Sunscreen -La Roche Posay - Anthelios SPF 30 AC Fluid Extreme 
lifeisaparadox 3/26/2013 6:26:00 AM
amazing! very matte on your skin unlike most if not all SS that causes that oily look. doesn't have a hindering ugly smell and in pics, the white cast is barely noticeable for me! overall, good product. i live in the desert and sun screen is an absolute MUST as the sun is always blazing away. after i started using this, i noticed my skin tanned a lot less and was also just overall healthier and glowier. i like it tons! i have sensitive skin and A LOT of sunscreen has just given me horrible break outs. this has not! will repurchase.
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Mascara -Maybelline - The Rocket Volume Express
lifeisaparadox 3/23/2013 6:53:00 PM
I prefer brushes that are not plastic/rubbery or big like this one (which is why I never purchased CG's LB despite the raving reviews). However I found that after about a week of using it, it's very nice and could possibly be my new HG mascara. Note: I am Asian and have the typical stubby/short (almost invisible!) lashes. Also, my current HG is Maybelline's Colossal. With that said... Pros: - Lengthens amazingly, moreso than my HG - Easier to take off than my HG - Voluminizes just the same (but it takes more coats) - No awful/awkward smell. Cons: - Big brush. For my small lashes, I find that it gets on my eyes easily - Works best after it's dried out a weeeee bit (had to wait for about 1-2 weeks before I liked it) - Irritates my eyes a little bit. It will burn initially, but my eyes quickly get over it. - I get more volume w/ my HG (but is also a pro because I use this for my casual days) I will wait to see how it is as the formula gets a little more dry. As of now, I have been using it more than my HG because it is more natural-esque in terms of volume. So far I like it! Will repurchase.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Blistex - Herbal Answer Lip Balm
lifeisaparadox 1/27/2013 7:39:00 PM
My go-to lip balm for any time of the day, month, or year. It's very moisturizing and does not cause my lips to peel or dry out like other products (the medicated Blistex, Burt's Bees, etc.) thankfully! On top of that, it has a very refreshing lemon-y/tea smell that I love! My only complaint is that it is difficult to find in my city, even in my local pharmacies that sell every other lip balm!
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BB Cream -Skin79 - Super+ BB Cream Gold Label
lifeisaparadox 1/27/2013 7:35:00 PM
I would rate this 4.5/5 if I could. It is an almost near perfect product for me! But not quite THE perfect product. I'm a NC30-35. I was wary on buying this because many have said that this works best with those NC20-25, and being NC30 or darker will be "pushing" it. However, I found that it oxidized very quickly (~15 mins) on my skin and made my skin look refreshingly bright. Thankfully it was NOT that unnatural bright look people get from using foundations too light for their shade, but rather a glow. The grey cast works well on neutralizing the yellow and red undertones of my skin! I love this, as I've had a problem with a red face all my life and it can get embarrassing when people say I'm red as a tomato for just laughing a bit. Coverage is ACE for me! I've tried other bb creams and this is a very light coverage, something I prefer. It does not look like you have something caked on your face and it looks VERY natural, yet it conceals your pores and little flaws. Light coverage, but very buildable. I use extra bb cream and concealer in areas that need additional concealing. Other benefits, such as SPF, has gotten me loving this as well. The only con I can see about this product is the fact that this is NOT made for dry/combination skin. I read on the official website chart that the Gold fits dry/combo skin... it does NOT. I must moisturize thoroughly before putting it on (as I do with everything). I also feel my skin getting tight and it feels dry after applying this product on. Unlike other reviewers, I DO feel like there is something on my face despite the light coverage it gives. I also have to blot my t-bone and forehead every several hours, which I normally don't have to do if I do not wear any face make-up. However this isn't much of a complaint since the pros outweigh the cons. I just wish it was more moisturizing and did not seemingly dry out my skin. Overall, very worth it!! The only thing buyers must be wary of is counterfeit products, especially on eBay! The official website might be a little pricey but guarantees authenticity whereas eBay sellers do not. Do research before buying it elsewhere for cheap!
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Mascara -Maybelline - Full 'N Soft Mascara Waterproof
lifeisaparadox 1/21/2013 11:38:00 AM
I LOVE THIS PRODUCT! At least, I wish I do!!! It makes my short stubby Asian lashes look beautiful -- and trust me, it takes a miracle product for it to even look like I have lashes! It's meant to give the user a very au naturale look while subtly enhancing your lashes. It both volumizes and lengthens. I loved using it. Loved. I am SO sad to say I docked off 2 lippies from what could be my HG mascara because, despite its "waterprooof" title, SMUDGES ON ME SOOOOO MUCH! I layer it twice, maybe three times -- the same about I would layer my NOW HG mascara Colossal -- so maybe that's a layer too much. But I tried layering it once and it still smudged. If Maybelline made this truly waterproof, this would 110% be my HG mascara for every day use. Perhaps others will have better luck with it!
