Lipstick -E.L.F. - Classy
kikidoll27 5/11/2013 11:34:00 AM
I recently bought some things from elf.com (started with the shimmer palette and some shimmering facial whips and the mineral infused mascara, but since everythings so cheap I kinda just said "what's one more dollar?" and spent wayyyy more than intented). This was one of the last things I added to my cart because I can't go anywhere without buying a lip product. And I told myself I needed another lipstick, even though I really don't. But this color, although quite common, is something I don't have in my collection because I prefer corals and red. This is a medium pink, kind of bright, with some blue undertones to it. It looks really nice aganist my pale skin. I would say it's more of a creme than anything else, definitly not a frost but not matte either. The texture is nice, very creamy, and it lasts for around three and a half hours (score)! The price is only a dollar! The only thing I don't love is the packaging, kind of cheap looking, but for the price I don't really care. The text on it has pretty much rubbed off from use by now. Also, it's a bit hard to twist up, which I really dislike. But, the lipstick itself is an awesome deal. The only con about the formula itself is that it's slightly drying, so I like to apply the cococare lip balm underneath it (it's *super* moisturizing).
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Highlighters -BeneFit Cosmetics - Sun Beam
kikidoll27 5/3/2013 6:28:00 PM
I have always wanted to try Benefit's high beam, but as a highlighter junkie, I couldn't see myself using it all up. So when I was trolling Sephora.com and saw a tree pack of mini tints (posie tint, chacha tint, sun beam) for seventeen dollars, I jumped on it. I am very pale, so adding some warmth to my complexion while highlighting is literally my dream. Sun Beam is basically a liquid highlighter with a golden bronze color. It's a bit shimmery, but more luminous that shimmery. It does not contain any glitter chunks nor does it emphasize pores/cause breakouts. I use this on the tops of my cheekbones and on my browbones, and sometimes down my nose (although I prefer other highlighters for that). I have to say, I'm really surprised by how much I find myself reaching for it. It's so subtle and natrual looking, in a way that guys wouldn't have a clue it's makeup and girls ask me what it is. The thing is, a full size is about 26 dollars. I can't justify handing over that much for this since I doubt I'll ever use it up. Also-- the packaging is kinda prissy. It's a nail polish bottle. I understand why benefit did that since it's a liquid, but I wish they put it in a bottle with a pump. I'm going to try boots high lights illuminating lotion next (more pink then bronze) and see what I think. I'll repurchase this if it's a mini size that comes in a kit.
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Eye Shadow -Cover Girl - Eye Enhancers Quad - Tropical Fusion
kikidoll27 4/14/2013 4:29:00 PM
I normally hate Cover Girl eyeshadows. I remember my Mom used to buy them for me when I younger and just starting out, and even then I hated the color selection and thought they applied patchy on my lids. I was trolling through Target a few weeks ago and had a buy two get two dollars off coupon for Covergirl, and since I was getting their Jumbo Gloss Balm, I figured I might as well get something else. This was sitting with a bunch of drab eyeshadows, which is probably why it popped out at me with its bold colors. According to Cover Girl, this quad of four "great shades is designed to make your eye look go from day to night. They blend effortlessly to bring your eyes out beautifully, without overshadowing. Experiment using them together or as single shades". Well then. The shadows, right to left, are a dark blue, a slightly sea foam teal, a burnt orange shade, and a slightly rusty lime green. The dark blue: is matte, has medium pigmentation, applies nicely if not slightly powdery. The sea foam teal: is my favorite of the bunch. It's medium to full pigmentation, slightly buttery, matte, and applies rather nicely, but again, slightly powdery on the lids. The burnt orange: is a close second. It really compliments my eye color. It has medium pigmentation, applies smoothly and not too powdery, and blends easily. The rusty lime green: has low pigmentation, but is a lovely color. Applies nicely, but is more of a sheer wash of color. How I wear them: I normally wear them with a bright pink lip (the jumbo gloss balm in watermelon twist!). I apply a primer and put the teal shade all over the lid, then the darker blue on the outer third. I use the burnt orange in the crease and apply the lime green to the inner third. I use a highlighter shade (Aussie from the Stila Travel Palette in Sensational in Sydney or Milani Runway Eyes in Lily White). Then I appply Essence gel liner in Midnight in Paris if I want a darker look, or just apply mascara. The staying powder: ehh. Around five to six hours before the colors begin to fade, so I do need to touch up throughout the day which is a pain, but I love the colors so much that it's not a big deal for me. The packaging: it comes in a black tray with four sections for the shadows and a fifth rectangular space below them for the double ended sponge tip applicatior, which I haven't used. A flip up plastic lid in on to, and on it in silver lettering is "COVERGIRL". The bottom *did* have a label on it, but I peeled it off because it looked really cheap. The packaging is decently chic and looks like a ten to fifteen dollar product, at least. My overall thoughts: I really like this quad. I found it for 4.50 at Target and love the shades for summer. The formula isn't too good, but the colors are amazing and I think they're worth it. I would repurchase and reccommend because it's so cheap and I haven't seen shades like these before. For summer, this is a great bargain. With improvement to the formula, this would be a five lippie product.
