Makeup Brushes -Urban Decay - Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush
joyousjoy88 5/25/2013 12:24:00 PM
Great brush! I have 2 other brushes that are similar to this brush at different price points. I can compare this brush to Sephora's #56 (~ $30) and Sigma F82 (~$16). The price of this is UD GK brush is ~$25. I have to say this is very soft and great for liquid and cream foundation. The bristles are firm and not flimsy and very dense, yet easy to clean! I've used it with a variety of foundations and always have a great application. Compared to my sigma brush it is easier to clean! I feel the sigma absorbs so much foundation that it takes multiple attempts to get the makeup out. Compared to my Sephora #56, I just happen to reach for my UD brush more because it is softer overall. This brush isn't streaky when you apply your foundation either so it does give that "blurred" effect it claims. It is such a gorgeous and functional brush and hope that UD comes out with more brushes! It is worth the money and the price is very reasonable for a great brush! I've had it for half a year now without any shedding, bleeding or signs of wear.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Sigma - Dry'n Shape System
joyousjoy88 4/27/2013 3:57:00 PM
This was pricey in my opinion. It's about $30 and fits several sized brushes. It's also great for storage or travel. It's intended for use to dry brushes quickly. The stretchy slots where you put your brushes into just feel like any garter material in my opinion. The rest of it is a faux leather or vinyl. My reason for giving this a very low rating is that it has ruined some of my brushes!! The reason why I bought this was so that I could dry my kabuki face brushes (sigma F80/F82). They take days to dry on their own. And this dry'n'shape claims to dry brushes in 4-6 hours. This was not the case for my really dense brushes. When I say ruin, I mean when my brushes were wet and fitted in to the slots the stretch slots actually pulled out all the hairs of my brushes! YES all the hairs! All the hairs came out out of the barrel of the F80! It was so upsetting! I had put the F80 into the largest slot in the dry'n'shape. I do not think this is the best way to dry your brushes at all! When the hairs are wet they are very vulnerable and the tightness of the slots pull on the hair and can pull everything out! I did think it could have been a quality issue with the sigma brushes so I did try with a similar sephora brush and it did the exact same thing! So upsetting! I never want to use the dry'n'shape again and stick to the SAFE and old way of letting brushes dry. I cannot say this dries brushes quickly either. I only tried this on my dense brushes and they for sure did not take 6 hours to dry. I was afraid of ruining more brushes. I gave this away and do not wish to think about this product ever. I believe because of my negative review that I will likely get a thumbs down, but I just want to share my experience to save other people's GOOD brushes from being ruined (and saving money is a bonus).
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Skincare - Face -Ole Henriksen - Truth Serum
joyousjoy88 4/27/2013 2:17:00 PM
I love this Vitamin C serum. I have been using a VC serum for about 2.5 years now. In the past I used Avalon organics which was a cheaper serum however now they changed the ingredients and is no longer effective from what I have been told. I have also used Philosophy's VC powder but it burned my skin on contact. Avalon Organics also stung my face once in a while. I only use a VC product mainly for anti-aging purposes and not exactly for brightening/fading scars). I have used Ole's Truth Serum for about half a year now and I have no issues with it irritating my super sensitive skin! VC serums can be tricky as they are very beneficial to the skin and prevent aging. However, if it's irritating your skin making it red often it's not good for your skin and can speed up skin aging. I feel Ole's Truth Serum is much gentler and never stung my face! I have also been told by the FAB ladies on SB that it contains a much stable form of Vitamin C than other products. I find it is expensive but I have received my bottles from Sephora samples and always grab it as if it a 100 point perk. Another downside is the bottle is clear and you can see the product. You don't want to expose any antioxidant serums to UV rays/light as it can make it ineffective. What I do is I take aluminum foil and wrap it around the bottle to prevent exposure to light and keep it away from light in a dark/cool place. I will continue to buy it again.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Essence - Gel Eyeliner
joyousjoy88 2/9/2013 11:22:00 AM
Okay this is a very cheap gel liner and you can buy the brush Essence makes for it for less than ~$5 altogether. I did a test recently, Essence on one eye, Bobbi Brown gel liner on the other using a bent liner brush. I did not use a primer before hand. Here are my thoughts. Essence is a much more darker black than BB. It took about 2 swipes on the upper lid to get BB to match Essence. However, I think BB is slightly much more matte. By the end of the day, the line I made using Essence stayed put! BB had faded and the line looked like it had missing bits out of it and it smudged! I guess this was the reason I didn't use my BB gel liner as much and sat in my drawer. The eye that had Essence on it was still darker and barely smudged! It was still near perfect as when I applied it in the morning. I really wished I had known about Essence before spending close to $30 CAD on the BB gel liner. Essence was less than 1/3 of the cost! Also, Essence is easy to remove. I really loved the cream liner from W'n'W, but it has been discontinued and it was a pain to remove! I really wish I could compare Essence to WnW, b/c BB was no competition.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
BB Cream -Revlon - Photoready BB Cream SPF 30
joyousjoy88 12/26/2012 3:31:00 PM
I was so excited when I tried this in store as it is thicker than regular drugstore BB creams, spf 30 and leans towards yellow in tone. I bought both medium and deep so I could custom make my perfect skin tone. It did a good job of covering my redness. It's on the expensive side of BB cream in drugstores. It was around $14 (CAD) in walmart. I felt it did a good job of moisturizing my skin. It really is not for oily skin. I have dry skin so this was great for me. It leaves you with a dewy finish and doesn't dry out your skin. There are a few problems I found with this product which is why I give it the rating I did. It smells like sunscreen. I can smell it even when I have finished applying on my face. It lingered for a few hours. I find that odd since it is only spf 30 and it smells like an spf 50+. The BB cream is called 'Photo Ready'. It has a high spf and has a dewy finish. It is in no way 'photo ready'. My face looks like 10x lighter than my body when taking a picture with this on. Too much reflection from the sunscreen and shine. Lastly, I am also acne prone and this broke me out. I would keep this if I didn't break out from it.
