Polishes -Sally Hansen - Hard as Nails - Gunmetal
lapome 12/3/2009 10:48:00 PM
A very nice coworker lent this np to me. A very nice bluish grey with a metallic finsih, which can look almost green under certain lights. Requires two coats to look good (streaky on the first coat). The application was not really smooth but I managed to do a decent job anyway. I have been wearing it for two days and have experienced no chipping, only some minor, normal tipwear (i always remove my np after day 2 or 3 anyway, i need my manis to look super fresh). I got compliments from the girls in my office, but DH said "no" when I asked "isn't it great?". So, you are warned.
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Mascara -L'Oreal - L'Oreal Lash Architect in Carbon Gloss
lapome 9/25/2009 1:20:00 PM
I bought this mascara a year ago (I always buy my mascaras when there's a pay 2 get 3 promotion) and although I usually don't do carbon black or fall for "false lashes" promises I though I would give this one a try... maybe it was the Milla Jovovich photo. I have been using it for the last 3 months, so I think I can write a fair review now, just before dumping it in the rubbish can (I throw all my mascaras away after 3 months, that's why I buy cheap): It gives nice volume and length, I usually expect only some enhancement from mascara, but really enjoyed the fuller, more glam look this mascara delivered... it wasn't over the top either as I applied carefully. Application is easy... but... it does smudge and it is difficult to remove... Smudging is not acceptable in a mascara in my opinion, so I am not repurchasing nor recommending it. Difficult removal is not good either, but I find most mascaras hard to remove anyway.
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Polishes -Orly - Nail Polish
lapome 8/16/2009 6:16:00 PM
Ok, lets start with the good things, although I am not all that pleased with Orly NP... It applies beautifully: smooth, easy, almost made me believe I am good at painting my nails... plus one coat gave me enough coverage. After I painted my nails I was ready to write a 5 lippie review... But... it chipped by noon the next day! Since I discovered my beloved Mavala 002 Base I have never (never for two years) experienced chipping, no matter how cheap my nailpolish... so i am quite disappointed with Orly np... maybe there is some known incompatibility between Mavala and Orly? To make things worse: my DH told me my mani looked cheap (no wonder, with a big chip). I still like the colour I purchased (Soul Mate, a bright, happy hot pink) and will probably use it again, but I am not repurchasing this brand. If anyone is interested: this is not 3-big free.
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Top/Base Coats -Seche Vite - Dry Fast Top Coat
lapome 8/8/2009 12:39:00 AM
I am a working mom with little time for manis, and I usually do my nails in bed before falling asleep... I do need a dry fast top coat or else forget about nail polish becaouse of evil sheet marks... until now I had used Sally Hansen Insta Dri but since Seche Vite is such a favourite of Nail Board girls, I thought I'd give it a try. It's easy to apply (I haven't experienced bubbling problems as I have had with SH Insta Dri, nor the shrinkage problems some reviewers report) and keeps the promise to make your nail polish dry in no time. I make the same assumption that for SH Insta Dri: it is dry to the touch, it can still smudge if you are not careful. I like the super glossy finish very much, that would be my main reason to stick with SV (although I probably will keep on using SH Insta Dri as it is a nice product which is more readily available for me). I expect it will get too thick by the time the bottle is half empty, but I haven't reached that point yet. The shelf price was 7.99 USD for a 14 ml bottle, but I got a China Glaze NP for free at the Sally's where I bought it.
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Lip Gloss -Clinique - Full Potential Lips Plump and Shine gloss in Glamour-full
lapome 5/5/2009 11:58:00 PM
I got this in a sample size as a GWP, I probably wouldn't have bought it, because I am a cheap (Revlon mostly) girl as far as makeup is concerned, and my high-end buys are usually Bobbi Brown or MAC, but... This is a very pretty color, a true YLBB (your lips but better) gloss, a very close match to MAC Viva Glam V (I have both by my side as I write this review). It has remarkable staying power for a glos... actually I think this is by far the best gloss I have ever tried in this regard. The counterpart: it is sticky, so this is a no-no for kisses (my husband complained about the stickiness). I didn't notice any plumping (my lips are thin and tiny but still I don't care for plumping). I do not know about long term plumping effects. No burning, tingling or anything either, very comfy to wear if you don't mind the stickiness. It would be nice that it had SPF, but this is a very nice product anyway.
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Polishes -Jafra - BTWIN in B-DARK
lapome 1/11/2009 4:14:00 PM
*PICS* I am not a great fan of Jafra products, althouugh I have purchased a few because I am friends with a Jafra representative.
