Foundations -Bare Escentuals - Bare Minerals Ready Foundation
mellimello 9/8/2012 11:46:00 PM
Since it's summer and I need a foundation that won't slide right off my face, I thought I'd try the new BE Ready foundation. All I can say is... yikes. I use Fair and Fairly Light in the loose powders, so naturally I thought I'd be the same shade for the pressed version. WRONG. I picked up the Fair, brought it home after swatching it on my wrist, applied it and holy moses what did I put on my face. To say that I looked deathly ill (emphasis on the deathly part) would be an understatement. The makeup had to be at least 3-4 shades lighter than my skin tone and so incredibly cakey. I felt like I had just applied a layer of chalk dust on my face. Anyway, I returned the foundation and asked them to shade test me and I ended up being a Medium... and it's still slightly too light on me. There is NO way that I would be a Medium in anything else and it's very bizarre that I had to buy a foundation from the same company that's 4 shades darker than my norm. So basically, be vigilant about testing this on your actual face before you purchase and apply with a very light hand. The only positive is that it really does keep my face from looking like an oil slick, so I guess that's good? We'll see.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -L'Oreal - Vive Pro Nutri Gloss Medium to Long Curly-Wavy
mellimello 7/27/2008 4:10:00 PM
After robbing my wallet monthly to pay for Fekkai's conditioner for curly hair, I went to Target and tried to find something more bank account friendly. At first I felt that it didn't condition my hair enough, but after a few uses I started to notice that my waves looked more bouncy and full of volume instead of withered and weighed down. I've been using this for about a 9 months and have recently switched to Aveda products to help with my damaged and dyed hair. Overall, this is a great DS conditioner that did a great job at keeping my hair from feeling weighed down and heavy.
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Misc Beauty Tools -Clarisonic - Pro Skincare Brush
mellimello 7/20/2008 5:55:00 PM
I rarely think of anything skin care related to be an "investment," but this definitely is. My esthetician recommended that I use this to help unclog my pores and help the multitude of products I use to really soak in. I was a little skeptical about the price at first, but now I'm perfectly content with how much I spent. I really started to notice a difference in my skin after about a week of using it. People were commenting that my skin looked clearer and less red than normal. I immediately notice that my skin looks (and feels) worse if I stop using it for even one day. The brush hasn't completely cleared my blackheads, but it makes it a lot easier to extract them. It's also helped calm the oil production on my face and I feel like my face feels overall more clean and fresh. I would definitely repurchase!
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Hair Styling Tools -T3 - Tourmaline Domed Duality Straightener and Curler
mellimello 5/18/2008 3:48:00 PM
Not much to say about this piece of junk except that it does a terrible job of straightening my wavy/curly hair and was the biggest waste of money ever.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Prescriptives - Custom Blend
mellimello 4/20/2008 7:35:00 PM
I am constantly, and I really mean constantly, on the search for a foundation that matches my skin tone. I have a hard time being matched to anything since I have too much yellow AND pink in my skin tone plus rosacea. I went to my local Prescriptives counter hoping to finally find a match to my skin. Much to my delight, I found one! The MA created a blend that neutralizes my redness but doesn't make me look sallow or downright sickly. I took one lippy off because the blend does tend to leave me looking a little oily. She did make it oil-free, but I get the greasies pretty easily, but that's easily cured with blotting papers or by periodically setting my foundation with powder. I will definitely repurchase when I run out.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Smashbox - Bionic Mascara
mellimello 3/29/2008 6:49:00 PM
There's nothing very special about this mascara. It did a nice job of making my lashes appear longer, but so do my cheap drugstore mascaras. It was nothing special as far as making my lashes appear more voluminous, which is why I wouldn't purchase this again.
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Styling Products -Bumble & Bumble - Surf Spray
mellimello 3/1/2008 2:25:00 PM
I normally have pretty defined waves in my hair, but after frying it with flatirons and blowdryers, my hair has lost a lot of it's waviness. My hairstylist recommended the B&B Surf Spray, and although I was weary of how effective it would be after reading some reviews, I was pleasantly surprised at how well it works. It adds some bounce to my hair and makes my hair wavy and calms down the frizz, which is a plus. I'm not too thrilled with the price since I could find something just as effective for much less, but I'll stick with my bottle and maybe buy more when I finish it.
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Palettes -BeneFit Cosmetics - Justine Case [DISCONTINUED]
mellimello 1/20/2008 5:52:00 PM
I think you need to be a fan of BeneFit (which I am not) in order to fully appreciate this palette. As much as I WANT to love BeneFit, their items just never do anything for me. I've been wanting to try Some Kind-A Gorgeous since I generally don't like wearing foundation most days, or really I'm just too lazy to take the time to apply it at 5am. Anyway, the actual product is decent, but since I'm reviewing the palette, my one HUGE problem with the whole thing is the packaging. I really don't like how SKAG is not covered by anything or contained in anything. It just seems very unsanitary to me. Plus, the only way you can really apply it is with your fingertips and I really dislike doing that. However, it's a nice amount to try if you don't want to purchase the whole size. I like the California Kissin', although it doesn't make my teeth look much whiter or brighter, but the pleasant scent and taste win me over. I have a love/hate relationship with BeneTint but I actually really like this little tube. It makes it a lot easier to apply to my lips and cheeks. I think EyeCon is pretty useless. It does absolutely nothing for me, but I kind of expected that. It's a nice palette for someone who needs to keep some basics around for quick use, but I wouldn't repurchase since none of the products "wowed" me and I think the packaging is terrible.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Russian Navy
mellimello 1/6/2008 8:00:00 PM
I usually avoid blue and darker colored nailpolishes, but I am so in love with Russian Navy. It's such a rich, sophisticated color and it really draws attention to my nails. I also find that it doesn't stain my nails like other dark polishes do and it comes off with complete ease. I rarely, if ever, will buy a backup of a nailpolish, but I'm seriously considering buying one for Russian Navy... if I can find one!