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Mascara -Maybelline - Great Lash Mascara
lifeisaparadox 1/21/2013 11:33:00 AM
I have short, stubby asian lashes. I know nothing can give me miracle lashes but this mascara gives me NOTHING. Bought it on whim and it gives me neither length nor volume and smudges on me quite easily. I have better luck using Maybelline's newer products for volume/length such as Colossal which is my HG. Not purchasing again!!
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BB Cream -Christian Dior - Hydra Life BB Creme
lifeisaparadox 1/21/2013 11:10:00 AM
I was looking for bb creams with a sales lady recommended me this. Looking online, I see pretty decent reviews, so I let her put it on my clean face and went along with my day. Let's start with pros: - GREAT color for my skin. I'm about a NC 30-35 (30 now that its winter), and even though this is a one-size-fits-all color, it was absolutely a match for my skin. - Looked good on my skin & filled up my pores CONS: - Definitely looked great on me and gave me a flawless finish BUT this only lasted like 4 hours before my face looked like it was dumped in oil! - Too high coverage for me. I usually hate the "cake-face/foundation" look and this definitely had it. - By 6 hours of wear, it looked like it was flaking off of my skin..? It looked so perfect just 5 hours earlier!! - Too yellow for my liking and did not seem to neutralize my redness as much as I hoped The sales lady told me this was very good for dry skin as it moisturizers while covers. I know that's what bb creams do, and this did make me feel skin moisturized, but within hours of wearing, it also made my skin look/feel like it was dipped in oil. I've never felt my skin reach that level of oily! Overall, for the price, I am NOT willing to buy a bottle to take home and continue trying it. The high coverage was the least of my worries for this product. If it had stayed on well, I would have considered purchasing this despite the high coverage (I am looking for light/med coverage).
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Scrubs -Aveeno - Skin Brightening Daily Scrub
lifeisaparadox 1/21/2013 11:00:00 AM
Love this product. The smell after washing it off my face makes me feel refreshed and ready for a new day in the morning! The beads are so tiny and gentle that it is great for my sensitive dry/combo skin. I have found it works better in the summers, as winter tends to seriously dry out my skin, so I just use this less. St. Ive's used to be my HG exfoliating wash but I realized the beads were way too harsh on my sensitive skin, so now this is my HG product. Good for the price too! One little bottle has lasted me over a year at this point with almost daily use. The only downside is I do not really see a "brightening" effect as its name claims like other reviewers have!
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Lip Treatments -Maybelline - Baby Lips lip balm
lifeisaparadox 4/17/2012 9:22:00 PM
Cute in both packaging, color, and smell. However, it definitely does not provide the moisture my lips wants. The drug store lip balm that I buy for a cheaper price works better! Edit: Have kept it around and I find that every single time I use this product, my lips get super dry and start peeling shortly after use! It got worse and worse the more I kept using.
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Eye Shadow -Studio Gear - Eye shadow
lifeisaparadox 6/21/2011 9:38:00 AM
Got this on a nice sale and I really wanted a glittery shimmer. I have to admit, application is easy, this isn't TOO shimmery but not too faded, and it's lovely over any color shadow I put on. However, it seems that my shimmer fades faster than anything else, thus me giving it a 3/5. I have oily lids, but everything else will last longer than my shimmer. I shall experiment more and try to see if I can make it last longer! As for now though, not repurchasing it. I wish it stayed because I lalaLOVE the effect it adds.
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Lip Treatments -eos - Lip Balm Sphere - Sweet Mint
lifeisaparadox 6/20/2011 6:44:00 PM
EOS lip balm was my HG lip balm but i've come to form some type of allergic reaction to it? Sweet Mint is my favorite color so I thought I'd try it out and I absolutely LOVED it at first. However, the reaction started kicking in, and yeah, it went downhill after that. However, this is my 2nd buy. My first one, there was no reaction, and it worked GREAT. Refreshes and moisturizes my lips and it lasts a long time. On top of that, the packaging makes it ADORABLE and easy to find in a messy purse like mine! The flavors are all great, but I prefer Sweet Mint (I love minty lip balms & the color is my favorite<3) and I also like Summer Fruit. I would most definitely rebuy this, as it was the best lip balm I've used, if I hadnt develop an allergic reaction to it.
