Lipstick -Neutrogena - Moisture Smooth Color Stick
kloghopper 2/15/2013 7:58:00 PM
I found these for 40% at Rite Aid last month. Bought one.. loved so I went back and bought the rest. I figured at $5.40 each why not.. Neutrogena is not cheap for drugstore imo. ;) After trying all of the colors, I would repurchase most but not all. The only ones I could NOT buy again are the peach and watermelon. These have straight up frosty finish to them and because the shade is so light it doesn't look very good. I am determined to make them work though. Maybe with a sllightly deeper liplner or some trick like that. Soft Caramel also has a shimmery effect but because it's a nude color it works. The raisin was the surprise winner for me. No (or minimal) shimmer and very pretty. They are comfortable on the lips and easy to apply. And they smell like tropical fruit. Overall color me impressed.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Physicians Formula - Mineral Wear Talc-Free Mineral Airbrushing Pressed Powder SPF 30
kloghopper 1/8/2013 9:49:00 PM
This powder smelled like burnt plastic. I couldn't get past that unfortunately. Did I get a bad one? The powder itself was fine from what I remember, but it was quickly returned due to the smell.
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Sunscreen -Paula's Choice - RESIST Ultimate Anti-Aging Hand Cream SPF 30 + Antioxidants
kloghopper 1/3/2013 9:27:00 PM
Wow. Wow. Wow. Based on the reviews I bought this sunscreen for my face instead of my hands. I have a temperamental oily t-zone and chin with normal cheeks and forehead. I always have to blot. This is one of the only sunscreens where I only had to blot ONCE around 4 pm. That's just crazy. That's unheard of in my world. Color me happy. And even when I blot, I only have to use one blotting sheet. Again.. w-o-w. I have used Paula's Choice for years. Her skin balanced line helps keep my skin rather clear (and also helps with the oilies - I LOVE the BHA 2% liquid exfoliant - i'ts like a miracle in a bottle) and this hand sunscreen has a matte appearance. Another nice thing is that this sunscreen has been on sale on her website for a while. It's usually about $15 for 1.7 oz but it's only around $12 now. Just bought my second bottle. Since it's "winter" here in San Diego I may have to update how this does in the summer with the ever-so-slight change in weather. ;-) Highly recommend. Oh, I almost forgot.. the product is kinda runny and it comes in a tube with a flip top. If you're not careful it comes out too much too fast. Squeeze gently and be prepared to close it quickly. Hope this helps.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Maybelline - Color Sensational High Shine Lip Gloss
kloghopper 1/2/2013 12:13:00 PM
I bought Mirrored Mauve. When I first tried it on I hated it. Loved the color, but the texture was weird.. it was too opaque for my taste. I decided not to return it and just shoved it in my drawer. I pulled it out the other day and put it on, and something changed. I have no idea what, but somehow the texture thickened or something. It had too much slip before.. now it's just fine. Don't know if it was me or the gloss that morphed but I'll take it! It's a great MLBB shade on my NC30 complexion. No sparkles or shimmer in this color. Overall I'm happy with it. I don't think I will try too many of the other shades (but never say never right?). For now I am satisfied.
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Mascara -Almay - Get Up and Grow
kloghopper 1/1/2013 3:30:00 PM
For reference, I have long eyelashes that merely need a bit of help in the volume department. I do NOT like this mascara by itself. I will put that right out there. However, it is wonderful to layer with another formula that is too wet. I use it either as a base for another mascara, or layered on top. Today I used my L'oreal Lash out which is newer and too wet. On top of that I put a coat of Get up and Grow. My lashes look great. I do not experience any flaking, smudging, and it's easy to remove. The brush is big and full but it works. I only wish it came in a curved style! Highly recommend for those who need a "base" for other mascara formulas that have not reached that perfect consistency after a couple of weeks of use. (like the Goldilocks of mascaras.. not too wet, not to dry, but juuuuust right). Rite Aid sometimes has 40% sales on Almay.. which makes this mascara less than $5! Happy wallets and happy lashes. :)
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Lip Gloss -Neutrogena - moistureshine lipgloss
kloghopper 12/27/2012 10:10:00 PM
I love these glosses. I own 8 of these little gems: Fruity pink, Healthy blush Nutri Berry Pure Cider, Copper Power Vital Violet Refreshing rose Vita Plum. I don't really have a favorite. They all work to make my face appear polished and put together. Each one is subtle but gives a pop of color, not too sheer not too bold. Perfection on the lips. (I'm NC30 for reference) Even Nutri Berry looks bright in the tube but is just a pretty pink on the lips. They are really moisturizing and hug the lips nicely. Also, yes they are pricier but Bed Bath and Beyond has them for under $8.00 and I can buy two and use a $5.00 off coupon and poof they are $5-ish each. Bam! I have oooodles and ooooodles of lip products but these are something I reach for consistently. I would venture to say these are the All-Stars of my lip gloss collection. ;-)
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Pressed Powders -Physicians Formula - Youthful Wear Cosmeceutical Youth-Boosting Mattifying Face Powder
kloghopper 12/8/2012 5:47:00 PM
I am still trying to figure out how a TRANSLUCENT powder can turn my NC30 skin orange.. :( But boy oh boy it did. I have never had something oxidize so badly. It's going back.