BTWIN is their line marketed to teens, and as such has an array of nail polishes in funky colors and finishes. B-DARK, despite of the goth resounding in it's name, is a pretty lilac, almost an exact match to the UDPP tube, with lots of teal shimmer. Depending on the light it looks more purple. A nice color with very interesting shimmer.
I think it's a little expensive (it costed me 70 mexican pesos, Revlons cost around 60) because I am such a cheap girl. The brush it's short and unwieldy imo, but I managed to get a decent application with 2 coats.
I don't think I would buy again (as with most nail polishes I can't imagine i'll ever run out) but it's a decent option if you have a friend who sells Jafra and have trouble at sayig no.
ro for pics please
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Eye Shadow -Bobbi Brown - Shimmering Nudes Palette
lapome 1/3/2009 12:12:00 AM
I bought this product some 5 weeks ago, and have used it daily since, so I think I am ready to review now. I hesitated a lot about before buying because the 50 USD price tag translates to 700 mexican pesos, which is steeeep for a working girl like me... anyway, I very much wanted the eye liner brush, which on its own costs 350 pesos, and is included in the palette (in a dual ended eye shadow/eye liner brush version) ... so the brush and seven shades for 700 seemed almost a bargain... ok, sorry for long and messy explanation. Make no mistake: these eye shadows do show up on your lids, it's just that they are, well, nudes. Some reviewers complain these are not "visible" enough but this is as if I bought MAC Parrot e/s and then ranted about it being a loud, bold color. There are six nude shadows (three metallics, two shimmers and a regular e/s) and then Espresso, a beautiful dark brown intended for lining. I am not describing the colors as some other reviewers have done an excellent job; I just would like to note that Naked (the regular finish shadow) is a peachy tone that I don't like. I suppose this is intended as an all-over wash e/s but I end up using my old good MAC Blanc Type for that purpose. You probably don't need this if you already have a lot of nude eye shadows, but if you don't, this is a good palette, allowing for a lot of subtle but polihed looks. Espresso is a vey elegant brown imo (much better than MAC's Espresso) and the eye liner brush makes lining easy even if you ar as clumsy as me. Finally a remark on (poor) quality: because I was in a hurry I used once without Urban Decay Primer Potion... on one eye the eye shadow simply disappeared (did I rub my eye?) and on the other one it creased. Used once more without UDPP and my eye m/u simply vanished. I expected something more from Bobbi Brown. I said I would't repurchase as I understand this is a LE... and also because for the price I expect this will last for many years.
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Polishes -Wet 'n' Wild - Wild Shine - Caribbean Frost 446B
lapome 11/30/2008 11:40:00 PM
Good things first: color and price. The color is a beatiful green, with a lot of blue in it, but clearly a green to me. This could be the color of a super fresh mint mouth wash (I wish I were as good as other MUAers at describing colors). Has a shimmer finish. Very beautiful and unique color (at least for drugstore brands available to me). Got tons of compliments from girls in my office. I am quite pale and it looks good on me, but I think this would look gorgeous on someone with really dark skin. As for the price, it is dirt cheap: payed 25 mexican pesos for it, less than 2 USD. Now, bad news: difficult to apply (runny, runny) and I managed to completely smudge one nail like after 30 minutes after application! So I would advice to use two as thin as possible coats (and don't unbutton your pants before 30 minutes are gone). I wouldn't repurchase or buy another nail polish in this line because of difficult application, seriously. Haven't had it long enough to agree or disagree with other reviewers stating that it becomes thick quickly. Very strong smell too. Another good news: according to the label it doesn't contain toluene, formaldehyde nor phtalates. Bad news it is manufactured in China and I am not sure I am trusting the label (after toys being found out containing lead and baby milk containing melamine, that is).
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Polishes -Revlon - Crystalline Moonsparks
lapome 11/27/2008 6:58:00 PM
In the bottle it doesn't seem much: just a pearly white nailpolish with a shimmer. I am usually a creme finish girl, and tend to prefer darker colors and I wouldn't have picked this one if my sweet coworker hadn't let me try hers... wow! I'm so grateful she did! I really love this nailpolish and wearing it makes me so happy (that's what nailpolish is about, right?). I apply just one coat and my nails look slightly frosted with a pretty white. I looove it for two reasons: 1) First time I was wearing my husband holds my hand, looks at it and says "oh, what a pretty thing" *faints* 2) This is the most forgiving of all my nailpolishes: you can apply one coat and the brush marks won't be visible, you don't need a perfect gap for your mani to look gorgeous, it can wear at the tips and even chip and nobody but you will notice (you will notice only by looking closely).. so it's perfect for a sunday night mani when all you foresee is a week full of work and no time to play around with manis. More reasons? It looks nice under all lights (even crappy fluorescent light at my office) and is painless to remove. As all Revlon nailpolishes, doesn't contain formaldehyde, toluene or dybutil phtalate. I haven't been able to find it on the www, so I am wondering if Revlon does only sell this one in Mexico (I am Mexican, in case you are curious). All I have is a crappy cellphone pic, but will update this review asap with a better pic. Thanks 4 reading!
