Concealers -BeneFit Cosmetics - Erase paste
mantharay27 8/10/2012 4:46:00 PM
I purchased a mini jar of this for $10 at ULTA the other day (I found it in their last minute beauty buys section). I figured I didn't have a lot to lose for $10, since the nearest ULTA is quite a distance away and returns would be difficult. The only shade they had was Medium, but it was more or less a match so it was fine. It's a little light on me, but since I use it under my eyes, it's no big deal. The consistency of this concealer is very thick and creamy. It's very high coverage and a little goes a long way. I tap my ring finger in it before tapping it under my eyes and gently blending it out. I feel like using a brush would apply too much product. Because of the high coverage, it can look a little cakey if too much is applied. My main concern with this product is that it is very difficult to set. It's very creamy and rich but it seems to remain a bit slick and wet the whole time. It does set a little once it's blended, though. When I go over it with a powder in a small angled flat top brush, it tends to look fake and cakey. I have a lot of bumps on my skin, and it definitely accentuates it. Overall, despite the fact that I love the great coverage, it settles into the crease I have under my eye. The color is great and brightening, but the lasting power isn't so great. I don't have extremely dark circles, but by the end of the day, there definitely isn't much left. I won't purchase it again because I'm on the hunt for my HG concealer, but I'm glad I tried this one out and I'll definitely use the whole thing.
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Concealers -L'Oreal - True Match Super-Blendable Concealer
mantharay27 8/3/2012 5:10:00 PM
I have this product in warm light medium, or W4-5. I originally bought it in neutral light medium, but it was way too dark for me. I don't have warm skin, but it's a pretty close match so I let it slide. Of all the concealers I've tried, this might be one of my favorites, but I've yet to find a concealer that really wows me, anyway. This concealer has a really natural skin-like finish, which I like because I don't wear foundation. It's not overly shiny or matte, just somewhere in the middle. The coverage is light to medium, and I could probably build it up if the undertone weren't so orange. I find that the coverage is better if I let it sit on my skin a little before blending it in. I only really use this under my eyes because I don't get many break outs, and if I do I'd rather let them breathe. It doesn't crease at all, which is nice. However, I find that it just mysteriously disappears sometime during the day. Unlike other 'disappearing' concealers, it doesn't look any worse than I started out, which is nice, but I'd rather it last all day. I do set it with a powder and have tried many different techniques, including using eye primer under it, but nothing seems to work. Also, the packaging really irks me because while it looks good at first, the product has a tendency to kind of 'squelch' out of the sides... it's hard to explain, but closing the cap basically makes a mess. However, I do like the brush-like applicator instead of the doe foot. Overall, I have mixed feelings about this. I wish I could love it, but I'm too low maintenance to want to think about reapplying my makeup.
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Moisturizers -Clinique - Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion
mantharay27 8/3/2012 5:04:00 PM
I'm writing this review based on one night's experience, because that's pretty much all it took for my skin to react to this. I went on vacation to my cousin's house and forgot to bring moisturizer. I heard so many great things about this one and figured Clinique is supposed to be geared toward sensitive skin, so I tried it out. Within an hour or two, my face felt strange. I can't really describe it, but it was kind of itchy, hot, and just felt irritated. The next day, I woke up and my face was burning. It was extremely itchy. I don't have sensitive skin and rarely break out. The reaction isn't what I'd call a break out. It looked like a bunch of red bumps all over my face so that I looked a little swollen, but it wasn't extremely noticeable from a distance. I just looked kind of ruddy and puffy. I can't say much about how well it moisturized or anything, but I do know this gave me a pretty bad allergic reaction. I don't know what ingredient caused it, but I know that I'm definitely not buying this product now!
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Cleansers -Cerave - Hydrating Cleanser
mantharay27 8/3/2012 5:00:00 PM
I bought this cleanser because I absolutely adore the CeraVe moisturizing cream. I figured it couldn't hurt because the ingredients just seem like they won't hurt. A lot of people complained that it left behind a bit of a film, but I figured that was fine. So I purchased it and took it to a 3 week camp thing I had to test out the results. My biggest complaint with this facial cleanser is that it just doesn't clean my face well enough. I know sometimes you can't tell whether it's cleaning your face or not, but the fact that it couldn't remove even the most washable of my eyeshadows disappointed me. Generally speaking, the only makeup I ever have a hard time removing is mascara. But then I figured I'd keep trying it (I didn't have anything else, anyway) and I noticed my skin just kept going downhill. I have pretty good skin and really only break out because of hormones or if something I'm using is bad, such as this facial cleanser. It wasn't like I had a crazy overnight reaction, it's just that I started breaking out in places I normally didn't break out and got a bunch of weird bumps all over my face. So I figured my face just wasn't getting cleaned enough, toughed out the last few days, and brought it home as a morning cleanser. I must say, I love this in the morning because it doesn't strip my face of moisture and just removes excess oil. I'd really like to love this because it leaves my skin balanced, but it just doesn't clean well enough to be the only cleanser I rely on. I won't buy it again, but I can use it up.