5 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair -Klorane - Dry shampoo
joyousjoy88 12/16/2012 8:25:00 PM
Had to repurchase this and so review it. The only other dry shampoo I have used is Batise. Klorane is more expensive than Batise but well worth it in my experience. If you normally get oily hair on the second day of washing it, this is for you! My scalp is sensitive and can be easily irritated with certain products and this did not do that. My roots and crown area get really oily and gross. Using Klorane takes the oils and the look for oily hair out and making my hair feel light weight and voluminousness at the same time! I never got that using Batise. Using Batise I would somehow feel the weight of the product in my hair and I could feel some sort of film on my hair. I do not get this using Klorane. It really does give your second day hair a really nice boost. It makes my hair feel lighter than it would be if I didn't use it. I also have dark hair and never had the problem of the 'ashy' look that I did get from Batise. Klorane does come out white on dark hair but you have to wait 2 minutes and comb it out. I don't feel the need to even try any other high end dry shampoo using Klorane. I can't live without this. I have a travel size version in my purse! It is so helpful on days you need to quickly get ready and yet need to look polished. I can't suggest this enough. Lastly, it has a light scent that isn't over powering.
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Moisturizers -La Roche Posay - Toleriane Soothing Protective Light Facial Fluid 
joyousjoy88 12/16/2012 4:08:00 PM
Great product for acne prone skin! I have dry, acne prone skin and I continue to use and repurchase this product. I have bought it 3 times. However I do have some issues with it which is why I give it a 4. I actually would rate it 3.5 instead. It is very pricey for what it is at $30 for 30ml (CAD). It's about a $1 per ml. It has very simple ingredients and very good for acne skin. It is a very basic moisturizer. The fluide version is the best for acne prone skin but not the best for dry skin. I found it did not help too much when my skin is very dry in the winter. There are richer versions of this but the ingredients are potentially clogging for me which is why I stick to this. I have another issue with this and it is that it has sodium hydroxide. This is what I believe irritates my skin at times. If you have areas of your face that is red because of acne or dryness and irritation it, this product can make it worse. It would sting on my face. Other than that, when your skin is not having active acne or irritation, and just have acne-prone skin this is a great non-pore clogging basic moisturizer. I find this is great for me in the summer when dryness isn't an issue.
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Primer/ Corrector -BeneFit Cosmetics - The Porefessional
joyousjoy88 12/16/2012 3:48:00 PM
Skin background: Acne prone, dry, large pores, uneven texture and pitted acne scarring. I think this is a great primer for large pores. It really helps fill in areas on your face that needs filling. I don't feel it does anything to prevent shine/oil. I get oilier in the summer months and this did not control shine. I get really dry skin in the winter and it didn't add anything to my dry skin and could make flakes worse. I only give this a 3 for that reason. It is flesh coloured and more of a thicker primer that dries to a powder. I found that if your have irritated, broken skin or acne this would sting when applied on top. It does dry matte. Overall, this is an okay primer for what it claims to do and it does a good job of it. I have tried better primers like Clarins instant smooth and I like it better than this.
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Sunscreen -Unlisted Brand - Cliniderm Gentle Protective Lotion SPF 45
joyousjoy88 11/26/2012 9:41:00 PM
This is great for those with sensitive and dry skin. This did not irritate my face nor did it dry it out. It always works very well under makeup. It has a slight yellow tint to it which I prefer over white as it can lead to a white cast but this doesn't at all. If you have oily skin this would make a good everyday sunscreen/moisturizer. But if you have dry skin you may want to add a layer of moisturizer. The downsides to this is it is pricey at about $29 (approx. don't recall exact price). Why I rate it low for me, is that although it is labelled non-comodegenic, it broke me out. I looked at the ingredient list again and saw two highly comodegenic ingredients: Cetearyl Alcohol and Cetyl Alcohol. Doing my research (as I am acne prone) these two ingredients are highly clogging and should avoid if acne prone. Though everyone's skin is different. This product didn't work for me, unfortunately.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Benzagel 5 Acne Gel
joyousjoy88 11/4/2012 8:38:00 PM
On my search for a spot treatment product and out of them on the shelf I came across this one by benzagel. I've tried many different brands from clean&clear to neutrogena etc. This was on the expensive side of creams at around $10. It is 5% benzoyl peroxide and is a gel cream. I give this a low rating as this worked to an extent but I've seen faster results from other benzoyl peroxide products. On the packaging it says that slight stinging, peeling and redness may occur and that this is evidence the product is working. I honestly don't think that any product that could give this kind of reaction to your skin will be good in the long run. I have felt slight stinging and I have very sensitive skin. Unlike other acne products though this isn't drying which is a plus. Overall I don't think I will repurchase. I keep this now as back up if I don't have anything to use on a break out, but it is not my go to.
