Liquid -Urban Decay - Naked Skin
kittyk9t 7/27/2012 4:49:00 PM
Wow this is a surprisingly really amazing foundation! I usually like medium to full coverage and my go-to has been Lancome's Teint Idole Ultra lately but it's a bit heavy for the summer. This foundation is really good stuff. A little goes a long way because it's pretty liquidy and thin and spreads easily. It's truly weightless and my face actually feels softer after putting it on. I really like that once it sets it's not tacky or greasy feeling. My skin just feels really soft and smooth. It took me several tries and a couple of returns to find the right shade. I'm asain and normally around Mac NC30/35, Chanel 30/40 or 250/320 Bisque in Lancome. Undertone is KEY with this foundation. Because I have surface yellowness, everyone always tries to match me to a warm tone foundation, which usually works out fine because other lines still have some pink in the warm shades. Not this stuff - I was matched to 4.0 and then 5.0 - both have hardly any pink in them at all, especially 4.0 - that one is super yellow. Both of these made me look gray and colorless - not cute! It wasn't until I went on youtube and watched UD's video and low and behold they matched another asian girl to 4.5 - a cool shade. I went back and got 4.5 and finally I'm happy. I did ask for a tester bottle of 4.0 because that one works great as under eye concealer! If you are asian and feel like the warm shades are just making you look blah and are too yellow - please don't listen to anyone telling you that you are warm because you have yellow in your skin - try the cool shades, they might work better for you. There is such a thing as an asian with cool undertones. Like others said, you do have to remember to shake the bottle every time before putting it on. And it's not super long lasting, but the pros far outweigh the cons. I think this will be HG material for lots of people. It really does look like skin and offers really good coverage. Will definitely be buying more when I run out, which I can't imagine when that will be because you don't need to use very much of this. Oh, I also got the brush - I like it but it's not a must have. I actually just use my fingers to apply the foundation and then just buff blend it in after. The brush is nice but you can easily use other brushes instead.
11 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Tinted Moisturizer -Le Metier de Beaute - Le Metier de Beaute Peau Vierge Anti-Aging Complexe Tinted Treatment Fluid ...
kittyk9t 1/27/2012 12:15:00 PM
Gave this the 7 day test run and I have to say it definitely improved my skin noticeably. I have some hyper pigmentation due to running outdoors all summer and plain just getting older :( I also have some superficial acne scars which usually take a few months to fade. PV definitely has lightened them up and my skin overall is much brighter. I don't have large pores but I do have visible pores (sans makeup) on my nose and on my cheeks near my nose. PV has seemed to have made them smaller but it isn't drastic. For my little trial run I used all my normal face care products including my moisturizer that contains SPF 20 and the only face makeup I used was Chanel's Double Perfection powder foundation, lipgloss and mascara. This treatment fluid definitely will not give you coverage. Some get more than others but I think since I am on the darker end of the users of shade 2 (I'm NC30) I don't get as much coverage. If you are any darker than NC30, you should probably try shade 3. I will probably try shade 3 for the summer. It doesn't cover much but it really tones down redness/splotchiness. It has ALOT of shimmer to it - like a surprising amount. Some reviews I read said it didn't have sparkle and others said it was full on glittery or "disco ball" I think the words were. I wouldn't say it's glittery, more like really shimmery because it's a really fine textured shimmer - and noticeably so. But the shimmer factor is easily toned down with powder. I used my Chanel DP and it matted out the shimmer with one pass and looked really natural - more natural than just the Chanel DP on it's own. I think it's because of the luminosity the PV gives my skin so powder doesn't look as flat on. The price at $125 for 1 oz. is ridiculous but I will continue to buy this. It just makes your skin look better - with makeup and without anything on your face. It comes in a really sleek silver pump and one pump is more than enough for your whole face. The amount of product dispensed is really easy to control so I am able to pump out about 3/4 of a full pump and that's a good amount for me. The consistency is really nice - not too thin/thick and really silky so it spreads evenly and easily. I still think the price is way too much but like I said, I will continue to fork over the money. If you already have really great skin, you could skip this but for everyone else, this is kind of a must have!