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Pressed Powders -Maybelline - Dream Matte Pressed Powder
mantharay27 6/19/2012 8:12:00 PM
I bought two of these because of the first one shattered, but I'm not sure if I'll buy again. I said yes, anyway, haha. It has a very matte finish just as it claims. It has little to no coverage, which I figured out when I realized I had bought the lightest shade the first time and the second darkest the second time and they looked exactly the same on my skin haha. It doesn't control oil for me, though. This is the kind of powder that I have to touch up every couple of hours, which is not something I do. Ever. (I hang out with a lot of guys and they'd never let me live it down anyway) Also, I don't really have oily skin, so I'm not sure what this would do for oily skin. The immediate results are pretty nice, though. I have slightly bumpy skin, and this definitely accentuates those bumps at first, which I'm not a big fan of. I like the packaging, for some reason. It's a little clumsy, but not bad. The packaging withstood the fall from my dresser, but the powder didn't. It was still kind of useable when shattered, but way too hard for me to do every morning. The price is definitely doable-- even at CVS, it's only $6... you can probably get it for $3 elsewhere, though, haha. Overall, I think this would make a nice setting powder. But for people like me who want a powder over sunscreen and go kind of product for all day, it's really not a good choice.
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Powder -Maybelline - Shine Free Oil Control Loose Powder
mantharay27 6/19/2012 8:08:00 PM
This is one of the products that goes unnoticed a lot... found it on the bottom shelf. Nothing flashy, either. But I really like it. First of all, there's only two shades, meaning it doesn't give a whole lot of coverage. However, it has an airbrushed quality to it that kind of blurs out imperfections without getting too cakey. Powders tend to look bad on me (as do foundations) because my skin has lots of little bumps on it, but this doesn't accentuate it. It has a soft matte finish as it claims on the packaging. It's quite a pretty finish, but for those who are super oily it might not last all day. I use it over an spf 100 sunscreen, so I would say it does a pretty decent job of keeping things on the glowy side and not on the greasy side. I also really like it over my bare minerals original foundation. The two of them together guarantee all day shine control and a wonderful finish that just gets better as the day goes on. The price is pretty good and you get a good amount of product-- you don't need a lot. I don't really recommend the sponge, but a good kabuki brush should do the job. The packaging might seem a little weird to others, but i quite like it. If you're looking for a super-matte, high coverage powder, this is definitely not for you. I like it because it looks natural and airbrushed at the same time, thus the 5/5.
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Mascara -Maybelline - The Falsies Flared Waterproof
mantharay27 6/19/2012 7:59:00 PM
I'm kind of stuck on this mascara, so I gave it a 3. I go back and forth on it. 1) It's super waterproof, probably more so than the CG Lash Blast Volume Waterproof. It's virtually impossible for me to get off. Which is a good thing and a bad thing... I mean, my lashes stayed curled even through vigorous washing and makeup removing (given, I just use lotion to remove makeup) which means it'll last all day, at least. 2) It can be pretty clumpy. It's kind of a hit or miss for me on different days... I like really dramatic lashes that look natural, because I have dark lashes that are pretty full and long, but I like it to be a little more dramatic than that. Clumpy just screams fake to me, so I'm not a big fan of that. 3) The wand itself is ok... you can literally see the clumps on it, which kind of annoys me. Also, there tends to be a lot of product at the tip of it, and since I like to use the tip to get my inner and outer lashes, it's a really big pain. There's a lot of gaps between the bristles, which collects product and causes clumps. Also, it's really hard to apply to the lower lashes. It's not that the wand is too big, it's just the bristles are too long or something. 4) It really does flare out like they say, which is nice! Definitely not the falsies look it claims to be though. Even if you apply more, it just clumps more. 5) The price isn't bad, most Maybelline products are decent prices. I probably won't repurchase, though, Maybelline has better mascaras out there.
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Eyeliner -Maybelline - master drama eyeliner
mantharay27 6/19/2012 7:51:00 PM
I haven't tried a whole lot of eyeliners out there, mostly because they last me forever. I tried this one out because everyone has been raving about it, which makes me want to see what the hype is all about. First of all, it's so creamy. It glides on really nicely. The Maybelline Define-A-Line does too, but unlike that one, the Master Drama actually sets and stays. On my waterline, it does smudge a little bit, but not much. Second, the packaging drives me nuts. I had to keep buying and returning until I found one that would actually twist up. Even the one I have now is kind of... eh. It goes up a little bit, I'm hoping it's not completely bad. I'm just sick of the CVS employees that give me weird looks, I'm sure they're sick of me too. Also, I wish it had a built in sharpener (maybe it does and I didn't see it?) because it got dull pretty fast, making it harder to get a thin line on the upper lash line. Personally, I prefer the pencil/sharpen thing... the wood kind, not the ones with the plastic casing. But that's just my preference. Overall, I probably wouldn't buy it again. Depending on where you get it, it's not that cheap. If you go by how much product you get vs the price, I believe the UD 24/7 pencils are actually cheaper. For waterline and tightline as well as a really creamy formula, this is definitely a good one, though.
