Bronzers -BeneFit Cosmetics - HOOLA
kaq009 5/20/2013 2:22:00 PM
I got a Benefit set two Christmases ago from my sister-in-law and out of all the products it came with, this was the one I was most excited about. I've always wanted a matte bronzer. This was perfect. It gives you a perfect sun kissed look especially if you top it off with a bit of pink cream blush on the apples of your cheeks. This does come through really muddy - so apply with a very light hand. I suggest using a different brush than the one it came with - although it is super cute, it doesn't really do the job. I use a MAC 168 or any other angled blush brush would do. For $40 it is quite expensive - however, a little goes a super long way. I've been using my Dandelion boxed powder for, no joke, 4 years now and I still have yet to hit pan. So it comes out to $10/year. Not so expensive when you think about it that way. I will definitely repurchase IF I ever run out.
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Moisturizers -La Mer - The Moisturizing Soft Cream
kaq009 5/20/2013 2:09:00 PM
This past winter really taught me a lot about skincare. I've always been one of those people who had great skin without much effort. I've been very lucky but I guess my luck had run out. I didn't know that you were supposed to change your skincare routine with the seasons - I was using the exact same moisturizer, cleanser and night cream all throughout the year! This was never a problem until last year. Now that I'm in my 30s, my skin can no longer keep up with the seasons without help. My skin got so dry this winter - it started flaking. This has never happened to me before even on days that I didn't wear moisturizer. I always thought of La Mer as this miracle cream that would solve all of your skincare problems. So I ran to the nearest Holt Renfrew to me and went to the La Mer counter. I told the SA all of my issues and she looked at my face through that cosmetic magnifying glass thing and she said that I didn't need the regular La Mer but the Moisturizing Soft Cream. So I purchased it and immediately started using it. It worked well at first - you only need a little of it. I love the packaging - its gorgeous. The smell is amazing and I love the little spatula it came with. At first I was only using it as a night cream since it didn't have any spf. The dryness went away but then came back. So I started using it morning and night and used a Clinique sunscreen on top. It works well when used twice a day. However, using it twice a day means you run out of product faster (duh). Now I know that I should've researched more about other products instead of going straight to La Mer but in a way, I'm glad that I did because now I know that La Mer is just like any other brand. I guess if it works for you and you have the money to shell out for it, then great. But for me, it doesn't quite cut it. There's nothing wrong with it - its just less than what I was expecting. And I do feel that if I use the regular La Mer, it would be too rich for me. So overall, I will not be repurchasing.
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Liquid -MAC - Face and Body Foundation
kaq009 12/14/2012 12:52:00 PM
I usually use Laura Mercier's tinted moisturizer instead of a foundation because I was one of those girls who were terrified of foundation. 6 months ago, when my Laura Mercier moisturizer was running low, I decided to shop around. I went into MAC and I've always loved their products and had a great chat with the SA. I told her about my aversion to foundation and she asked me why. I told her that I associated foundation to super white cake-y makeup that my mom used to wear when I was a kid. She asked me to trust her and she put this on me and I was shocked. It felt lighter than my tinted moisturizer and it gave me a healthier glow. I bought the small bottle just so it wasn't such a big investment and now I wish I had bought the large one. I've been using it everyday since I bought it and I absolutely love it. It hasn't caused any breakouts at all and I actually like the citrus-y scent of it. At first I applied it with a foundation brush but after reading here in MUA that it is better to apply with your hands, I've been doing that and it is so much better. I love that you can build the coverage if you need it, it gives you more control. I apply it every morning at 7am and when I come home at night after work (sometimes after 9pm), my makeup is still in place. I find this also works really well if you use a cream blush, the blush doesn't slip off your face even if you don't set it with powder. Will definitely re-purchase but I'll buy the large bottle next time!
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Blush -MAC - something special
kaq009 11/17/2012 1:29:00 PM
I love love love this blush. I've been using it daily for over a month now and I love it. It gives your face a nice pop of color that isn't too crazy. I've always loved coral-toned blushes and this one is an awesome one. I've been applying mine with a MAC 187 and a little goes a very long way. With the way I've been using mine daily and how little I've used so far, I expect to re-purchase in about 2 years, lol.
