Concealers -Estee Lauder - Double Wear Stay-in-Place Concealer 
madnicole 12/9/2010 8:42:00 AM
Ok - so I love love love this concealer however there are some positives and negatives to it… Pros - Best concealer I have ever used to cover dark circles or blemishes (and I have used Cle de Peau, Giorgio Armani, many MAC, all Lancome, MUFE etc). It stays all day, doesn't crease under eyes (yes really!), covers easily, very pigmented, covers blemishes as well as under eyes (not many do both), good colour range, great consistency… Cons - OXIDISES! Couldn't believe it, I love this concealer, and when worn with foundation is perfect, when worn on bare skin it turns a lovely shade of orange 5 minutes after applying it!!! Can be slightly drying, however I always use eye cream under it so have never really had a problem. So, due to the oxidisation, I now only use it when wearing foundation, and use something else (MUFE lift, Cle de Peau or Benefit Erase Paste) when more bare faced….I do still love it because it covers better, with less product, less creasing and less fading than any other concealer I have tried...
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Foundations -Unlisted Brand - Lucy Minerals Foundation
madnicole 12/8/2010 11:24:00 AM
I am not generally a fan of mineral makeup - I have tried most and always find the coverage to powdery or cakey...however I love this! It is a super creamy formula and you do need to use a light hand, but it leaves a flawless finish, lasts well and does not oxidise (pet hate!). I do think for best results you need to lightly use a finishing powder (as with almost all foundations in my opinion - with the exception of MUFE Matte and other matte finish foundations). I use the one by Lucy Minerals which is perfect with this, however any others will do - I have used Mac prep and prime and MUFE HD and they are both fine. I can't see how you can use the oil control formula (if you are obviously oily) and not expect to use a powder to set? Once on, this behaves just like a liquid foundation - you can use cream blush or highlighters etc until you have set it with powder. You can even use a damp beauty blender lightly over it for an even more airbrushed finish… Aside from being fantastic looking on the skin, the ingredients in this are amazing quality and beneficial so I can't recommend this highly enough! It's also quick and easy to apply. I use light-medium which is perfect for my MUFE HD 120 - 125, MAC NC 20-25, Mac face & body C3 (In summer) Giorgio Armani 4.5-5.5 face…
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Lipstick -Yves Saint Laurent - ROUGE PUR COUTURE
madnicole 11/12/2010 3:22:00 AM
I love lipstick….particularly nude lipsticks, and colourwise #5 & 6 are among the best nude lipsticks I own (and I own a few!). Not nude enough to be concealer lips, but not dark enough to be 'blah', also a good balance of peach & pink, especially #6. I have some Rouge Pur, and some Rouge Volupte, however I much prefer my new Couture lipsticks, as they are still creamy and hydrating but don't slide off the lips like the Voluptes, and have better pigmentation that the Pur (for the nudey type shades at least!). I apply a little lip balm when starting to do my makeup, but blot it off after about 15 minutes (or whenever I am up to lipstick application!). I use liner and colour in the lips lightly, and this way I find my Rouge Couture will stay a seriously long time - about 7 hours today - through coffee etc…..Even after that time, there was still a 'stain' on my lips, but no drying out either. I am not sure how evenly a red red colour would fade, and what type of staining would be left, but it is very very very unusual for a nude to last any more than 4 hours on me unless it is a really matte (in which case my lips are begging to be freed from their drying prison after 7 hours!) So, in short, highly recommend these lipsticks and will be going back to get more and more, although at Australia $55 each, it won't be terribly quickly!
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Cleansers -Eve Lom - Cleanser
madnicole 8/26/2010 9:22:00 AM
OMG, this cleanser if horrific! I got sucked into the hype and decided I had to try it. I have quite dry skin (in my late 30's), and sometimes get mild rosacea patches, and dry flakiness around my chin and nose. I do get occasional pimples, usually only hormonal and quite minimally. I knew this product would be quite heavy and 'oily' however given the dryness of my skin, I figured I was a good candidate. I used this cleanser exactly as described (and I really liked the process of massage and removing with muslin cloth (although can't see how extremes of hot and cold water can be any good for the delicate skin of the face, since skin prefers tepid temperatures). After using for one week, I noticed increased breakouts, however as I still liked the feel of my skin after cleansing, I ignored them. After 2 weeks, I had 4 x HUGE cystic pimples, and what looked like a rash down both cheeks, but it was just pimples and absolutely amazing congestion. I have reverted to my previous cleanser and after 2 weeks it is finally looking a little better (although I won't be going bare faced for a while!). I have spent 10 minutes a day over the last week, removing the accumulated blackheads (which have increased 10 tenfold since starting the Eve Lom cleanser). Just before stopping use, I finally checked the ingredients (and will never leave it that long to look at ingredients again - I just trusted the opinion of the consultations at Mecca Cosmetica (which sell Eve Lom in Australia). It is just mineral oil and lanolin, with a very small smattering of a very essential oils as a token gesture. Mineral oil and lanolin are both terrible for the skin, and are both highly congesting and cheap 'filler' ingredients. I cannot believe that any reputable facialist could consider creating a product that is so badly made - there are no ingredients that are beneficial to the skin at all! And further more I cannot believe that people are still buying this - but I guess I got sucked in, so I am sure many others will be as well - hopefully a few will read this first!
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No