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Sunscreen -Neutrogena - Spectrum Face Advanced Sunblock Lotion SPF 100
mantharay27 6/19/2012 7:43:00 PM
I've purchased 3 bottles of this stuff, so I really like it. First of all, I have combination skin (that's pretty much all over the place with oil vs. dry), it's quite sensitive, and I have precancerous cells on my face, so I really really need a good sunscreen. 1) It's SPF 100+. I know that they say it doesn't do much after 50 or so, but I've also heard that if you apply less of the 100 it'll give more protection than if you apply that same amount of 50... anyway, I'm not taking chances. 2) I actually used the body version on my face. I don't know what I was thinking because I know I have sensitive skin, but I guess I was just being cheap or something haha. But it worked! It actually improved the quality of my skin after using it every day for about 3 weeks. 3) The finish isn't the worst or the best. There's no white cast, but it leaves a bit of a greasy finish because of the high spf. It's not a big deal, though, it can definitely be controlled with a good powder. 4) I'm a bit iffy on the price. It has a pretty high price tag, although all sunscreens generally do. You can find it for a bit cheaper at the Christmas Tree Shops, if that helps :) It's about the same price as a bottle of La Roche Posay's Anthelios sunscreen (depending on where you buy it) so for the finish I would probably say go for the Anthelios. Except I'm allergic to that, but that's not the point. 5) It's easy to rub in, meaning I don't have to tug or anything like that. I like my Banana Boat Sport SPF 100 more than this one, but that one is difficult to rub in and I don't really like to tug at my skin too much. Overall, I would say try it out. If my sensitive skin isn't allergic to the body one, the face one should be alright too. One bottle for my entire body lasted about 3 weeks, and just on the face I think it would last even longer. Maybe not HG, but definitely pretty good.
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Bronzers -Rimmel - Natural Bronzer - 027 Sun dance
mantharay27 6/19/2012 7:35:00 PM
I bought this product because I heard a lot of great things about it from people on YouTube as well as here on MakeupAlley. It was a bit of an impulse buy, though, because I usually take a closer look at the products in person before I buy, even if I've done research on the product. Honestly, my favorite thing about the bronzer is the smell. It's not overwhelming or irritating, and you can't really smell it unless it's up close. The packaging is one of the things that confuses me. I can't figure out how to get it to close properly because the lid is always coming off. It feels cheap and flimsy. Although the sort of embossed sun on the bronzer itself is quite nice. I have two issues with this product. 1) It has sparkles. I wouldn't call it glitter, but it definitely sparkles and I can see it on my face. I've always been more into matte bronzers, though, so it definitely depends on your taste. I don't mind a sheen for a bit of a glow, but this is kind of like a matte bronzer with some sparkles thrown in. Maybe I just got a weird one, though, because I haven't seen a lot of complaints about this. 2) This color looks horrid on me. Again, it totally depends on the person, but this just makes me look orange and tan... even if I apply a minimal amount, my face instantly looks about 3x darker than the rest of my body. And just as a note, my face is actually lighter than the rest of my body. I'm also of medium skin tone, although in most concealers and foundations I'm light-medium. It just looks like a really bad tan job... and the orange undertones prevent it from being a contour powder, as do the sparkles. So, overall, I'm not buying this again... these are just points that I had problems with but that other people might like in their bronzer. I'm just picky, I guess. :)
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Lips -Nivea - A Kiss of Milk and Honey
mantharay27 6/19/2012 7:24:00 PM
As you can probably tell from the rating being 5/5, I do like this product. I've noticed that it makes my lips much softer and smoother. Although I have been drinking a lot more water lately, so I might have to edit later. If I apply too much, it doesn't feel like I have a weird build up on my lips the way Burt's Bees sometimes can. Also, it leaves a really nice shine that kind of reminds me of the way my lips look after I've had a drink of water or if I've eaten something oily (that sounds terrible, but it's a good thing!) I also like that it has a yellow tint to it; I'm an anemic due to some genetic thing and when my iron levels get too low I find that my lips can be too purple and sickly looking. The yellow in this product helps to counteract the purple tinge and makes my lips look pinker, which is nice. My only gripe is the taste. I'm a big fan of menthol in my lip balms (some people hate it, so if you hate menthol lip balms, give this a shot) and sweet lip balms feel uncomfortable to me at first. The first few times I used this, I hated the taste and smell, but I soon became accustomed to it and I quite like it now. It's not really like the Burt's Bees Honey one, it has a different kind of sweetness to it that I can't explain. I like the packaging, too, because it clicks nicely when you close it. Which is probably a bad reason to like packaging, but still. The older ones have a bee on it and the newer ones don't, if that makes a difference to anyone, haha. Overall, I'll probably be buying it again!
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