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Eye Makeup Remover -Yves Rocher - Express Makeup Remover for Sensitive Eyes with Cornflower
lapome 11/17/2008 12:38:00 AM
THE REASON: I usually don't wear a lot of mu, just mascara and eyeliner, but I still need to remove them before going to bed, right? I bought this as a replacement to Mary Kays Oil Fre Eye Make Up Remover (and it has passed the test). THE PRODUCT: Blue, two phase liquid in a bottle that feels much cheaper than Mary Kay's but that nontheless delivers the right amount of product and has lasted without breaking. It's cheap (I pay 79 pesos, around 7 USD, for a 118 ml/4 fl.oz bottle), and as with other Yves Rocher products, you can find it at great discounts. Just for reference, Mary Kay's costs twice as much (not sure about the volume, but it's definitely not double size). THE RESULTS: Removes eyeshadow easy and quicly, mascara (even if not waterproof) takes some more effort... forget about "express" and "one swipe"... i need to rub (very carefully of course) for a while for it to remove most of the mascara and eye liner. I find this is true for all eye makeup removers I have used over the years, so I am not blaming this particular product. After removing eye makeup I always wash my face with sweet almond oil and remove with a damp cotton pad... so I can't really comment on how the residue feels on the skin but all two-phase removers leave some sort of trace ime. I have not observed puffiness or redness after using this product. This is another average remover, imho, and I don't mean bad when I say average... just that mascara is soooo difficult to remove! I will definitely repurchase (I already ordered a backup), but continue with the quest for a HG eye mu remover. THE INGREDIENT LIST: Water, cyclopentasiloxane, isohexadecane, cyclohexasiloxane, cornflower (Centhaurea cyanus) extract, Methylpropanediol, Propylene glycol, Hexyl laurate, Sodium chloride, Magnesium chloride, Capryxyl/Capryl glucoside, Methylparaben, Tetrasodium EDTA, Ethylparaben, CI 61750 (D&C Green No. 5)
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Lipstick -Jafra - Sangria Lipstick
lapome 11/10/2008 6:36:00 PM
Jafra is a direct marketing company I have had particulary bad luck with (I am no beauty products snob: I hapily buy from Avon to Estee Lauder)... I suspect it's not really bad luck but bad beauty products. Sangria looks bold red in the tube... but turns to a loud fuchsia on my lips (also when I swatch it on my hand)... gives me a clown look. I wouldn't bother to write a bad review if color was the only problem (after all, red or fuchsia, i think bold lipstick colors simply don't suit me and I should stop trying them). The main problem is this STINKS!!! It smells like some weird herbal tea, and the smell never faints... I swatched this 15 min ago and the smell is stillthere, I'm going to finish my review quicly so I can go wash my hands! Seriously, I have never taken lippies away because of bad smell, but this is more that I can bear. I can't comment on how it wears, as I could never apply without immediately removing. Packaging is average quality. Price is expensive compared to other similar (or better) direct marketing and drugstore brands. Stay away from Jafra and save your money.
