Polishes -Sally Hansen - Xtreme Wear - Pacific Blue
makeupphd 9/7/2012 7:13:00 PM
Striking cobalt blue. I looked for a color like this for some time and was fooled by a few that looked like it in the bottle, but were off on the nail. It's just super opaque and almost neon, without being neon, and it has an undertone of purple under certain lighting which I really like. I use two coats and a top coat and it lasts about 3 days before starting to chip. It's not a very long lasting polish and when i start picking at my nails it very easily lifts, but if I can stop myself from messing w it, it lasts a whole week before looking totally raggedy (like most polishes I top off w a top coat of seche vite). If you've been on the hunt for a bright, true blue this is it!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Maybelline - Color Tattoo 24hr Cream Gel Shadow
makeupphd 9/3/2012 9:44:00 PM
I have this in tough as taupe, bad to the bronze and also the white shade and I like the first 2 the most. I like neutrals so no surprise there. I don't use these as shadows on their own, but as bases although they can be worn alone. My lids are very oily and I've tried the mac paint pots before which only gave me about 30 minutes before creasing, but these actually last about 4 hours before creasing on me - and even when they do, they still last all day without creasing as terribly as paint pots or other bases (i.e NYX jumbo pencils). I prefer to set a base (TFSI), apply the color tattoo as a wash on my lid, and then apply a similar colored shadow overtop. This makes the shadows pop more, for example, I wear mac's woodwinked over bad to the bronze, and chanel's safari over tough as taupe, and I love how they intensify and give depth to the colors. The only thing I don't love about these is their texture- it can be kind of thick once its on if you don't blend it out well and then shadows don't look smoothly applied, rather they look a bit gritty. I like this textured look sometimes, but most of the time I'm just careful to apply a thinly smoothed out layer before shadow. I'm also not as crazy about the white shade bc I don't gravitate to it as much since I use it as a base for colored shadows (which I don't wear often), and I notice the uneven texture on it most. Despite this note, I really like these a lot and think they are an amazing product, especially for the price. Highly recommended.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Ecotools - retractable kabuki
makeupphd 8/30/2012 7:53:00 PM
I love this brush so much that I bought two! I've read in some of the reviews that this tends to fall apart, but I've had mine for over a year and they have held up nicely, surviving regular spot cleanings and irregular deep cleanings. Guess I've gotten lucky - I also make sure to never let water or alcohol reach the base of the brush. I like it because it's super soft and it's great for travel. I don't like to carry other brushes in my bag because I'm afraid they'll lose their shape or get stuck in the zipper, etc. This brush is great for powder touch ups, which is what I mainly use it for, but I have also used it for mineral and liquid foundation application and blush application. It's not stellar in terms of blending blush, but it does the job in a bind. It's very affordable also. All in all, it's a really nice brush and I'd recommend it especially to oily girls who need powder touch ups during the day or for ladies who do their makeup on the run.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Chanel - Illusion D'Ombre - Illusoire
makeupphd 8/29/2012 2:54:00 PM
Expensive as a mother! but so worth the cost! This purple-grey gel-like shadow is GORGEOUS!!! It's got silvery flecks in it that give it extra ooomph, but I like wearing it in the daytime as a wash over the lid. The brush that comes with the shadow is pretty useful in building up the intensity of the color for night looks, but for daytime, I simply swatch it on w my finger and it's enough. It's great alone of with any taupe shades in the crease for a more complex look. AMAZING! Great for brown eyes especially.