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Blush -E.L.F. - Studio Blush - Pink Passion
kloghopper 12/7/2012 8:59:00 PM
Gotta love Makeup alley for leading me to another product that I would have otherwise NEVER picked up! It is a crazy bright barbie doll pink but this blush gives my cheeks a perfect matte pink flush (I'm an NC30 for reference). As others said, it applies with much less intensity than how it appears in the pan. So excited to find this. I highly recommend. Thank you makeup alley!!!
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Foundations -Almay - TLC Truly Lasting Color
kloghopper 4/27/2012 4:38:00 PM
For reference: I'm NC30, and oily (mainly T-zone, well actually my I-zone.. forehead, nose, and chin!!). It seems like every foundation I try shows oil within a couple of hours, or slides off my face by mid-day.. oh joy, right? I have tried many liquid and mineral foundations over the past decade. About 6 months ago I got Almay TLC in the color Sand. This shade is not yellow enough for my complexion, so I also bought Buff to mix a teensy bit in with Sand. This seemed to work pretty well. This foundation is the first one to keep me SHINE FREE all day. There is still oil going on, but you cannot see it. I only see the oil on the blotting sheet afterwards. Amazing. :) I do set it with powder (I started with Bare Escentuals mineral veil but now am using Black Opal's Oil Blocking loose powder). I do not use a primer, but rather do a light dusting of the powder on my face before applying the foundation. Here's the thing... If I wear this everyday I break out a little. But as long as I give my skin a break once in a while, then it's fine. Also, sometimes I mix TLC with other regular foundations which helps both foundations wear even better. TLC is rather thick and hard to spread on its own, but mixed with Almay's Clear Complexion foundation (as an example) it's much easier to apply! I highly recommend this foundation to those with oily skin! I only wish I had found it sooner! UPDATE on 12/8/12: So I did some research and found a foundation matrix online (temptalia.com maybe?). Apparently my NC30 color match in Almay TLC is Neutral and NOT Sand. I guess I don't need to mix two afterall. Neutral is not as warm toned as I would like, but it blends surprisingly well. It will be much easier just using one bottle!! Yay. :)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Paula's Choice - Skin Balancing Moisture Gel
kloghopper 4/25/2012 10:42:00 PM
I love this gel. It is a great way to moisturize my oily skin. It sinks into my skin easily and feels weightless. I have purchased this for many years.. During the day i use this with neutrogena ultra sheer spf 30 (I think it's the dry touch?) layered on top. And yes I wish it were a bit cheaper but I usually buy 3 bottles at a time so I get free shipping from her website. I'm quite happy to use this for years to come! HG fore sure!
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Lip Gloss -New York Color - Up to 8 HR City Proof (ALL)
kloghopper 4/18/2012 7:08:00 PM
These glosses are awesome!! The texture is a bit odd, but I got used to it quickly. For the price you cannot go wrong. They last a bit longer than the liquid lip shines (which I also love) but definitely not 8 hours (did we really believe that claim? I mean... Com'on now).. I own most of the shades and reach for these quite often. Gold with me is what I wanted Brighton beach peach to be (boy that one was too frosty on me). Even the fuschia shade applies more as a medium pink than it appears in the tube. All in all a fantastic beauty budget-friendly buy! I highly recommend and have already purchased most of the colors!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No