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Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express The Colossal
lifeisaparadox 6/12/2011 6:28:00 AM
Up front: I have straight, short, stubby Asian lashes that seem virtually invisible without mascara. BUT, right now, this is my HG mascara. Waterproof is 7x volume and the regular is 9x. I use the waterproof, so it's only 7x. Never tried 9x. I can only speak for the waterproof version when I say it doesn't smudge, budge, flake, or kill my curl! On most days, I /only/ wear mascara out for a more natural look. With one sweep, this mascara gives me a natural long lash look! Sometimes I do two to fix mishaps, but yes, I do get compliments on how nice my lashes look on these "no make-up days" (people say it looks natural unless you STARE hard at my lashes). On days where I feel like prettying up and spending time on myself, ~4 sweeps will do for a more extreme and dramatic outcome. It's lovely! I've been asked if I was wearing false lashes when I've done that. On top of that, NO CLUMPS! Yes, even with 4+ layers, clumps stay minimal and virtually unnoticeable! Of course if you layer it a lot, clumps are bound to happen... but yeah. Lashes stay separate and voluminized! For lengthening, I'd say it does a pretty good job. My normal lashes are short straight and stubby, but with an eyelash curler + this, I might as well be wearing fake lashes. Ahh, now the pricing is really lovely. I've found these as low as $5, which is great because one tube lasts me quite a while. The smell? COMPLETELY gone by the time it's on your lashes and dried. tl;dr For the price and how long it lasts, this mascara is great for an everyday, pretty natural look (one or two sweeps). Now, if you want something a little more dramatic, just add on - NO CLUMPS! Definitely am repurchasing this and keeping this my HG unless I come across a better and perhaps /cheaper/ alternative!
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Eye Shadow -Revlon - Colorstay 12-Hour Eyeshadow Quad Sultry Smoke
lifeisaparadox 6/12/2011 6:09:00 AM
My first time doing smokey eye, I used this. Underneath it, I put UDPP and it stayed on 12+ hours and looked pretty much like how I had it 12 hours before. :) The color is great, though you really have to take your time and layer it over and over to get it vibrant (even with UDPP which supposedly adds vibrancy on colors). However, I like my eyeshadow subtle and not too dramatic or vibrant, thus I think this purchase was not a bad one! However, I rated it a 4/5 because I sometimes use the black eyeshadow part to set my eyeliner... and it works amazingly well with that too. But sometimes, when I'm in a rush, I would have a thin layer of black eyeshadow in replacement of the gel liner I use (where I have to warm it up, be precise, blahblahblah). With that thin layer of black eyeshadow + UDPP, it smudges within ~2-3 hours. Basically, it's only good when you really layer it enough to have it caked on or else it smudges for me!
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Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express The Falsies
lifeisaparadox 6/8/2011 4:56:00 AM
Not my HG but definitely worth the purchase. It was my first mascara purchase by Maybelline and I layered it with Clinique's high impact and I got major compliments that day. I was actually expecting a lot more from the mascara by itself, but it was only when I layered it when my lashes were noticeable. I have thin, straight, and short Asian lashes that are almost non-existent without mascara. With falsies alone, I got a very natural look and with it layered I had a dramatic 'falsies' effect moreso. I would definitely purchase this again if I can't find anything else better because I am still on the search for a true HG mascara!
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Eye Primer -Urban Decay - Eyeshadow Primer Potion - Original (UDPP)
lifeisaparadox 6/8/2011 4:49:00 AM
EDIT: Okay after a month of using it i find that my eyes are irritated and stinging from this product. Check out the ingredients or try a sample before spending your money on this! Apparently, after some research, I found that many others are running into the same issue. Its $19 I cant get back for something i barely used. Keeps my eye make-up in place. I rarely ever wear eyeshadow, but when I do, it's amazing how still it stays after 7+ hours of wear after using UDPP! I can sweat, get an oily face, but my eye make up would stay almost perfect. Just a few touch ups every now and then, but nothing noticeable whatsoever! However, I rated it 4/5 instead of 5/5 not because of the few touch ups, but because it doesn't work for my eyeliner. I know people say this is for eyeshadow, but some people who use this primer also use it for JUST e/l and have it stay perfectly. Unfortunately, for me, I need to layer UDPP with eyeshadow in order for it to stay!! Still, I would definitely repurchase when I run out!
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