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Pro Longwear Eye Shadow in Sweet Satisfaction
makeupphd 8/29/2012 2:46:00 PM
LOVE LOVE LOVE this shade! I love my NARS Cyprus shadow and this is like a lightened, more metallic version of it! You get so much product, so it's a great deal and the texture is like MAC's veluxe pearl shadows - buttery and easy to blend. This is beautiful! it can be kind of bright for daytime on its own all over the lid, but it's great for night or blended in the inner 1/2 of the lid w a less metallic shade on the outer half.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Garnier - Anti-Dark-Circle Eye Roller
makeupphd 8/29/2012 2:39:00 PM
I really like this little roller! I've been using it for about 2 weeks and I haven't seen any significant change in my moderate under-eye circles, but I like the level of coverage it provides and the idea that it might be doing st to help my under-eye area. I like wearing corrector and concealer and when I wear this I don't need the corrector. I have it in the medium/deep shade which is nowhere near deep, and it works great for my nc35-ish skin. I would definitely repurchase bc I like the idea of an additional treatment for my under-eyes now that I'm a little older and bc i can wear this alone for some coverage if i'm in a rush.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Revlon - PhotoReady Perfecting Primer (color 001)
makeupphd 8/29/2012 2:24:00 PM
Pricey for a drugstore product, but it works well. I have yet to find a primer I love, but this one is doing a fair job while I keep looking. Its oil-control isn't great , have yet to find one that is, but it really smooths out my skin and fills my pores, making application of foundation really easy. If you're used to thin primers, this one can feel initially heavy bc it's thicker. One pump is all I need for my entire face. One other issue I have w it is that bc it is initially mattifying, it seems to make my foundation show up lighter in coloring that it normally looks on my skin or on other primers. This is not a biggie for me bc I wear bronzer on top of my foundation, but others might want to keep it in mind.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Sephora - Microsmooth Foundation Powder
makeupphd 8/29/2012 2:12:00 PM
Excellent yellow-based powder. I came across this when I was looking for a replacement for my LM mineral foundation- it broke me out and I had to give it up even though it had a finish like no other! I tried MAC msf in medium plus and it was just not yellow enough for my skin tone. This powder fit the bill! I use it to set my liquid foundation and the color (medium 30) matches my NC35ish skin perfectly. it leaves a luminous finish, without shimmer! It doesn't do great w oil control however, so I still use my blotting powder from MAC midway through the day.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -NARS - Cyprus (Single Fall 2004)
makeupphd 8/29/2012 2:07:00 PM
beautiful sheer light-gold shade. I love Patina from Mac, but it takes too much work to build up. This shadow is not identical to patina, but it is a sheer version of it that glides on like butter. i like it as a warm highlight on my tan skin, or as an all over shade for an easy day look. it is expensive, but it's worth it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -NARS - 9951 Pleasures of Paris Palette
makeupphd 8/29/2012 2:00:00 PM
LOVE this palette! I'm really into Nars single shadows and I wanted to try a few more, so I decided to go for this palette bc it had a few I really wanted for an awesome value. I have lots of shadows also, so I didn't need the full size singles. The quality of these is excellent: smooth, easy to blend, and no fallout! My fave color is Fez, followed by cordura (I can easily wear these two together). And I love abyssinia and nepal as all over or highlighter shades. I don't wear the purple shades as much, but they are beautiful color mattes for brown eyes. This palette is great for travel and worth the money! I gave this palette 4 stars rather than 5 only bc I don't find myself reaching for it as often as I'd like to- partly bc I have too much shadow and also bc I'm not a fan of Nars packaging- the rubber material gets dirty easily and doesn't feel good in my hands, if that makes any sense to other ppl w sensory issues out there lol. In any case, this product is highly recommended for anyone who already loves NARS shadows or anyone who wants to try out a few for a really great price (considering how much the individuals cost).