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Concealers -Edward Bess - Platinum Concealer
kittyk9t 1/23/2012 4:02:00 PM
LOVE this concealer! I am NC30 and got this in Soft Beige and it's the perfect neutral beige, which is what I look for in a concealer. Other than this, the other concealer I like is MAC's studio finish in the pot, but this will be my new everyday concealer as the texture is much better than MAC's. A little goes a long way. It has a drier consistency (and along with that it does have the clay-like smell, which is the only negative I can think of) but once you heat it with your fingers it blends in wonderfully and is not as thick as MAC's studio finish but still gives great coverage and looks like skin. EB is my new makeup love. Also really like the packaging - it comes in a small tube that closes magnetically. My first thought when I bought this was that the tube sure was tiny but after using it, I think it's a reasonable size - you don't need much of this so one tube will last awhile. I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this concealer for everyone whether you need a little or a lot of coverage. Looks totally natural and hides everything. Will be buying this again and again.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
BB Cream -Lioele - Triple Solution BB cream 
kittyk9t 1/11/2012 11:48:00 AM
I have been intrigued with BB creams for awhile now and finally decided to give this one a try. It is ok - the color was too light for me (I'm NC30) but with bronzer it was easy to adjust. I have to say - this stuff has EXCELLENT coverage. I only needed to use the tiniest amount so one 50ml tube will last forever. It's really creamy and easy to spread and blend. But I really don't like the color and would imagine this would really only suit a small population of people. I'm not sold on the skin benefits of this and was looking for an alternative to wearing liquid foundation every day. While this has excellent coverage, I find the texture to be too thick and I will opt for my Chanel powder foundation as a break from my liquids. All in all, for the price, it's ok if it matches your skintone.
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Makeup Brushes -Smashbox - Brow #12
kittyk9t 11/17/2011 7:35:00 AM
This is my go-to brow brush. I've tried tons of brushes throughout the years and this is still my favorite. This is really the only SB brush I use so I love that the handle is red because I can always find it quickly. It's very high quality - I've only had to repurchase recently (lasted 10 years) and only because the glue that holds the brush portion to the handle wore out. This is the only brush I have found with high-quality dense, stiff bristles. I have dark brows that just need to be filled in certain spots or sometimes I like to make them slightly thicker. This brush deposits color easily and looks natural. I'm not a big fan of the softer brow brushes (hello MAC) because they deposit too much powder and it just looks like you have eyeshadow on your brows. This is the only brow brush I will use.
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Concealers -Smashbox - Photo Op Under Eye Brightener
kittyk9t 11/17/2011 7:23:00 AM
I'm really loving this! I started having dark circles and some under eye baggage due to lack of sleep/allergies, both of which get progressively worse throughout the day. I started experimenting with correctors/concealers and didn't really like the way they looked. I'm just used to not much makeup under the eyes. I gave this a try and WOW what a huge difference! The things that set this apart are the thin texture, subtle but noticeable shimmer and the universal color of the base. The thinness of the formula makes it glide onto the skin without caking up in my fine lines. I apply foundation, Photo Op, BB Creamy Concealer and then set with BB Pale Yellow powder and it really brightens the under eye area and gives an overall more healthy glow to my face. I use this pretty much in the entire under eye area and I add more at night on top of whatever is on my face to "freshen" my makeup. This never gets thick or cakey looking. This stuff works great for what it's designed for. If you have really dark circles and bags, I don't think this would be the right product for you but if you're like me and just need something to freshen up the eye area and distract from some slight darkness, try this!
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Polishes -Unlisted Brand - Nutra Nail - Gel Perfect UV Free Gel Color
kittyk9t 11/13/2011 7:53:00 PM
This product is terrible! I purchased this at CVS because I thought it would be a quicker cheaper alternative to using the Red Carpet Manicure system (which I love). This system comes all in one package and consists of an activator, nail color, and brush cleaner. The activator is supposed to work with the nail color to give you a perfect gel manicure. It came with great instructions and was easy enough to apply. The activator smells like super glue and if you get it on your skin it looks and holds onto your skin like superglue. It only took five minutes to fully cure and looked like a decent manicure so I was actually really happy with it the first two days. By the third day, the polish started cracking and chipping. I could see crack marks throughout my nail, especially at the tips. The polish also started pulling up around my cuticle and it was impossible for me to resist the urge to start chipping the polish off. It looked HORRIBLE! Much much worse than regular polish chipping and wearing. This looked like seriously cheap stuff - thank goodness I bought a light color so it wasn't as horrible. I used the remover designed for this and it came off really easily but left my nails looking pretty bad. They look damaged around the tips the way acrylic damages your nails. I'm going to give my nails a week or two to recover from the trauma of this product by applying cuticle oil twice daily. PLEASE save your money and nails and don't buy this stuff - it's really THAT bad!
