Top/Base Coats -Seche Vite - Dry Fast Top Coat
jjmacdon 2/26/2013 5:25:00 PM
Great topcoat but you have to FOLLOW THE RULES! 1. MUST apply to polish that is still tacky or even wet 2. apply thickly but gently in only 2 or 3 strokes max, gliding over top of your colour 3. You must wrap your tips to avoid shrinkage 4. Apply 3-6 drops of Seche Restore to the bottle every 5 manicures or so to keep it from getting stringy or too thick. Regular polish thinner doesn't do the trick. A bottle of Seche restore will last you years, so go for it. If you apply to dry polish, you WILL get shrinkage. I always follow the rules above and I get great results. I love that I can do my nails before bed, they're dry in less than 5 mins and I don't get sheet marks ever. They are dry but not DENT resistant for a few hours. I DON'T recommend reapplying every 2-3 days over DRY polish as this will cause shrinkage. I follow up every other day with Nail Tek II to ward off chips. I can get about 5 days out of a manicure, but I'm hard on my hands.
11 out of 12 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Clinique - Lash Power
jjmacdon 2/8/2013 2:16:00 AM
love this mascara as it doesn't raccoon on me or run if I shed a tear or two. It isn't water proof, but it's pretty water resistant and doesn't flake or smudge. It's much easier to remove than waterproof, so I don't lose as many lashes as I used to trying to remove waterproof mascara. All other non-waterproof mascaras smudge on me as I have oily skin and get watery eyes when I laugh, so Clinique Lash Power has been great. The small brush gives me great control with not much clumping until it starts to dry out after about a month, and then I end up tossing it as it gets flakey and messy at that point.
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Bronzers -BeneFit Cosmetics - HOOLA
jjmacdon 2/8/2013 2:11:00 AM
great matte bronzer for pale cool toned skin, perfect for contouring under cheekbones as there is no shimmer in it. It's very pigmented so if you're heavy handed with it you can look dirty, so use a quality contour brush (not the crappy one it comes with) and build gently. I hate the cheap cardboard packaging, but as long as it lives in my makeup case and doesn't travel around it should last. There are so few matte bronzers out there for cool toned skin, and this one works well. The only alternative I can find in my city is Harmony by MAC.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Lancome - Effacernes
jjmacdon 2/8/2013 2:05:00 AM
this is the best undereye concealer I have ever tried. It doesn't settle into fine lines, stays put all day, and gets rid of my undereye circles. It isn't a highlighter like some undereye products, but I don't want to highlight my bags anyway! This effectively conceals them to a matte finish so I look awake and rested. A little goes a long way, so it's worth the price tag. I think the tube might even last me all year!
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Polishes -Rimmel - Bare Naked
jjmacdon 2/8/2013 1:56:00 AM
hated this colour - looks like a bandaid. I have very fair skin, and after 2 coats it gave me "mannequin hands" and I couldn't get over how it was the exact same colour as the bandaids in my first aid kit. My husband noticed my nails and said he hated the colour too. I also don't like the flat brush - less control than with a regular brush like OPI, as I had to always make sure I was gripping the brush handle to make the bristles flat or it wouldn't apply properly.
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Liquid -Clinique - Stay-Matte Oil-Free Makeup
jjmacdon 2/8/2013 1:52:00 AM
FINALLY I have found my perfect foundation. I have tried everything for my sensitive, acne prone combination skin and this is the only one that stays put all day without sliding off. It hasn't caused breakouts on me either. The coverage is very good without being cakey. I follow it up with Vichy Dermablend Concealer Stick for any stand out spots and then an allover powder with the Vichy Dermablend setting powder and my face looks great all day. I tried the Clinique acne solutions concealer and it always slid off on me or dried really flakey/cakey. The Clinique loose powders including the redness solutions loose powder also didn't work as well as the Vichy Setting powder, so now I have my favorite system. This foundation is GREAT for combination/oily/sensitive/acne prone skin.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Vichy - Dermablend Corrective Foundation 
jjmacdon 2/8/2013 1:46:00 AM
Tried this for my sensitive, acne prone combination skin and it was a disaster. Very few colour options, and even with the setting powder it started sliding off by midday. I looked like a shiny streaky mess and had to touch up my whole face repeatedly throughout the day. I switched to Clinique Stay Matte Oil Free Foundation and am LOVING it. Conceals my acne scars, doesn't get shiny and stays put all day. I got my money back for the Vichy Dermablend Foundation. It is horrible on combination or oily skin.
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Loose Powders -Vichy - Vichy Dermablend Setting Powder
jjmacdon 2/8/2013 1:42:00 AM
best translucent powder I've found to set my makeup all day. I use it on top of my Clinique stay matte oil free foundation and the Vichy Dermablend Concealer stick on my blemishes. I follow the directions by doing a (fairly heavy) all over powder with the puff it comes with, let it sit for 2 mins while I do my eyeshadow, and then lightly dust off the excess with a big powder brush. My makeup stays all day, the concealer doesn't slide off my blemishes like it used to, and my oily skin is more under control than with other powders I have tried. Will repurchase.
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Stick -Vichy - Dermablend Ultra Corrective Cream Stick
jjmacdon 2/8/2013 1:35:00 AM
I have sensitive acne-prone skin and all concealers tend to "slide" off me by midday, even with powder - UNTIL I found the Vichy Dermablend Concealer sticks. I can conceal the nastiest of blemishes and full blown zits with this and it lasts all day, when I finish with the Vichy Dermablend Setting Powder. Colour selection is poor, but I'm lucky enough to have a match in their line. Though I love their concealer, the foundation in the Dermablend line is garbage. Oily, streaky, slides right off. I swear by Clinique's Stay Matte Oil Free foundation for my base, then I dab the Vichy concealer on any spots still visible, powder the whole thing with the setting powder, and I'm good for the whole day. Sometimes I need to blot at lunchtime for t-zone oil but I don't need to reapply anything and that is a FIRST for me in a decade. Will buy this as long as they make it! Also covers scars really well!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Essie - Demure Vixen
jjmacdon 2/8/2013 1:25:00 AM
loved this colour but it only looks good after 3 coats. Similar to Tickle my France-y by OPI but with more irridescence. In some lights it looks mauve, in others grey lilac, and sometimes almost pink. It is a classy and work appropriate colour, but I'm irritated it doesn't look good after 2 coats - my nails just look muddy with a visible nail line. The 3rd coat is essential for it to look gorgeous and opaque, but I find it still shows a faint nail line. It chipped fairly quickly, so I think I'll stick with Tickle My France-y for a long wearing mauve-grey that only needs 2 coats not 3.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No