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Chanel - Quadra Eye Shadow - 18 Kaska Beige
makeupphd 8/29/2012 1:30:00 PM
So expensive, so boring. I love it! LOL I've been wanting a Chanel quad for a while and I decided on kaska beige bc the colors looked so safe. When trying a new brand, especially such an expensive one, I prefer to try something safe, colors that I know I'm likely to use bc of the profession I'm in. I expected that my favorite color would be the medium golden-looking one, but it isn't. It's not really golden at all on my eye, just looks like my skin. The ones I love are the lightest and darkest shades- the lightest reminds me of my fave highlight (MAC's brule) and the dark shade is the perfect outer-v daytime definer (not too dark, not too cool toned for my complexion). Quality wise, these shadows are very smooth and buttery. They do tend to powder a bit, but unlike cheaply soft shadows that powder up, these dont go on blotchy or spotty - they blend like a dream! Overall, I am really happy w this product - it's my go-to professional day palette.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Urban Decay - YDK eyeshadow
makeupphd 8/29/2012 1:18:00 PM
I've tried both naked palettes from urban decay and swapped the 1st and returned the second. From naked1 I loved half-baked, but I rarely used the rest of the colors and from naked2 I loved YDK, but I hated the quality of the shadows. There was recently a sale on Hautelook and I got YDK bc I knew I'd use it here and there. The color is a beautiful cool taupe-y shade on me. The quality however, sucks! It's just like the palette form, lots of fallout!! ugh. I will used it bc its a lovely color, but I will be holding a napkin under my eyes when I do so I don't end up w sparkles all over my cheeks. I wouldn't repurchase at full price, but since I got it about 50% off, it was worth it.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -LORAC - exposed baked matte satin blush
makeupphd 5/26/2012 12:33:00 PM
This is such a pretty blush, i'm surprised there aren't more reviews! To me it is a peachy-pink blush w very fine shimmer (NOT glitter). I happen to own nars orgasm blush and when looking fro something comparable in my stash found that these two color appear somewhat similar. However, I find exposed to be much more beautiful on. In the pan, they look similar, but orgasm has the gold glitters that exposed doesn't have. On the skin, exposed wins by a long shot!! It's got way more pigmentation than orgasm and the particles of shimmer are much more fine providing a healthy looking glow. Really, it's as if exposed is what I expected orgasm would have been based on all the hype around it. The packaging is pretty sturdy, but I haven't had it for that long yet. I also like that the lid is clear so that I can see the color. I happen to have velvet rope, another shade in this line, and it is just as lovely in terms of pigmentation and quality. I've seen some swatches on light-skinned women and it looks to me as if it can be too pigmented on them, so a light hand is necessary for lighter skins. On my skin however, I think it looks amazing against my light tan (think NC35).
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -Laura Geller - Bronze-N-Brighten
makeupphd 5/26/2012 12:22:00 PM
I think this is my new favorite bronzer! I have the mini and the full size and I like them both, although they are slightly different. As I noticed in many reviews when I was researchign the product, the mini tends to have more brown in it and the regular size has more of an even mix of brown and pink. I don't mind this at all though- since i'm light tanned skin and get a bit darker in the summer, I'll use the mini then and save the regular (both in the regular shade) for the rest of the year when I'm lighter. The brown shade in this bronzer is my fave part about it- it seems to be a cooler brown that does not lean orange at all on my skin, so the color is very natural looking. This and the mix of the pink and highlight color lead to subtle warmth. It sorta reminds me of what I had hoped "warmth" from BE would have been (instead of the ugly mud color it turned out to be). Its a really subtle bronzer, really natural. I still like my bobbi brown matte bronzer for when i need a darker shade to contour, but if I had to choose between this and nars laguna (a comparable medium-shade shimmery bronzer), I'd go for LG BnB.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -NARS - Underworld Duo
makeupphd 5/26/2012 12:15:00 PM
Gorgeous duo! I have so many blues shadows from mac bc i've been trying to pull off a blue looks for the longest! but it just hasn't worked for my skin tone (olive nc-35ish). This duo allows be to create a beautiful blue smokey eye without having to put any thought into the colors. The silver shade is excellent matched with the deep blue and they work well with either shade in the crease or on the lid. I love my mac shadows, but have put all the blue ones (except for acquadisiac and prussian) aside bc this duo is so perfect! excellent pigmentation, easy to blend, and long lasting (over a primer). definitely a repurchase!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No