Eye Primer -Smashbox - Photo Finish Lid Primer
manini3 9/27/2012 4:54:00 PM
This lid primer works perfectly on me. I have fair/medium olive skin, and my eyelids are a sallow grey. This primer evens the skin tones on my lids and makes me look more awake. It is a yellow-based tone, which I imagine would look strange on someone who has cool/pink/purplish/blue undertones. For fair to dark skin with warmer undertones, it is absolutely perfect. I have tried Urban Decay and MUFE lid primers, and they do not compare in any way to this one. The packaging on this primer is particularly great. The doe foot applicator is the perfect way to get the product onto lids. My only complaint would be the high price per ounce of this product. It is ridiculously expensive. I wish Smashbox would make it in a jumbo size at a value price. That would solve the value problem for me.
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Cleansers -Clinique - Liquid Facial Soap - Mild
manini3 9/27/2012 4:48:00 PM
This might be my favorite skin care product of all time. This cleanser has kept my skin zit-free for 5 years. It is gentle, and has never dried my skin out, even as my skin ages. It says on the package that it doesn't remove makeup, but after I wash with this, there is never a trace of makeup on me. About a year ago I started using this in conjunction with the Clarisonic Mia. That is the true power couple - it has worked wonders on my skin.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -Clinique - Even better eyes dark circle corrector
manini3 9/27/2012 4:39:00 PM
After 6 weeks of use, my under eye circles actually got darker. I'm not sure how this could possibly happen, but it did. How did I know my under eye circles got darker? My concealer shade that I have been using for 8 years was suddenly too light, with or without the treatment worn underneath. I had to replace it with a darker shade.
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BB Cream -Smashbox - Camera Ready BB Cream SPF 35
manini3 9/27/2012 4:30:00 PM
This oxidized on my skin - I was a full shade darker by mid-morning - and I don't even have oily skin! The coverage and finish are fine, but I wouldn't sacrifice the integrity of shade for this. The packaging is not so great, given how expensive this product is. The little cap doesn't fit securely onto the tube, and the orifice is jagged and seems too small for the formula. I will be returning this.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Primer -Urban Decay - Eyeshadow Primer Potion - Original (UDPP)
manini3 9/18/2012 10:47:00 AM
Totally overrated. It creased on me. The original shade doesn't even show up on my olive skin tone. The Eden shade shows up, but looks chalky. I don't know why people love this so much. The Smashbox primer is far superior.
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Lipstick -Clinique - Chubby Stick (all shades)
manini3 5/24/2012 11:08:00 AM
I have these in a few of the new shades (Mighty Mimosa, Pudgy Peony, and Oversized Orange). I love the texture and packaging. I love two of the three shades I purchased - I will be exchanging Mighty Mimosa as it looked too orangey on my fair olive skin tone. The Oversized Orange was perfect, however, and the Pudgy Peony is a super wearable hot pink. That is probably the best shade. I would like to get Bashful Blush - I tried it on it store and it was the perfect nude on me. Would be great with a smoky eye.
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Moisturizers -Kiehls - Ultra Facial Cream
manini3 11/18/2011 11:28:00 AM
For the price, this is totally worth it. It is very moisturizing and hasn't caused any breakouts. It has a really nice texture and a little goes a long way. It costs about $23 USD for 50ml, which is not much more than a cheaper drugstore brand. It has some nice ingredients in it that bind moisture to the skin. I layer it over Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus anti-aging serum and my skin looks great. FYI, this cream does not contain sunscreen so you need to add that. I use Clinique City Block Sheer SPF 25 on top of this cream. EDIT: After a few weeks of using this, I started to break out. I switched back to Clinique Youth Surge moisturizer.
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Crème -Chantecaille - Future Skin
manini3 11/18/2011 11:19:00 AM
This is my GT foundation. I used it for my wedding 9 years ago, they have since reformulated it without SPF, and it is still really great. You need very little of this formula - it goes a really long way. If you put too much on, it forms a thick layer over your skin. If you blend a pea-sized amount with a good foundation brush (I use Chanel #6), you get the most perfect, radiant finish. My skin looks flawless when I wear this foundation.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Chanel - Les 4 Ombres - 33 Prelude
manini3 11/18/2011 11:14:00 AM
I have been using this quad in Prelude for about 3 months, and I haven't gotten bored of it yet. The formula is pigmented enough to use alone without a lid primer. I use it both ways - with the Smashbox Shadow Primer, or alone. All 4 of these colors are extremely wearable, so you won't run out of one that you use more than the others, which is hard to do in a quad. This palette also has enough range to go from day to night very easily. The darkest shade can be quite dramatic on its own, or rather soft as a liner paired with the other shades. I use the sponge applicators that the compact came with. They are fluffier than most applicators, and even though they look sort of cheap, they totally work and I am happy with them. FYI, I have a warm undertone, moderately fair olive complexion and light brown eyes. But I could see this quad looking really pretty on someone with blue or green eyes too.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Chanel - Vitalumiere
manini3 10/28/2011 4:09:00 PM
It took me awhile to fall in love with this foundation. At first I thought it was greasy, and almost returned it. Then I figured out that the skincare you wear underneath makes all the difference in how the makeup wears. I wear a lightweight serum and an SPF moisturizer. If I don't moisturize properly before I wear Vitalumiere, it can look flaky on my combination skin. It took a few tries, but now I think I have this equation figured out. UPDATE: After a few weeks of using this, I started to break out!! I never break out, I have dry skin, but some ingredient in this foundation (probably the fragrance), caused me to get pimples. I am not happy about this at all, and have since switched to Chantecaille Future Skin foundation.
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Lip Treatments -Maybelline - Baby Lips lip balm
manini3 10/28/2011 4:06:00 PM
The clear versions are definitely the best. They feel super comfortable on my lips, and are really moisturizing. I bought a few of the tinted versions as well, and the colors are too strong for a lip balm, and just too bright vs. what I expected them to be. The peach shade is pretty. Going forward, I'll only be getting them in clear.
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Lips -NYX - Soft Matte Lip Cream
manini3 10/28/2011 4:05:00 PM
I was so excited about this Lip Cream after reading about it in a magazine. I purchased it in Addis Ababa, Stockholm, and Toyko. After just a couple of days of using it, my lips were chapped and dry. I had to use Carmex to get rid of the chapping, and was most annoyed. The colors are really lovely, but the formula is just awful. I got these on sale for $4, so at least they have the low price going for them.
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