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Liquid -Almay - Clear Complexion Blemish Healing Makeup
kikidoll27 4/13/2013 6:01:00 PM
I remember reading somewhere that Almay has the best makeup for acne prone skin. I'm not sure if it's true or not, but as of now this foundation is the only one ever that hasn't broken me out. I don't know if it helps heal beakouts since I only get a few blemishes a month now that I've found a routine that works for me, but I have pretty bad hyperpigmentation I want to cover on a daily basis. I wanted a foundation that was medium coverage, provided a slightly dewey finish, was pale enough for me, and wouldn't break me out. Since this has 'BlemisHeal Technology' (meaning it contains 0.6 percent salacylic acid), I figured I'd give this a try. According to Almay, this foundation "helps clear blemishes while it conceals, so your complexion looks beautiful, shine-free and even all day. our formula with blemisheal technology™, contains salicylic acid plus meadowsweet, licorice extract and aloe to help your skin look its best every day. in fact, 91% of the women saw an overall improvement in the appearance of their skin". Sounds pretty great, right? Well, it's definitely not 'shine-free' since it gives my skin a slightly dewey finish, but it does control oil throughout the day. It costs 13.99, but I've seen it on sale for 11.99 at CVS before, so it's on the higher end of drugstore foundations. It comes in a cylandrical one ounce (or 30 ml) glass bottle with a pump (yay) that seems to dispense just the right amount of product. I usually use about one and a half pumps for my entire face. I apply this with a stippling brush from Real Techniques and stipple it all over my skin, concentrating on areas where I need heavier coverage, then apply CoverBlend by Exuviance's multi-function concealer in light and lightly dust E.L.F.'s Studio Hih Definition powder all over my face with the E.L.F. Studio Complexion Brush. All of those combined offer full coverage. I'd say that this alone offers medium coverage at best. It can be light if you apply it in a thinner layer though. The color 100 ivory is a pretty good match for my skin-- the best I've found so far. It's still slightly too dark, but not orangey and it doesn't oxidize on me. The consistincy is creamy- not thick -and blendable. It doesn't apply streaky/patchy nor does it cling to any dry spots, but mine are minimal. I does a nice job of blurring small blemishes and covering redness. It doesn't cover all my scars, but it covers a lot of them easily and doesn't fade throughout the day which I like because it means I don't have to do touchups. It also doesn't settle into fine liner or crease when I smile nor does it appear cakey or unnatrual looking unless I really pack it on. It also blends really nicely into the skin. Almay makes some pretty big claims by saying 91 percent of women saw an improvement in their skin. I honestly don't know yet, but I sure hope I see an improvement too. It comes in seven avalilable shades ranging from fair to the darker side of medium, but if you have dark skin I don't think they have any options that would work, which I've noticed with a lot of Almay products. They tend to have a lack of range when it comes to shades (both in the lighter and darker sides of things), so honestly if you do have darker skin I'd reccommend skipping this brand's foundations in general. But for medium toned skin, six out of the seven shades would be options. For fair skin, only shade 100 ivory would have a chance of fitting your skin, and for most of the lighter skinned people, it still may be a tad too dark. There is a slightly makeup-y scent to this, the same as in the Smart Shade Smart Balance foundation from Almay. My overall thoughts: I really like this foundation. It's medium coverage, blendable, creamy and smooth and fits my fair skin pretty well. It doesn't break me out, controls oils, and stays on all day even without a primer/setting powder to keep it in place. I love the packaging since it comes with a pump, and I love that it has 0.6 percent salacylic acid in it to combat breakouts. The shade range needs work, but all in all I'm really happy with this foundation and prefer it over my Cover Girl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3in1 Foundation. I would reccommend you get this if you're acne prone, looking for medium coverage, and like more of a dewey finish. It is now my everyday foundation and I plan on repurchasing. UPDATE 4/17/13: I also find that it doesn't get that gross feeling after I sweat in gym if I'm running a mile or something. You know how sometimes your face looks alright, but feels nasty? That would sometimes happen with Cover Girl 3in1, but thankfully this one feels and looks really nice. It doesn't streak from sweat either. While it's not sweat/water resistant, it is a bit hard to wash off...even with a makeup removing cleanser.
