Makeup Brushes -MAC - #231 Small Shader Brush
leeyao 12/23/2011 2:53:00 AM
The 231 is the best brush I've found for tightlining & regular lining with a gel liner. I originally doubted that it could do a better job than my 266, but despite having what seems like an unlikely shape for the task, the 231 gets the job done more easily than any other brush I've tried. Give it a try!
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -Bobbi Brown - Illuminating Bronzing Powder in MAUI
leeyao 12/23/2011 2:47:00 AM
LOVE this! On my NC40 skin, this shade isn't a bronzer at all; it's a NARS Orgasm dupe on me, but more finely-milled and with a much smoother finish. The beautiful coral-pink shade livens up my face, and its subtle golden shimmer gives a glowy sheen to the skin. I took one lippie off because it doesn't seem to last as long on my skin as my regular blushes (from any line, including BB), and the compact is a bit clunky. But overall, this is something I would definitely replace if the need arises.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Bobbi Brown - Shimmer Wash Shadow in Stone
leeyao 12/23/2011 2:42:00 AM
Oh, Stone Shimmer Wash, how I love thee! You're my favorite taupe eyeshadow of all time - not too cool, not too warm, not too gray, not too brown, no purple. Your sophisticated shimmer provides a glowy sheen that adds dimension to my lids. You're beautiful on your own as a wash, or paired with a warm gray or brown in the crease. Total perfection on my dark brown eyes & against my NC40 skintone. *swoons* (FYI, Stone Shimmer Wash is far less brown & bronzey than it appears in the pic that someone added above. Maybe it's just the lighting, but that's not a true representation of the color; in fact, I think the photo looks more like BB Bronze Shimmer Wash or MAC Patina, neither of which Stone Shimmer Wash looks like. Also, contrary to one of the previous reviews, Stone Shimmer Wash does *not* have any red in it whatsoever.)
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Urban Decay - Naked Palette
leeyao 12/23/2011 2:35:00 AM
Meh, it's overhyped. I only recently jumped on the Naked Palette bandwagon but I quickly returned it. I'm warm-toned & tan, so I really thought I would love it. But the colors were not unique in the least, & the shimmer was OTT (I usually love shimmer). The latter was especially obvious with Sidecar, which constantly had fallout. IMHO, UD could have done a better job of mixing e/s textures in the palette. I'm giving it 2 lippies though because 1. if you don't have a lot of neutral e/s colors, this is a convenient palette to have, and 2. the full-sized shadows are a really good value for the price.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -MAC - Cleanse Off Oil - Tranquil
leeyao 12/23/2011 2:29:00 AM
Like the previous reviewer, I prefer this over the regular MAC Cleanse-Off Oil. It leaves my normal-to-dry skin completely clean with no residue, doesn't leave my face feeling dry, and it's slightly less fragranced than the regular version. I'm a bit of a cleansing oil hoor (what can I say? I love how simple cleansing oil is to use, and how it removes every trace of makeup - even waterproof - easily & without excess rubbing or tugging) and in addition to the MAC oils, I've tried Shu (3 different formulas), BB, Shiseido, Origins, Boscia, DHC, & Fancl. MAC Cleanse-Off Oil Tranquil is my top pick. Bonus: You can turn your empty bottle in for Back 2 MAC :)
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Pressed Powders -MAC - Mineralize Skin Finish Natural - Medium Plus
leeyao 12/23/2011 2:18:00 AM
I'm NC40 & wear MSFN in Medium Plus almost daily as my foundation. Upon first application, Medium Plus looks a tiny bit too pink, but after it settles into my face after a few minutes, it looks perfect. I absolutely love how quick & easy it is to get medium to full coverage with it. I buff it in with a kabuki, spritz my face with Fix+, then buff some more in if I deem it necessary. That's it! The process takes about 30 seconds, and the result is a satin finish that looks completely natural, not cakey or fake, on my normal-to-dry skin. My skin is already pretty clear to begin with, but I can't believe how much better it looks with just MSFN on. I have repurchased MSFN several times - it is one of my must-have products! In comparison to Careblend, I find that MSFN offers a more natural finish on my skin. Careblend looked heavy & cakey no matter how well I tried to blend it, and it didn't offer nearly as much coverage as MSFN. I've heard the opposite from MUAers though, so like most products, YMMV.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Bobbi Brown - Honeysuckle Creamy Lip Color
leeyao 12/23/2011 1:56:00 AM
This review is long overdue, considering how much I rave about this lipstick on the Makeup Board. For my NC40, dark haired/dark eyed self, Honeysuckle is officially my favorite lipstick EVER!!! I've repurchased it at least 5 times, and will undoubtedly continue to do so. It goes with practically every makeup look I wear; it is the lipstick I reach for the most, especially on those days when I don't want to have to think about which lipstick to put on. True to its product description, Honeysuckle looks like an uninteresting yellow-beige in the tube. However, on the lips it morphs into THE most perfect nude-ish MLBB, with just enough of a rosy tint to keep it from looking too flat or too blah, as a lot of lipsticks in this color family can look. The BB Creamy Lip Color formula is one of my faves. It feels like a highly pigmented, thick lip balm that it is cushy on the lips but stays on well. It has a little shine, but nothing too glossy - more like, it makes your lips look really full & moisturized. (My other picks in the line for a natural-but-polished look are Rose Brown & Uber Pink.) Imho, everyone in the NC35-42 range should own Honeysuckle. In fact, as of this review there have been at least 5 MUAers in the NC40ish skintone range who told me they bought it upon my rec on the board or after seeing it on my list of makeup faves in my Notepad, and that they love it too. Like the poster below, I am surprised at the lack of reviews. But there seems to be a mini Honeysuckle movement starting, so we'll see! :)
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Dutch Tulips
leeyao 4/19/2009 7:53:00 PM
I generally stick to shimmery nudes for my toes, but since I'm tan & heading to Vegas next week, I decided that I wanted a bright, girly color for my pedi today. Dutch Tulips is the most beautiful, glossy, deep-yet-vibrant shade of red-pink. Just gorgeous! I think this may be my new spring & summer toenail color!
