Polishes -Essie - A-List
kerowynk 11/22/2012 3:40:00 PM
I finally found a red that I'm comfortable wearing anywhere!!! This is such a flattering, classic shade. I would say it's more of a blue-based red, but I see that many of the reviewers here found it to be true red. I may just find it more cool-toned because I have only seen it on myself and my sister (and we are both fair with cool undertones.) Anyways, I can say with certainty that this color is flattering on cool skin tones. As with all Essie polishes that I've tried, the formula is wonderful and I can get nearly a week's worth of wear out of a manicure (using Orly Bonder base coat and Essie Good to Go top coat). I find it to be opaque in two coats, but I find that three deepens the color nicely. I always wrap my tips, and I especially recommend that with bright colors like this where chips are obvious. The other thing that impresses me about this polish is that the color doesn't look drastically different depending on the lighting. I've tried some reds that looked nice under natural light, but ghastly under fluorescent light. A-list always looks clean and bright-but-not-too-bright. Overall, I'm very pleased with this polish. I tried so many red shades trying to find the perfect one, and I found it!
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Lipstick -Revlon - Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain - Honey
kerowynk 11/22/2012 3:18:00 PM
I'm definitely sold on these balm stains! My favorite part about them is how smooth and moisturizing the formula is. I find that a lot of lipsticks and glosses feel nice going on, but they dry my lips out after wearing them for a while. These balm stains are one of the few products I've tried that actually seem to do good things for my lips. As for the lasting power, I've found that it's better than average but not amazing. The color lasts for a few hours on me. what I do love about the way these wear is that they wear off evenly. I've tried some stains that wear off unevenly, leaving patches of color. Not the case with these. I've only tried a few colors, but honey is definitely my favorite so far. It's a soft, natural-looking deep pink. I think its very flattering against my fair skin. I've been wearing it nearly every day lately and I'm very comfortable wearing it to work, where I want to look put-together but not overdone. Overall, I find this to be one of the most effortless and flattering lip colors on the market. I will definitely repurchase this, and I highly recommend trying it out!
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BB Cream -Skin79 - Super+ BB Cream Pink Label
kerowynk 11/19/2012 5:28:00 PM
I've been using this product for about four months now. I've always had very sensitive, acne-prone skin, and when I started using Epiduo for acne I found that all my usual SPF-containing products made my face burn. I asked my dermatologist for a non-irritating make-up that contained some sun protectant, and she told me that a lot of people had good luck with this. Since my sister had already told me how much she loves this stuff, I decided to try it. I'm really glad that I did! It doesn't irritate my skin at all, and it offers pretty decent coverage. I doesn't cover a few of my darker acne scars, but it evens out my overall skin tone and it's very blendable and easy to use. I also like that it feels very light and breathable. Since the bottle is opaque, I can't tell exactly how much I have left, but four months of daily use hasn't emptied the bottle.
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Hair Styling Tools -Unlisted Brand - Solia Ceramic Ion Flat Iron
kerowynk 11/19/2012 5:15:00 PM
I bought my Solia (1.25") about a year ago, and I've been very happy with it! I have extremely fine hair that is naturally mostly straight, but I get odd waves that need to be smoothed out. I shampoo and blow-dry my hair most mornings, but I use the Solia to fix my hair on mornings when I don't use the blow-dryer. I use a heat-protectant spray and set my Solia at 400 (it heats up in seconds). It's incredibly easy: The iron runs smoothly through my hair and it never takes more than one pass. It also lasts all day even in high heat/humidity. Granted my hair is already fairly straight and not very stubborn, but I have used it on friends with courser hair and wavy hair with excellent results as well. I only ever owned a cheap Remington iron before this, so I don't have much to compare it to. The one time I did borrow a friend's Chi, my hair straightened easily enough, but it did not feel nearly as smooth as it does when I use my Solia. I would definitely repurchase if mine ever breaks. I bought my from Folica.com when they were having one of their $25 off of $75 or more sale, so mine was only about $55 (with free shipping!) which is amazing!
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Cleansers -Cetaphil - Gentle Skin Cleanser
kerowynk 7/4/2012 12:49:00 PM
I'm very pleased with this face wash over all. After years of using harsh cleansers with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide in my quest to clear up my skin completely, I decided to cut out everything harsh and see if my skin balanced out on its own. I did a lot of research on the gentle cleansers out there, and I decided to start with this one. I started using it about a month ago, and I also tried to quit wearing foundation (though I haven't been very consistent about that part). My cheeks and chin still have some active breakouts, but my forehead is completely clear and the blackheads on my nose are gone. My overall skin tone is definitely improved, with much less hyperpigmentation. I attribute most of the improvement to making the switch to cetaphil, but the reduction in makeup usage is probably helping me too. I personally feel like this is capable of removing light makeup, but if you have multiple layers on (primer, foundation, concealer, etc), then you probably need something else to remove all the residue. I like to follow this with a little witch hazel toner, and I feel like my face is completely clean after that. All in all, if you want a gentle cleanser that won't irritate your skin, then I highly recommend giving this a try. I will probably try the Purpose gentle cleanser after I run out of this, but I can definitely see myself coming back to this.