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Makeup Brushes -Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman - Brush Collection Core Collection
kaq009 11/3/2012 11:23:00 AM
I love these brushes and have been waiting a very long time to get them as we don't have them here in Canada yet. My sis-in-law went to San Diego and got these for me and I'm forever grateful. The buffing brush alone is worth double the price of the entire collection. I've been using it to apply my MAC Face & Body and its amazing. It buffs the foundation so well in your skin its as if you're using your hands. I'm really clumsy with applying makeup and prefer to use brushes over my hands if I can help it. I use the precision foundation brush for concealer and the contour brush for applying powder blush. I haven't really found any use for the detailer brush but have read that it works well as a lip brush and will try that out soon. I'll definitely be asking my sis-in-law to get me another set when she goes back to San Diego so I can have another of the buffing brush. Really awesome quality brushes for dirt cheap. Samantha Chapman is a goddess.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -BeneFit Cosmetics - Dandelion
kaq009 1/21/2012 2:49:00 PM
I don't use this product as a blush, instead I dust a light amount all over my face right after I finish putting on all my makeup and it gives my face a nice radiance. Its like an allover highlighter for your face. Also, I loooove the smell, as everyone has noted. I find the scent very calming. I've had mine for about 4 years now and I have yet to hit pan and I use it about 5x a week - but as I said just a light dusting all over my face. So really, its not that expensive when you think of how long the product lasts you. I will definitely repurchase this product when I do run out.
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Crème -BeneFit Cosmetics - Some Kind-A Gorgeous
kaq009 12/29/2011 10:50:00 PM
My sister-in-law got me a holiday gift set for Christmas and this came in the set in medium. I don't use foundation, just a tinted moisturizer. So I tried this over my regular Oil of Olay moisturizer and it was alright. The coverage is sheer, which is how I want it. Its easy to apply, I used a stippling brush and it blends very well. It disappears into your skin almost instantly. It doesn't feel heavy at all and when you touch your skin after application it feels very nice and smooth. However, it doesn't really do anything. It didn't change my life or anything. The packaging is insanely cute though. But for the price? I feel like it should at least do something!! So I will not be re-purchasing.
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Mascara -Rimmel - Lash Accelerator
kaq009 12/21/2011 3:27:00 PM
I really wanted to like this mascara. I love Rimmel and have always had a great experience with their products. First of though, I do like the wand. Its not too thick and I like how the bristles were distributed. However, I found that the formula was too watery and it took FOREVER to dry. Throughout the day, it kept on bleeding through my under eye area as well. Also, it felt really heavy on my eyelashes. I only put on 2 light coats of it and it flattened the curl out of my eyelashes which was really antagonizing because I have short straight Asian lashes and it takes a lot of work to get my lashes to curl. Maybe I just bought a bad one since many people like it but I'm too frustrated with it to try again.
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Tinted Moisturizer -Laura Mercier - Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20
kaq009 12/20/2011 4:27:00 PM
I love love love this product. I'm paranoid about using foundation and I don't really need much coverage so the girl at Sephora suggested I try this. Its wonderful. Its lightweight and covers just perfectly for me. I have freckles and like that they show through. Its not moisturizing enough to wear alone though, I usually put Oil of Olay moisturizer on before this, even in the summer. It is pretty expensive ($55 w/o taxes here in Canada) but a little goes a long way especially when you use a foundation or stippling brush. I also like that I can use either Nude or Bisque as both shades suit me.
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Eye Primer -Urban Decay - Eyeshadow Primer Potion - Eden
kaq009 12/20/2011 3:12:00 PM
I had heard so many great things about UDPP and decided to try it out. My local Sephora had ran out of the original and I did not want anything sparkly so I ended up getting this. I do like it, it doubles as a concealer for under my eyes. I would use a large shadow brush to very lightly dab some powder on top of the primer under my eyes and it conceals it perfectly and it DOES NOT BUDGE. For my eyelids, however, it does crease and budge after about 4 hours. I'd read somewhere that it is because this has pigment and that is why the staying power is not as great as the original. I'd repurchase again but maybe I'll try the original next time.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Shu Uemura - Eyelash Curler
kaq009 12/20/2011 2:59:00 PM
I love this eyelash curler. I have short and straight asian lashes and no other eyelash curler has ever worked for me. My bestfriend had told me about this curler but I was so hesitant to buy because of the price. My boyfriend has seen me looking at it everytime I go to Sephora and he finally bought it for me. Now I wish I'd bought it years ago. It works like a charm and you don't even need to press hard to get it to curl. Even without mascara, it curls my eyelashes (which I thought was impossible to do before this). This will be a staple in my makeup kit, FOREVER.
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