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Lip Gloss -Philosophy - Kiss Me Color
kikidoll27 4/11/2013 6:10:00 PM
I was in Ulta the other day because I basically live there, and was casually trolling the little bargain section near the checkout. There was a slew of Philosophy glosses in a clear container off to the side, so I dug through until I came across this one, which caught my eye because it said Kiss Me COLOR, and the color of it looked sheer enough to be wearable every single say over virtually any lippie, but looked like it would have slight pigmentation so I could wear it alone. It was ten dollars, which is a bit pricey since five more could get me a mac gloss, but I really did want this and my local Ulta doesn't have mac (although they're getting one soon- yay!). It comes in a slim and slightly long squeeze tube that's made of sheer plastic with a black cap. The text on the tube is black. This gloss has a nice texture to it. Sticky but not overly so, it lasts for about three house without reapplying. The taste/scent is exactly like the Mentha lip shine in Mentha, but C.O. Bigelow. They would be exact dupes except this one has color while the other is sheer. I prefer this one to the Mentha one because this doesn't drip...it's a thicker, less runny consistency, which I prefer. Now, on my lips, it makes then look slightly more coral and adds gorgeous shine. It also gives a slightly plumped effect. I really love this lipgloss, and would probably repurchase. I just purchase so many lip products that it's hard to keep track of what to buy again, but I'm pretty sure this one is a re-buy. If you haven't already, definitly look into this, especially if you already like the other Philosophy glosses. This comes in three shades (that I know of): Coral, Pink, and Berry. I have Pink, and might purchase Coral. Pink is a sheer, soft pink. Coral looks like a sheer coral with more pink than orange, and berry looks like a dark brick red with a hint of pink.
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Palettes -Stila - Sensational in Sydney Palette
kikidoll27 4/8/2013 5:32:00 PM
I've been wanting some Stila travel palettes for a while now. But every time Sephora gets some in, I go on vacation somewere without a Sephora, and I hate ordering makeup online. Alas, these palettes have since alluded me...until the place I go got an Ulta. Natrually, being the makeup junkie I am, the first place I went was to Ulta. At the checkout, what do I spy? A picked over display of Stila travel palettes! I nearly had a heart attack. There were only two types of palettes there: Empowered in Pink and Sensational in Sydney, the latter of which I picked up for fourteen dollars, which I think is a great deal for this palette. I use it literally every single day I do my makeup. What it has: It comes with five eyeshadows and a convertible color. The shadows are 'aussie', 'koala', 'bandi beach', 'opera house', and 'harbour bridge'. The convertible color is 'sugarbrush'. I absolutly LOVE aussie. It's a gorgeous shimmery eggshell color I use as a highlight and on the lide. Koala is a nice satin toupe, and bandi beach is nearly identical, only a bid lighter. I use those two for all over bases. Opera house is a slightly shimmery medium brown color, and harbour bridge is a slightly shimmery dark brown. I use opera house in the crease and harbour bridge as a liner, or in the crease if I want a more sultry look. All of the shadows are brilliantly pigmented and of fabulous, slightly buttery texture. Fallout is minimal and the shadows apply quite smoothly. The convertible color, sugarbrush, is a brick red 'cream' brush. If you've ever tried or seen a Stila convertible color, you know what I'm taking about. I don't like it on the cheeks because it takes off my makeup and feels slightly greasy, but it looks really nice on my lips. The packaging: This comes in a smallish rectangular flip up palette. It seems to be made of cardboard. The top of it shows a brunette in a blue dress standing in front of what I believe is the Sydney opera house. Next to her in a tree is a koala. There's a sunset in the background. It's very, very pretty, but slightly flimsy. Overall: I love this pallette and use it pretty much daily. It's a great bargain for the brand and the quality. I definitely reccommend picking this up, and will buy more text time I see it. UPDATE 4/30/12: The price has gone down from fourteen to ten on Sephora.com, so I assume they are being discontinued. Drat.