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Gels/Soaps -Philosophy - Red Velvet Cake 3-in-1
mellimello 1/6/2008 7:56:00 PM
I admit, I am a red velvet cake FIEND! My roommate and I used to constantly search for the best smelling (and tasting) red velvet cake recipe because we love it so much. When I saw that Sephora had bundled this with the Cinnamon Buns 3-in-1, I just about fell out of my chair. I had been trying to get my greedy little hands on this 3-in-1 for a looong time (or so it felt anyway), and I was so excited when it finally arrived. Can you tell I have a baked goods fetish? Anyway I tried it out and I have to admit that I'm pretty impressed. The smell is faintly sweet but it's not too overpowering. A lot of people don't like lingering smells, but I tend to gravitate towards body washes that leave my skin smelling yummy. I found that the scent lasts on me for about 4 or 5 hours before it fades, which is pretty impressive. My friend commented that he thought I smelled like a chocolate cake and proceeded to sniff me at least 5 times haha. One thing to add is that I never use these as shampoos unless I have nothing left in my shower (which is rare). These are not nearly hydrating enough for my dry hair.
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Gels/Soaps -Olay - Winter Retreat Body Wash in Vanilla Essence for Extra Dry Skin
mellimello 1/6/2008 7:38:00 PM
I have extremely dry, sensitive skin and I've usually had pretty decent luck with Olay products in the past. Hmm... so I wonder what happened with this product? It made me really itchy and I developed a scaly rash on my arms (yuck) that was only "cured" by covering my arms in a mixture of jojoba oil and aveeno lotion for extra dry skin. With the exception of the freakout on my arms, I did enjoy this soap. It smelled lovely and the rest of my body was really hydrated and looked good. I got this in a set at Walgreens with the Winter Retreat Exfoliating Wash and the Beauty Bar for.. $8? Which is quite a steal considering the body wash alone runs about $6 at my grocery store.
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Gels/Soaps -Olay - Complete for Dry Skin with Shea Butter
mellimello 1/6/2008 7:32:00 PM
I used this body wash for over 3 years and I really liked it how it kept my bone-dry skin from flaking and keeping it in generally good shape. However, about 6 months ago I noticed that my skin has gotten really scaly and itchy after I get out of the shower. I tried a different body wash and my skin immediately calmed down and looked more hydrated. My skin must have eventually gotten "used" to this since it does absolutely nothing for my skin now. I give it 4 lippies b/c it worked really well for a long time and I love the smell. It has a slight fragrant scent but it's not overpowering and it didn't irritate my sensitive skin.
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Lips -Revlon - Just Bitten Lip Stain - Cherry Tart
mellimello 1/6/2008 1:31:00 PM
I love lip stains, I mean really love them. It takes a long time for them to wear off and they usually leave your lips looking somewhat natural in color. So what went wrong with this lip stain? It leaves my lips unevenly colored (even after exfoliating them regularly) and dries them out like crazy. The color, when it stays on, is actually very pretty, but it all seeps to the back of my lips so you can't actually *see* the color. The applicator is the typical rollerball style but mine catches and this causes even more uneven color distribution. I really wanted to like this product since it was cheap and I was in the market for a new stain. Looks like I need to keep looking!
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Lotions/ Creams -Ulta - Hot Cocoa Hand-Body Cream
mellimello 12/30/2007 3:02:00 PM
I'm very weary of most hand lotions because of how greasy and heavy they leave my hands, but I think I've found a keeper. Back in early December, ULTA was offering a deal with buy 5 lotions or lip balms for $5 or something, so I got the Hot Cocoa, Citrus, and Vanilla hand lotions along with the Peppermint and Cranberry lip balms. I didn't expect much and was planning on using the lotions as stocking stuffers, but I'm a huge fiend for anything chocolate-scented, so I kept the Hot Cocoa. Oh my gosh I am in love. It leaves my hands and arms so silky and soft without being greasy or heavy. After realizing that these are great lotions, I decided to keep all of them ;) People from my office always come over and ask to borrow my ULTA lotions for their hands now, lol. I would definitely repurchase.
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Crème -Cover Girl - Advanced Radiance Restorative Cream [DISCONTINUED]
mellimello 12/30/2007 2:54:00 PM
Since winter just wreaks havoc on my skin, I decided that I needed a foundation that's a little heavier than normal. I usually stick with more HE foundations, but I saw this at Rite-Aid during a 50% off sale and figured what the heck. I was worried about the color since I have truly neutral skin and most foundations oxidize and turn orange or pink on me, but this didn't. It turned slightly darker but was still a nice ivory color. It feels light on my skin and doesn't make me feel oily or greasy in the least. It lasts about 6-7 hours on my skin, which is pretty good for any creme foundation on my rebellious skin. It also doesn't break me out and doesn't irritate my sensitive skin. I have to add that there is a somewhat of a strong fragrance-y smell that is kind of overpowering, imo. Other than that, it's a really nice foundation that is very affordable.
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