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Hair Color -Clairol - Radiance Colorgloss translucent deposit only color
kerowynk 6/17/2012 11:51:00 AM
I'm so happy with the way this turned out! My hair is naturally a medium blonde, but it gets extremely sun-bleached in the summer. I wanted to tone down the blonde to a darker color. I've never done anything to my hair color before so I was really hesitant to try a permanent dye, and I was afraid of damaging my hair. After some research on hair color options, I came across this, and the reviews were so good that I decide to just try it. I chose 8N light natural blonde, since I read that this deposits pretty dark. I'm glad I didn't go any darker because it turned out a very dark blonde (and I only left it on for 8 minutes). Even though it's much darker than the swatch, I'm very happy with the color. I had no clue about what I was doing, and the results are still very naturally looking. I'm also happy that it didn't seem to dry out my hair at all. I can't comment on the lasting power yet, because I only did this a few days ago. If it lasts a few weeks I will definitely do this again since it was so inexpensive and turned out so well. I would recommend this very highly, just make sure to choose a color that's lighter than what you actually want.
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Polishes -Unlisted Brand - Pure Ice - Taupe Drawer
kerowynk 5/2/2012 10:09:00 PM
Ok I absolutely love the color, but this nail polish peels! it's so weird! I don't think I've had this problem with any other brand. Even with quality base coat and top coat, by the time I get to day two on my manicure, it starts to peel off. This isn't like chipping, where I can touch it up, the entire nail of polish just comes right off. To be fair though, I use my hands a lot, and the peeling never happens on my toes. Since I like the color so much, I'll use it up on my toes, but I'm really disappointed that it doesn't last when I use it for a manicure.
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Top/Base Coats -Sally Hansen - Dries Instantly
kerowynk 5/2/2012 10:02:00 PM
Not bad at all. It's inexpensive and it does dry very quickly. I'm overall very pleased, but I have gotten some bubbles a few times when I get it a little too thick, which is why I only gave it a 4 out 5. I've had this open a few months and it hasn't gotten gooey at all. I might buy it again, but I'll probably try something else next just because of the bubbles.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Neutrogena - Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 30
kerowynk 4/29/2012 6:53:00 PM
This is the only sunscreen I ever use. My face and shoulders are very prone to breaking out when I use sunscreen, but this doesn't seem to ever cause that problem! Once you've rubbed it in well, it feels very clean and soft - not greasy at all. The scent is also much lighter than other sunscreens.
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Eyeliner -Revlon - Colorstay Eyeliner
kerowynk 4/29/2012 6:49:00 PM
This is a pretty good eyeliner. I didn't give it a perfect rating because it does melt a little over the course of the day. I do like that it is very pigmented (I have it in black). It is also very creamy and easy to apply, and I like the twist up style. Overall, it performs well and I would recommend it.
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Shampoo -Ion - Hard Water Shampoo
kerowynk 4/29/2012 6:45:00 PM
I'm definitely a fan of this shampoo. I've been using it almost every day for about two months now, and it has done an amazing job of getting rid of buildup! My hair looks so clean and bright! I only have the shampoo, not the conditioner. I also like that it's not heavily scented, it just has a clean, soapy smell.
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Mascara -Cover Girl - Exact Eyelights Eye Brightening Mascara Black Sapphire 710 for Blue Eyes
kerowynk 4/29/2012 6:40:00 PM
I'm really surprised that the reviews for this aren't more favorable. I've tried a good number of mascaras and this is in my top two. It doesn't clump, gives nice volume and length, has a beautiful subtle color, and has a great applicator. It also didn't dry out like I've have some mascaras do. If you're looking for very obvious color, then keep looking. If you're looking for a good-quality mascara with some very subtle colored shimmer, then definitely give this a try! I also loved the ease with which I can get it off at night. I've had some mascaras that just wouldn't come off until I'd gone over my eyes with remover a dozen times. I would definitely recommend this!
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Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express One by One
kerowynk 4/29/2012 6:32:00 PM
Wow I am really shocked by all the people complaining about clumping! This is my favorite mascara solely because it is the only mascara I've ever tried that DOES NOT CLUMP! I've very happy with it and have already repurchased, which I almost never do with mascaras.
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Foundations -Hard Candy - Just Face It - One Step Foundation
kerowynk 4/29/2012 6:28:00 PM
I'm on the fence about this foundation. I don't think it last very long on my skin, but it does look very natural (and matches my skin tone perfectly) so I find myself using it regularly. I'm always disappointed when I look in the mirror a few hours later and you can barely tell I have any makeup on. It does get points though for not making me breakout! Due to its lack of lasting power, I will not repurchase. However for the price I definitely think that it's worth trying.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Hard Candy - Sheer Envy Skin Perfecting Primer
kerowynk 4/29/2012 6:22:00 PM
I wanted to try an inexpensive primer since I have a very hard time getting makeup to last on my skin all day, so I decided to give this one a shot. Unfortunately, it was definitely not for me. I gave my skin a very filmy/oily feel and did nothing to help my makeup go on better or last longer. It may be that it just isn't for oily skin.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No