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Moisturizers -Olay - Complete Defense Daily UV Moisturizer SPF 30 - Sensitive Skin
joyousjoy88 10/28/2012 4:24:00 PM
This was one of my HG sunscreen/moisturizers back in high school. I am now in my mid-20s. It is very affordable and the packaging has changed for the better with a pump. I know that this has been reformulated over the years however which is why I can't give the latest Olay spf30 a high rating. I have acne-prone, dry and sensitive skin. Although this is suppose to be formulated for sensitive skin it made my skin red. Years ago this did not happen. I am pretty sure it is the result of the new formulation. It upsets me that it did not work for my sensitive skin since it is an affordable everyday moisturizer. On the upside it did not contribute to any breakouts. Due to the reaction I had (I used it for a almost a week) I stopped using it. A big downside for many drugstore skin care is that you can't use samples before buying. Always patch test a new product is what I have learned over the years.
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Lipstick -Josie Maran Cosmetics - Magic Marker Lip and Cheek Stain
joyousjoy88 10/20/2012 9:17:00 PM
I rarely use coloured lip products but this is one that I keep using. I bought this lip stain in cha-cha. It is described as a mauve-rose colour. I really like how you can intensify the colour of this on your lips by how many layers you apply. It is also matte without being drying. I have very dry, sensitive lips that are prone to peeling and this does not make them drier when I apply. I sometimes put a lip balm over it but not all the time. It lasts a decent 3-4 hours but doesn't completely fade after that. The fact it is made of 'natural' ingredients was one of the main selling points for me. However it is very pricey at $25 CAD. I am going to purchase mambo next (a toasted brown for the fall). As for the applicator it looks exactly like a marker. Keep away from children as they may literally use it as a marker.
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Skincare - Face -Vichy - Thermal Water
joyousjoy88 8/18/2012 7:30:00 PM
First off, I have to say I am originally an Avene thermal water user. I went through cans of Avene. I have also used the one by LRP. I never liked LRP. I also have dry and sensitive skin that is very easily irritated. I never wanted to purchase the Vichy because I didn't think it would be as good as Avene and read reviews saying Vichy's water tends to leave a film on the skin. After using a sample Vichy thermal water, I am hooked. I have to say I do like it slightly better than Avene. I did not experience a film left behind after using this, but I did notice that it seemed to hydrate my skin better than Avene (though I am not saying it takes the place of a moisturizer). After Avene dried on my face my skin felt tight again but not with the Vichy. I found Vichy calmed my irritation flare ups better than Avene. Sometimes I used Avene on flare but it did not help and sometimes stung. Also, I use Vichy as a makeup setting spray as it does not dry out my skin but feels like it adds moisture. Overall, I am going to continue to purchase this over Avene because it is cheaper and better for my super sensitive skin.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Just Spotted the Lizard
joyousjoy88 6/4/2012 7:07:00 PM
This is a very pretty shiny green, shimmery nail polish that has gold tones. This is the best as I can describe it. I bought this because I heard it was a very good dupe for Chanel's Peridot nail polish. If you look up pictures of these two polishes beside each other, you can't tell them apart. I couldn't but the only different would probably be that the OPI is slightly duller only beside the Chanel. However at OPI's price point I prefer the OPI. I love this colour so much and it changes from gold to green in the light. I get great wear from this polish too. I hear that Chanel's polish easily chips. I went about a week without chipping using Salley Hansen's Mega Shine top coat. I love this so much a bought a mini sized bottle of this too!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Make Up For Ever - HD Concealer
joyousjoy88 5/13/2012 8:23:00 PM
This is probably the first under-eye concealer that I really really like and will re-purchase. My under-eye area is dry and most concealers emphasize fine lines and the typical creasing that happens throughout the day. However this MUFE HD concealer stays put throughout the day for my without settling into my fine lines and doesn't dry out the skin under my eyes, which is the major selling point for me. It also has decent coverage. The coverage is build-able without getting cakey. The applicator is a rubber tip with a small hole for where the product comes out when you twist. The downfall is that it is very easy to waste product. I find I do a have twist once than pinch the applicator below the hole so that only a small amount comes out. It's a hassle but this isn't exactly cheap at around $28 CAD for 1.5ml or 0.05 fl.oz. Because it is pricey for the amount I only use it for under-eye concealing and not blemishes. I also like that doesn't have shimmer in it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No