Polishes -Julep - Nail Polishes
magucken 3/17/2012 3:04:00 AM
I received a Julep box for a 1¢ promotion. In it were two nail polishes, Emma (very sheer, micro glitter) and Kelly (creme), and a tube of Facial for Hands Glycolic Hand Scrub. While the color of Kelly, for example, is in itself rather pretty (a very light apricot in a white base), the formula of the polish is truly terrible. It is not that it is not pigmented, it just seems weirdly watered down, leaving you with terrible streaks which only subside after the 3rd coat. As for staying power, I had serious chipping and tip wear before the day was over. Call me old fashioned, but I like my manicure to last for more than 24 hours. The design of the bottle is different from just about every other brand out there, and there is good reason no other brand chooses this design. I constantly feared tipping over the tall and narrow bottle, which is reminiscent of a lipgloss, when dipping the brush back into it for more polish. Perhaps the reason for the design of the bottle is the fact that at first glance there may seem more product in the bottle than there actually is, i.e. you are lead to believe that you receive a regular size bottle of polish, which is around .5 fl oz (15 ml), when in fact you are receiving a mere .27 fl oz (~7.9 ml). Which brings me to my main gripe. The regular price for one Julep polish (of above mentioned half size) is $14. Now, nothing about this nail polish remotely warrants its ridiculously overpriced tag. For comparison: a bottle of OPI sells for about 12.50, Essie and Zoya (still the BEST) run around $8 - for a FULL size of .5 fl oz, that is. Even a bottle of Chanel polish is cheaper at $ 24 per .5 fl oz. When you become a Julep Maven (pfftt...) you are subscribing to a monthly box of two polishes (the colors are chosen depending on your 'style' for which you make take the Maven Quiz) and one extra nail/skin care product for $19, incl. shipping. This brings down the price per item, but you're still left with sub par polish... Finally, to cancel your 'Maven'-ry you must call Julep's customer service. I don't like to call customer service, for various reasons - one being that I do want my phone number to remain private and another, more important being that I like to have a written documentation of certain things. Anyway, I managed to cancel my account after a handful of emails back and forth with one snide CS rep who was neither helpful nor friendly. Bottom line: Nice colors - BUT: Overpriced, crappy formula, crappy CS For 1¢, I feel I got my money's worth.... Save your money!
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Hair -Wen by Chaz Dean - Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner
magucken 1/23/2012 3:23:00 PM
My hair is straight with fine texture. This 'Cleansing Conditioner' does nothing for my hair, other than weigh it down and leave a slightly sticky, almost a bit greasy residual film on it. Sure, my hair is no longer dry; but neither will it be if I slap on any ol' conditioner or oil and call it a day. Neither one winds up in a good look if your hair is remotely fine, or otherwise, not coarse and/or very frizzy. (I can only assume that it does indeed work for such hair textures; how else could I explain all the satisfied customers?!) Wen is everywhere at the moment, all the hype, thanks to clever marketing, celebrity endorsements, and shopping channel appearances of Chaz Dean (ew.) (Frankly, I had not heard of him prior to Bravo's Flipping Out, but then again I do live under a rock...). So is this Wen a new revelation? Or is it all hype and marketing like all the mineral makeup stuff, which is really like any other foundation, in powder form, with no discernible benefits or anything 'new' for your skin, other than the mineral SPF in form of Titanium Dioxide and Zinc - all of which can be found in many ole other products, for a fraction of the price. Nor is it any good if your skin is dry-ish. But I digress... This product is a base of water and glycerin with all kinds of extracts added, none of which warrant the price. Glycerin is a basic humectant, which can be found in every supermarket drug aisle, for a couple of bucks. It's been known for its moisture-binding properties for ages - so nothing new or revolutionary there. It is also known to be beneficial for dry, coarse hair (think African American hair) - so nothing new here either. The smell is nice, what with all the 'fancy' (but pointless - look it up) extracts. And I am sure it works well somehow for other hair textures; but if your hair is fine and most of your other hair products have descriptions along the lines of 'Volumizing'-something, then this is definitely not the product for you! I use my left-over product now on the back of my hands to protect them before doing the washing-up after dinner. Does a nice job at that...
