listerine Strips
iolite88 6/13/2005 1:19:00 PM
Great product! I used to be well known in the office as an addict to Airwave mint gum, but this little gem is getting my attention:
- it is the most "powerful" mint to me (only the mint variant available here);
- the sleek little plastic case is ideal to slip into a purse/drawer;
- it glues to the roof of my mouth & is less embarrassing in case I have unexpected visitors;
- no more rummaging in the purse for a wrapper when I'm done XD
My only gripe is that the packaging is no good in the humid weather. The next day the strips are all stuck together to form a lump of super powerful mint that's impossible to split or spit :P
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Revlon - Colorstay LipColor
iolite88 6/13/2005 11:06:00 AM
Their new Colorstay Overtime is good, but this is my HG longlasting lipcolor. I got my hands on 4 tubes before Revlon stopped carrying the line. I wish they bring them back instead of launching the new line, as the matte finish feels more comfortable on my lips than the paint-like Colorstay Overtime.
I met Vixen in a drugstore years ago, and yikes the color swatch on the box must had faded a lot. It turned out to be a goth dark purple that just didn't fit into my lifestyle ^^b. I think it was of the original formula as it was rather drying & somewhat cakey, but I was really impressed by the staying power. Surprisingly, the smell was tolerable too. Fortunately it was cheap like US$3... Had fun making purple gloss by melting it with chunks fm a disfunct. mentholatum chapstick.
I bought Violet from the drugstore later and it was a gorgeous medium pink-violet. Coverage decent on my pigmented lips (this is NEVER achieved by any of my glossy lipsticks), giving an even matte finish. The formula seemed to be improved as application was a bliss. Dunno why they stuck w/ the cheap packaging that's tres ugly & doesn't fit into my lipstick case (I can go on...), but it's no big deal coz I seldom need retouching...
Cocoa was the only tube I bought at full price of ~US$10 from an authorised distributor. Still w/o testers & I thought it'd be a natural nude brown-beige. Wrong - it had pronounced red tones. So instead of no-makeup day I reserved it for job interviews w/ tea reception, and didn't need to worry about embarrassing lipstick stains on cups. Well, it didn't even leave a trace on cig butts.
Abt a year later I finally got my no-makeup day lippie - #563. It's a Japanese version found at the drugstore. The shade is the perfect nude pink for my warm medium complexion *hearts*. Sometimes I wear it over a lipbalm for a semi-matte finish & ppl can't tell I'm wearing lipcolor. And the packaging looks more sophisticated & doesn't scratch like no one's business. That's strange coz it reads "made in America"...
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Polishes -Sally Hansen - Hard as Nails with Nylon nail polish
iolite88 6/13/2005 4:46:00 AM
This brand is rather hard to find for me, but recently I found them in some discount store @ HK$15 (~US$2). I got a bottle in Weathered Mauve Frost. I'll definitely buy more if the other shades in the bucket aren't all deep reds...
I am a fan of Revlon nail polish. Comparing with Revlon, I think SH doesn't chip as much, and for a frosty shade the lasting gloss is nothing short of amazing. I don't use any base/top coat, but it last 5 days (3 coats of polish) while Revlon (2 coats) lasts 3 days before the gloss wears away and chipping occurs. The drying time is average. Although the polish forms a hard layer (i.e. not as easily dented or scratched as Revlon), I don't feel any improvement on my brittle nails.
I knocked off a lippie becoz of the sheer color. Although its runny texture sets to form a smooth glossy surface, which is good news for my pitted & ridged nails, it takes patience to put on 3 coats or I could see the white tip of my nails... Maybe that's the price to have super smooth nails w/o using base/top coats?
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Lip Treatments -Shiseido - FT Shiseido Water Lips
iolite88 6/9/2005 9:43:00 AM
I am not a lipbalm person, but this line is plainly great. I've used up a tube of Stick UV & am now on a 2nd tube of Lip Essence. I recommended the line to several chap-lipped friends & the feedback was great. I choose balms mainly based on the smell & taste. The balm doesn't have the dreaded petroleum jelly taste (*cough*Mentholatum and Vaseline*cough cough*). No, I am not paid for advertising LOL The line is, as theotherself said, available in all major drugstore chains in Hong Kong. The price is HK$20+ (~US$3-4). Each stick contains 3g of balm, and the essence comes in 10g tubes.
Stick UV is packaged in a purple clear plastic tube. The balm is indeed on the creamy side, which I prefer to the waxy type (*cough*nivea*cough). It glides on and forms a thin slick film on my lips. My lips feel moisturised, and the subtle minty smell & cooling sensation is pleasant. The shine rivals an average lipgloss, but w/o the stickiness.
Lip Essence is packaged in a light purple/pink squeeze tube. It's got a cream consistency, and the clever narrow nozzle aids even & precise application even to corners of my mouth. Once on lips it is like the Stick UV, only it produces a subtle pink irridescent sheen. I use it as a gloss on lipstick in winter. Absolutely love it!