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Eyeliner -E.L.F. - Cream Eyeliner - All Colors
kikidoll27 4/8/2013 5:11:00 PM
I really like this eyeliner. Lately, I've been obsessed with easy, natural eyes and a stained lip. I've been using this daily with the Esscence gel liner brush to line my upper lash line. Even without a primer, it stays all day, doesn't smudge or fade, and is easy to apply. I take a little on my brush (Essence Gel Eyeliner Brush) and smudge it along my lash line, or make on long, clean line if I want a more clean cut look. It comes in a really nice glass (or plastic?) pot with a chic black cap. It also comes with a tiny brush, which I'll keep around because it's actually quite nice for travel or staying overnight at a friend's house. It's small, yes, but it does the job. This was 3.00 at Target. The price is low, the quality is high, and I would definitely buy this again. Update: wouldn't repurchase, docked two lippies because I find it smudges throughout the day...not good for oily lids. But i really is a nice cream liner if your lids aren't oily.
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Concealers -Maybelline - Fit Me
kikidoll27 4/6/2013 8:02:00 PM
This concealer is amazing. It covers pretty much anything on my face, is blendable, has a natrual finish, and looks like skin...if they have your color. See, I'm deathly pale. Edward Cullen pale, only paler. So natrually, they dont make my shade, which stinks. I would definitely buy this if they had my shade, but they dont. If they have your shade, then definitely pick this up.
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Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Studio Line Kabuki Brush
kikidoll27 4/5/2013 2:15:00 PM
Most E.L.F. cosmetics and brushes run you about 1, 2, or three dollars. But others, such as this brush and the high definition powder, will cost six dollars, at least at Target. This brush is colored like a reverse stippiling brush (black bottom bristles, white top bristles, if that makes any sense) and has a short black stub for a handle. I'm quite confused on where to store this because it's so cute and short and won't be tall enough for my brush cup, but is too adorable to be stuffed in my makeup drawer, so I keep it on my dresser and bask in its mini glory. The amazing thing about this brush is that you can use it for so much. I use it for blush on a daily basis, and could use it for bronzer if I wanted to (I prefer the studio blush brush for that. If you use mineral makeup, this would be amazing for that. I also want to try it with liquid foundation. I seriously love this brush, and have been so impressed with the E.L.F. studio line. I honestly can't believe this beauty is only six dollars! How does elf do it?! The one thing I don't like this for is powder--if I try to set my makeup with this, I find that it sort of smears my foundation/concealer around on my face. I do love this tough. Also, it does shed a little, but for six dollars I don't mind.
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Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Studio Kabuki Face Brush
kikidoll27 4/5/2013 1:39:00 PM
Most E.L.F. cosmetics and brushes run you about 1, 2, or three dollars. But others, such as this brush and the high definition powder, will cost six dollars, at least at Target. This brush is colored like a reverse stippiling brush (black bottom bristles, white top bristles, if that makes any sense) and has a short black stub for a handle. I'm quite confused on where to store this because it's so cute and short and won't be tall enough for my brush cup, but is too adorable to be stuffed in my makeup drawer, so I keep it on my dresser and bask in its mini glory. The amazing thing about this brush is that you can use it for so much. I use it for blush on a daily basis, and could use it for bronzer if I wanted to (I prefer the studio blush brush for that. If you use mineral makeup, this would be amazing for that. I also want to try it with liquid foundation. I seriously love this brush, and have been so impressed with the E.L.F. studio line. I honestly can't believe this beauty is only six dollars! How does elf do it?! The one thing I don't like this for is powder--if I try to set my makeup with this, I find that it sort of smears my foundation/concealer around on my face. I do love this tough. Also, it does shed a little, but for six dollars I don't mind.