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Lip Treatments -Mary Kay - Satin Lips mask and balm
lapome 11/9/2008 9:07:00 AM
There seem to be slightly different versions of the same product reviewed in this section, so what I am reviewing is Satin Lips Lip Mask + Satin Lips Lip Balm, both in a .3 oz/8 g tube packaging. The SATIN LIPS LIP MASK is a lip scrub/exfoliant. I almost never remember to use it maybe because the application is not very pleasant (but not the terrible mess some reviewers describe, imho). I must say results are spectacular though, my lips feel soft and nice, altough not for long. Ingredient list: Water, Bentonite, Glyceryl stearate, Stearic acid. PEG-100 stearate, Polyethilene, Glycerin, PVP, Cetyl esters, Petrolatum, Hydrogenated polyisobutene, Stearyl alcohol, Cetyl alcohol, Sorbitol, Triethanolamine, Magnesium Aluminium Silicate, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Methylparaben, Propylene glycol, DMDM Hydantoin, Disodium EDTA, Ascorbyl palmitate, Retunyl palmitate, Tocopheryl acetate, Flavor, Panthenol, Propylparaben, Camellia sinensis extract, Menthol, Phenoxyethanol, Titanium dioxide, RED 33, Red 40. The SATIN LIPS LIP BALM is a petrolatum based lip balm. Some reviewers dismiss it for this reason, some others seem to just adore it. I am somewhere in the middle. I like to apply vaseline on my lips so nothing wrong with the feel of this balm, it may be more expensive then plain vaseline, but the little tube is also way more more convenient to carry in my bag. In my opinion it does a nice job keeping your lips protected and moisturized. One thing that amazes me is how a little goes a long way... I have had this for over 9 months, use several times every day and the tube already has product!!! I wonder what menthol does in the ingredient list, although I can't notice it when I apply the product. Probably won't repurchase because I am looking for a product with SPF. Ingredient list: Petrolatum, Mineral oil, Paraffin, Beeswax, Candelilla wax, Hydrogenated soy glyceride, Stearic acid, Carnauba wax, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Tocopherol, Ceramide 2, Menthol, Retynil palmitate, Lanolin oil, Oleyl erucate, Aluminium hyd roxide, Tocopheryl acetate, Red 7 Lake.
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Espresso
lapome 11/9/2008 12:19:00 AM
This is a dark brown, matte eye shadow. On the quad it looks lighter than the brown shade in the Coffe Shop duo from Clinique's Colour Surge, but it's not once swatched on my hand. It's a fine color, but not unique. I use this eyeshadow to line my upper lash line for my everyday office look. In pics I have observed some reddish udertones to it, not in real light though. I have tried it on my crease, but either I am too pale or I can't manage to get a sheer apllication and it simply doesn't look right on me. I'm not blaming the product, I think it's just on me. I must say, however, that ime it tends to crease; I know other reviewers report it doesn't crease. It's not likely I will repurchase, because if I ever runout there are many other dark eye shadows out there waiting for me to try.
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Eyeliner -Jafra - Automatic Eye Liner
lapome 11/8/2008 11:26:00 PM
This is a supposed to be a retractible pencil eyeliner, but it's actually a nightmare disguised as make up. I am glad I finally have 20 reviews so I can add this product and give it the appalling review it deserves. First of all, it SMUDGES... seriously, before you know it, all the product will migrate from your upper lash line to the outer corner of your lower lash line... that would probably be fine if I played in a punk band, but I happen to be an engineer and work in a rather conservative office. I know pencil eyeliner is smudgier than liquid or gel eyeliners, but c'mon, this is just crazy. Then it's not exactly expensive (I payed 100 pesos, around 10 USD for it) but not super cheap either... both the cap and retractible mechanism broke in less than a month of dicontinued use (why I kept trying to use this eyeliner is a mistery even to me). So the packaging is awful too... can I say something good about this product? Well, I was twice complimented on the cool gray-navy shade... but the shade I had purchased was no. 111 Jet Black... do these Jafra people know what Jet is? Seriously, I have never been pleased with a Jafra purchase and the stuff is not cheap, and this is no exception. Ladies, save your money and shop somewhere else. If you are still reading: I haven't found my HG pencil eye-liner yet, so for the time I'm back to lining with a dark eye shadow and a slanted pencil. Thank you for reading.
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Blanc Type - Matte2
lapome 11/8/2008 1:41:00 PM
This is a cream/light beige/bone/ivory eye shadow... I am not good at describing colors, but this is an exact match to my skin color, so I use it to unify the look of my skin and conceal some redness in my upper lid. It works as a my skin but better e/sfor me. I use it as an all over lid (from eyelash to eyebrow) shadow, then usually apply a shimmery white (clinique eye surge e/s in sugar sugar) in the inner corner and under the brow bone, a darker nude e/s in my lid/crease and end up lining with a darker e/s. Contrary to other reviewers here I don't like it so much used alone with liner (altough it's the exact look I am wearing while writing these lines in a lazy saturday morning). Also contray to other reviewers I do find it can look chalky if I over apply, but it's just a matter of trial and error to get the right amount. It's a nice and versatile shadow imo, although I don't know how it would work on girls with darker skintones. Worth getting if you go for subtle, nude looks as I do. Doesn't crease ime. Probably will repurchase if I ever runout.
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