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Foundations -Dolce & Gabbana - Perfect Finish Creamy Foundation
kittyk9t 11/8/2011 12:34:00 AM
LOVE LOVE this foundation. It's pricey but definitely worth it. The packaging is quite cumbersome - it's really heavy because it's a glass jar but looks so luxe you'll want to put it out on your vanity. Definitely not for traveling though - I would imagine it would be too heavy and a mess when you open the jar - it comes with a white inner lid but it's kind of a pain because you have to pay attention when you open it up so that makeup doesn't get all over the place. It also comes with a spatula to scoop the makeup out. A little goes a long way so you don't need much product for your whole face. I am NC30 (Asian) and I initially got Natural Beige which is very olive (yellow). It's easy to make it work though because it blends into your skin tone but I don't like to be that yellow because it throws off the rest of my makeup so I also got Natural Glow and mix the two to get the perfect color. This foundation is so good that yes, it's worth $132 just to get the right shade. The thing that sets this apart from all the rest is how lightweight and natural it looks. You get full coverage that looks as natural as you can get with full coverage. It has a soft finish so I don't even set with powder - I just touch up once midday with Chanel Double Perfection (in Tender Bisque). I hear great things about D&G's powder foundation but I'll have to try that when I use up my DP. Definitely try this!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Paula's Choice - RESIST Weekly Resurfacing Treatment
kittyk9t 10/26/2011 1:15:00 AM
AMAZING! This is a MUST HAVE! Can't believe how great this product is. I'm not one for using cotton pads to apply liquids (I feel like 1/2 the product gets wasted) so I pour a tiny amount in my palm and use my fingers to apply. I noticed no irritation or stinging at all. After putting this on the skin, it has a tacky feel which goes away and I had no problem layering my other PC products on top of this. I use this at bedtime and in the morning my skin is so smooth and soft. I have combo skin and haven't noticed any dry patches or anything from using this. I use it twice a week and am so happy with this. I would HIGHLY recommend this to everyone who wants the smoothest skin possible and wants to fight off aging.
10 out of 10 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Clarisonic - Pro Skincare Brush
kittyk9t 10/26/2011 1:08:00 AM
Don't hesitate - just buy this already! I have no idea why I waited so long after all my friends told me I needed this. Seriously, this is the best thing I've done for my skin. I usually wear a full face of long-wearing makeup so when I got the Clarisonic I tested it by washing my face how I normally do, then hopped in the shower like usual and then washed my face again using the Clarisonic and a little bit of Paula's cleanser. I was shocked at what I saw - there was makeup residue on the brush head meaning all these years that residue has been left behind on my skin. Since using this, my skin has been much softer, smoother and more glowy. Makeup definitely goes on better and I don't have to use as much anymore. My routine is to use this only at night. I take off my waterproof mascara with Ponds Cold Cream, wash my face with Paula's cleanser, take a shower, use the Clarisonic with a tiny bit of Paula's cleanser, and apply the rest of my products. Very happy with this new routine!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Smashbox - Studio Skin 15 Hour Wear Fdt.
kittyk9t 10/26/2011 12:54:00 AM
I'm happy with this foundation as my new everyday foundation. I'm NC30 and the 2.3 shade is a good match for me (I also tried 2.2 but it's just way too yellow). I like this because it's long wearing, comes is a nice pump bottle with a cap and a little goes a long way. I usually like medium coverage but so far, I've only been using one pump for my entire face which gives light coverage. I would say two pumps would be medium coverage. This does not compare to my HG foundation - Chanel Mat Lumiere but I like it because it's buildable and doesn't give you that overly made-up look. I've tried using a foundation brush and my fingers and I prefer my fingers.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Paula's Choice - Hydralight One Step Face Cleanser - Normal to Oily/Combination Skin
kittyk9t 10/6/2011 8:38:00 PM
I like this face wash a lot because it's so gentle but I wear long-wearing foundation (Dior Forever) and I'm not convinced that this removes all traces of makeup. I use this as a "prewash". Basically I massage two pumps on and wash it off and follow up with Gunilla's Lerosett face wash. Both are gentle and seem to work well together. I love that this comes in a big bottle with a pump dispenser.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Tarte - Amazonian Clay Long-Wear Blush in Tipsy
kittyk9t 10/6/2011 7:01:00 PM
I bought this blush because of all the rave reviews saying it was the matte version of Nars Orgasm. So disappointed! I've been using Orgasm for years and this color does not even come close to the base color of Orgasm. This requires a very light hand when applying and came out too coral/orange on me. I'm going to keep trying to make this one work but so far, no such luck. The formula seems good though - it's very silky and pigmented.
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Masks -Unlisted Brand - Gunilla of Sweden - Lerosett Clay Mask
kittyk9t 10/6/2011 6:51:00 PM
This is my go-to emergency face saver for when I get terrible breakouts. This stuff draws out impurities like nothing I've ever tried. I don't use it regularly though because I don't like waiting for 20 minutes to wash it off every night. It's a really good spot treatment - it will flatten out pimples overnight and heals them in 2-3 days. A little goes a long way so a tube lasts a long time. I really like that it doesn't contain any chemicals.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Youngblood - Natural Mineral Foundation
kittyk9t 10/15/2002 1:50:00 PM
I love this MF!! It's the best I've tried - more natural in color and not too shiny. This stuff lasts forever and comes in a great powder pot that you have to turn upside down and tap, so it doesn't get all over the place. This is great!!
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