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Polishes -Sephora - Sephora by OPI - Run With It!
leeyao 12/11/2008 7:47:00 PM
I am *not* a nail polish lover at all, but I like having clean, shiny nails so I usually stick to colors like OPI Bubble Bath or Essie Mademoiselle. However, all this changed when I saw Run With It! at Sephora. I tried it on & it was THE most gorgeous dove gray-with-a-hint-of-taupe shimmer & went well with my lightly tanned skin. The fact that it has a bit of a beige tone to it makes it neutral, yet since it's also gray makes it so unique. One of the reasons I don't polish my nails with "colors" is because they tend to get streaky & I have a hard time applying, but this particular formula goes on evenly & smoothly, even if you tend to paint it on a bit thick on your nails. Also, my first self-mani with Run With It! lasted 10 days on my nails without chipping, which is a personal record for me! I highly recommend this polish, and am debating if I should get a back-up, since I think it might be LE for the holidays.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -MAC - Hue: PinkAura
leeyao 12/3/2008 8:16:00 PM
I really enjoy this fragrance & don't understand the dislike. I'm not a huge fragrance wearer (Clean Ultimate, which smells like clean skin a la Philosophy Pure Grace, is my HG), but I'm loving this! it's as light as Turquatic without the marine note. It's floral but not cloying, with a light, airy, green & citrus note. I sprayed some on at 10 a.m. and I can still smell it on my wrist now. Plus, I love the cute bottle with the pink cap!
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Polishes -OPI - Tutti Frutti Tonga
leeyao 11/20/2008 8:32:00 PM
THEY'VE CHANGED IT! They've changed my beloved Tutti Frutti Tonga! I'm not sure when OPI changed it, but it's DEFINITELY different now. This was my go-to shade for years - the same lovely, opalescent, silvery pink that everyone else has described below.
It's been awhile since I've used this (I've been venturing out into bright, fun colors), at least a year or two. Last week I went in for a pedi, and asked for TFT specifically. But it looked SO peach and opaque in the bottle; I was convinced it had the wrong label on it! The nail tech assured me that it *was* TFT - she even showed me the 2nd bottle they had of it, and it still looked "wrong." It was even worse on my toes... a thick, sickly, peach. Yuck.
I went into a beauty supply store today and sure enough, TFT is no longer its old beautiful shade that I adored. (And unfortunately, I can't seem to find It's Sheer Luck, TFT's "sister" color, either). I don't know why OPI did this, but it's such a shame that's it's so different from its older incarnation. It's nowhere near a mother-of-pearl pink, & it doesn't even have the subtle shimmer anymore. What used to be 5 lippies for me is now down to 1 :(
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Philosophy - Pure Grace
leeyao 6/9/2008 11:18:00 PM
Picked up the purse size on a whim while standing in line at Sephora. At first it had an ever-so-slight chemical note to it, but then it dried down to a wonderfullly fresh, clean, soft scent. After a few minutes it smelled exactly like my beloved HG Clean Ultimate (see my review on that) on me, but it didn't last nearly as long. So I won't repurchase; I'd rather stick to my Clean Ultimate or Carriere Gendarme, which also smells similar.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Estee Lauder - Pure Color Lipstick- Beige
leeyao 4/1/2008 11:39:00 PM
One of my favorite fleshy nude lipsticks ever! Love the texture, feel, wear, and smell - like Juicy Fruit or something, lol. I have a ton of other nude lipsticks but this one's my go-to for that smoky eyes, nude lips look if I want a beige that's a bit mauve-y (for a nude that's a bit peachy, I prefer MAC Freckletone). For reference I'm NC35 (*update 2011: I'm now NC40 but still like this) with dark brown hair & eyes.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Deodorants -Fresh - Roll-on Sugar, Deodorant and Antiperspirant
leeyao 4/1/2008 11:31:00 PM
Sure, it's pricey, but it actually does what it's supposed to! No breakthrough sweaty pits, no mid-day odd, stale smell wafting up to my nose. Even when I wake up the next morning and go to the gym first thing, it still does its job! The lemongrass scent disappears after a few minutes, which is good to me since I prefer unscented anti-perspirants anyway. I don't know whether to hug or smack (hahaha) fellow MUAer Phitius for recommending this to me since it's $18 per container :) Love love LOVE it and will cry if they ever discontinue this, because I'll have to play "musical anti-perspirants" again at the drugstore!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -Stila - Blanc Palette
leeyao 2/9/2008 3:11:00 AM
I've never been a huge Stila fan except for the IPF, which is my HG powder foundation. However, after seeing this on Sephora's website & reading all the raves here, I caved and bought it. Everyone else has done a great job on describing this palette, so I just wanted to say that this is my FAVORITE palette ever! I'm a freelance BB MA, so I own a ton of BB palettes, and also own a lot of Nars palettes, but I don't think I've ever been so enamored with a palette as much as I am with Blanc! I'm always searching for the perfect palette to toss in my makeup bag for touchups, and this fits the bill. The textures of the e/s and blush are so silky and blendable, and the shades are unique even though they *look* dupeable. All the colors are gorgeous with my dark brown hair & eyes, and on my yellow-toned, NC35 skin (I'm sure when I bump up to NC40-42 in the summer it'll still be stunning). At $32, it's cheaper than most palettes I own, and DEFINITELY worth every penny!
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