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Other -Unlisted Brand - Birchbox
magucken 1/22/2012 5:00:00 PM
I love my Birchbox. After all the hype about the December MyGlam bag, their January bag was a disaster on so many levels. Bottom line, just unprofessional. In comparison, the Birchbox looks just very professional and nice. In the end, it is what it is - a sampling service. And thus the point kind of IS to introduce new or niche brands that you haven't heard of. I received, for example in January a 40ml serum (value around $40) of a brand I didn't know before and which I love and will buy. Another example is a half-size Zoya nail polish (valued ~$4) in a shade that probably wouldn't have been my first choice, but I find it super and will try similar shades. One thing to remember is to make sure to give feedback, not at least for the approx. 10 bucks worth of points with which you can shop at their site. This makes the $10 a month incl. priority shipping very much worth the while, in my view.
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Concealers -Sheer Cover - Concealer
magucken 1/22/2012 4:44:00 PM
This concealer is amazingly smooth and slick. It slides on and blends very easily. Which seems like a good thing at first glance. The coverage is moderate. Thing is, though, that it keeps sliding - right into your fine lines. The fact that it doesn't really settle, even when set with powder, makes this a flop.
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BB Cream -Skin79 - Super+ BB Cream Pink Label
magucken 1/22/2012 4:31:00 PM
I love this product. It provides moderate to full coverage, doesn't settle in pores or line, and it evens out my very fair skin tone without making it look pink or orange. It has an SPF of 25, has a nice clean scent to it.... What more could you want? The color is probably more suitable for lighter skin tones. If you're unsure, there are a couple of nice YT videos out there comparing the different brands of BB creams and their respective shades, e.g. by Jen from frmheadtotoe and BentleyBlonde. Prices seem to vary quite a bit, depending on where you buy. I bought it through Amazon for under $20 incl. shipping. I am sure I will buy this again, and I can recommend you give it a try.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Pressed Powders -E.L.F. - Complexion Perfection
magucken 1/22/2012 4:16:00 PM
To use the individual colors of this powder to correct any slight discoloration, it is much too sheer. And to use it as an overall finishing powder, swirling all color together, it is much too chalky. It does a good job mattifying the skin, though... and settling in every crevice in the process. Not a flattering look.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Revlon - Matte Eyeshadow - Venetian Blue (0050)
magucken 1/18/2012 12:29:00 PM
Great quality for a great price. I love those matte shadows and want them in every color available! Fantastic pigmentation; I love it paired with bronze-y colors for a very wearable ocean/beach look.
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Eye Shadow -Revlon - Matte eyeshadow
magucken 1/18/2012 12:27:00 PM
Great quality for a great price. I love those matte shadows and want them in every color available!
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Eye Shadow -Revlon - Matte Eyeshadow Aubergine
magucken 1/18/2012 12:26:00 PM
Great quality for a great price. I love those matte shadows and want them in every color available! This one has a fairly good pigmentation, it's buildable, and the color is a very wearable dark purple - hence the name Aubergine... ;)
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Eye Shadow -Revlon - Matte Shadow - Pink Innocence (003)
magucken 1/18/2012 12:19:00 PM
Great quality for a great price. I love those matte shadows and want them in every color available! The lighter colors, like Pink Innocence, Peach Sorbet, Vintage Lace, are not as deeply pigmented as the darker shades; they provide more of a wash of color, which makes them great for matte highlighting without looking chalky.
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Eye Shadow -Revlon - Matte eyeshadow in Peach Sorbet
magucken 1/18/2012 12:16:00 PM
Great quality for a great price. I love those matte shadows and want them in every color available!
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Eye Shadow -Revlon - Matte Eyeshadow in Vintage Lace
magucken 1/18/2012 12:14:00 PM
Great quality for a great price. I love those matte shadows and want them in every color available!
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Masks -Freeman - Facial Peel-Off Mask Cucumber
magucken 1/18/2012 12:06:00 PM
I love peel-off masks, but this one is a joke. I received it as a full-size sample from MyGlam (which is another review altogether... oy veh!). It smells nice enough, not offensive, but not great either. The directions tell you to apply and wait for 5-10 minutes before peeling off. Well, after twenty minutes the thinly applied mask is still gooey, leaving you with the choice of either having to wash it off or rub/scratch it off. The effect on the skin? Well, it does leave a hint of its scent on the skin. And that's it. Bottom line: For the price, this drugstore mask could be a fun addition to a girls' beauty party if you didn't expect any effect on your skin whatsoever; if only it dried properly and faster.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No