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Lip Gloss -Cover Girl - Lip Perfection Jumbo Gloss Balm
kikidoll27 4/4/2013 4:34:00 PM
I have always wanted to try the Clinique Chubby Sticks, and came close to purchasing one once, but they just didn't have any colors I was particularly interested in. So of course, when drugstore brands began releasing similar products, I decided to try one of those instead. After not seeing any colors I wanted from the Revlon line, nor any from the E.L.F. line, I saw a Covergirl display of these and immediately fell in love with the color Watermelon Twist. It's a bright pink, very summery. It looks lovely aganist my cool toned fair skin and brown hair. I line my lips first to make them look fuller, then apply this. The color can be sheer or full, depending on how you apply it. I prefer it to be more intense. There is really no glossy look with this, at least for me, so I'm not sure why it's called a jumbo GLOSS balm, but I don't mind too much. The only bone I have to pick with this is that I feel like it dries my lips out a bit. I have natrually dry lips though, so it's not like there's a huge difference or anything. Also, it will cling to dry areas, so if your lips are super chapped this is a no go. Overall, I love this and will be repurchasing. I have a feeling I'll be wearing it a ton come summer. The price is 6.99 at Target, but I got three dollars off. I think 7 dollars is a bit pricey for this, so watch the sales. And the packaging! It comes in a dark grey (?) tube with a cap the color of the balm. The other end is metallic silver. The balm itself twists up as you use more. I'm not sure what I'll do once the point its gone...it will just be a flat little stub and won't be as fun to apply, but I guess I'll just have to deal. UPDATE 4/12/13: I don't know what happened, but after two days of using this, it stopped being dry and began feeling good and slightly moisturizing on my lips. Also, I can see a slightly glossy sheen from it now. I suppose it just needed to be 'boken in' a bit like some mascaras. Still a 4/5 though because I don't feel like it's an HG.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Super Lustrous Lipstick - Wink for Pink - 616
kikidoll27 4/3/2013 2:59:00 PM
I've heard a lot about Revlon lipsticks. I've tried the Moondrops, their lipbutters, the balm stains, and the gloss version of the Super Lustrous lipsticks, but never an actually SL Lipstick. I had a two dollar off coupon and decided to get one of these in Wink for Pink, number 616. I'm actually shocked by how much I like it! The pigmentation is alright, it goes on pretty sheer but can be built up to a fuller color. i do use a lipliner with it, but it can be worn without and doesn't feather on me. The color of it is MLBB, at least for me. I have pigmented, almost coral colored lips, so this just adds a bit of shine and some more color. I love it with wet n wild color icon blush in heather silk for everyday. The quality of this lipstick is amazing! It's creamy, but not Moondrops creamy, and is so buildable. I will definitely repurchase and try more from this line, especially if I'm able to find more coupons. The price is 5.99 at Target, but I got it for 3.99. They often have bogo half off sales, so watch the ads.
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Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Studio Blush Brush
kikidoll27 4/2/2013 3:45:00 PM
I generally use my Elf flat top powder brush (a cult faveorite) for applying blush, but recently noticed that it smears my makeup. So off to Target I went. This costs three dollars at Target and on Elf's website, which is a steal for a makeup brush nowadays. The studio line is my favorite line of brushes ever, so I decided to try this for blush application. I really like it for blush and bronzer since it picks up the perfect amount of pruduct and doesn't smear my makeup. It washes well and hardly sheds. And come on, it's three dollars.
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Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Studio Complexion Brush
kikidoll27 4/2/2013 3:39:00 PM
How does Elf make such inexpensive and amazing brushes? Seriously, this brush is incredibley soft. I like to use it with their HD powder and dust it lightly all over my face. It's also great with blush and bronzer, especially blush. It washes well and hardly sheds. For three dollars, this is a steal! I've been looking at some mac brushes lately but honestly, compared to the elf studio line, I just can't justify buying them. If you're looking for a nice powder/blush brush, this is one to check out.
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Bronzers -E.L.F. - Studio Warm Bronzer
kikidoll27 4/2/2013 3:33:00 PM
I have very fair skin. Verrrry fair skin. So natrually, I'm pretty hesitant when it comes to trying bronzers because I'm always afraid they'll look muddy on me or look too dark. This one is prefect! There are four colors in it: a dark brown, a brown, a pinkish-toupe color, and an eggshell color. I swirl them all together to create a shimmery bronze color, and use it to contour my face or dust on my cheeks for a glowly sunkissed look. I use my elf blush brush to apply this, or just an eyeshadow brush if I'm contouring my nose. This could also work as an eyeshadow quad if I'm on the go and can't bring all my makeup. I would also be able to use the eggshell shade as an all over highligher. Overall, this is a great product. I really like the shimmer, although some will not. And come on, it's three dollars! The packaging is incredibly chic and resembles the Nars blushes/bronzer. I plan to repurchasing this.
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