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Eyeliner -Kanebo - KATE super sharp liner
iolite88 6/6/2005 7:16:00 AM
I'm surprised that this little gem hasn't been reviewed. Maybe it's because this drugstore brand is not widely available? I've used this for 6 months, and I'm not quite the eyeliner fanatic, but I think I've found the HG!
*Raving alert* On to the product:
Price: 1,000yen for 0.7ml. And I think my money's well spent :)
Type: Automatic brush. The person who invented this is a genius. Bye-bye all the adjusting on back of my hand! Bye-bye the trouble of trying to hold the tube, the brush and lift my lid at the same time! Woohooooo!!!
Packaging: Silver plastic body w/ a black cap. Incredibly slim & light. I only wish the silver coating doesn't scratch off as much.
Here's the official pic.
Brush: The brush is really thin and has a sharp tip - and mine still holds its shape. The old nail-polish-esque type still has the thinnest brushes, but it already beats all similar products I've seen. My shaky hands slip even with pencils, but I found myself drawing hair-thin lines in no time with this.
Color: In matte black only. Most liq. eyeliners I've tried are intense lacquer-black & too dramatic for me. This one delivers a gray-black line behind my black lashes. The color is very consistent. I'm amazed at the control over the amount of color delivered by the brush, as it doesn't require any button clicking or knob turning.
Lasting power: Decent. Last the day on my oily lids but will need some touch up for the evening. Won't come off with rubbing (not scrubbing) but is not very waterproof. Easily removed with cleansing oil.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Shiseido - Majolica - Eye Shadow
iolite88 6/6/2005 4:12:00 AM
My trip to Japan ended up visiting >10 drugstores & buying lots of Shiseido products not available in my city. Great way to check out the goodies w/o any Japanese skill...
Being targeted to the teens, they offered e/s in a more diverse range than other drugstore lines: cream, matte (fluorescent colors!), opalescent and metallic. Beside the numeric codes, the shades also have cute names which is great for me as I can't remember numbers. The powder is fine & the shimmers show up a lot. Lasting powder is okay on my fairly oily lids.
I got 2 metallics: SV821 (Night in Tokyo) & SV830 (Silver Moon Again). SV821 is difficult to describe - very metallic, greyish violet w/ a hint of brown. Compliments my dark brown eyes. SV830 is a silver-dust that doesn't have any pearl white in it, and is great to wear alone or add shimmer to other shadows. I was going to buy 14 (Purple secret) & 16 (Temptation) before I remembered I already had a stash of purple/violet e/s...
IMO their smaller size (500yen + 5% tax for 1g) & lower price are better than the e/s by pN (also Shiseido line) coz it takes forever to finish a pot of e/s anyway. The packaging is beautiful but not quite practical to me, coz I drop the top a lot when the drawer is pulled out.
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Liquid -Giorgio Armani - Matte Silk Foundation [DISCONTINUED]
iolite88 6/6/2005 3:11:00 AM
This fdt was my HG before I stumbled on a Shiseido line (sold exclusively in Japan) on a trip. It is a great fdt except that the yellow-based colors aren't yellow enough for me. (Asian, medium & "super" yellow undertones)
I escaped to a neighboring GA counter from an irritating Lancome lady. The BA was quiet but really helpful & catered to my needs. She helped me try like 4 colors along w/ m/u base & loose powder, w/ or w/o Fluid Sheer #0. LSF was a better match color-wise, but she pointed out that the finish might be too dewy on my oily skin in summer. I left the counter w/ a MSF 6.5 fdt, a fdt brush, and a l/s.
Consistency: Thick, has slip but more blendable w/ a brush than my fingers. A m/u base helps w/ the slip. EDIT: doesn't spread well on wet face.
Scent: Rather strong & lingers a bit but not unpleasant to me.
Coverage: Medium but buildable. Patting on a 2nd layer w/ side of the brush conceals older acne scars & broken capillaries. I use a small brush to apply a thin layer on the undereye circles & can skip concealer. (serious dark circles)
Finish: Really a bit rubber-like to the touch. Semi-matte only, but not too wet & I can get away w/o powders. Helps concealing my large pores & doesn't highlight fine lines.
Color: Yellow-toned, but not enough for me. It's my fault to choose 6.5 instead of a paler shade the BA recommended, coz I need to match it w/ a pale powder in winter.
Staying power: Decent. A touch up of powder after lunch is needed in hot humid summer. Not drying but doesn't make me secrete more oil.
Skin reaction: I cleanse off w/ cleansing oil & then foam. No skin reaction noted during the year.
Price: Pricey, but not comparable to Covermark or Cle de peau. With such good product & service, I won't mind paying the price and gladly kiss Lancome goodbye!
12 out of 13 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No