Eye Shadow -Kanebo - KATE Gradical Eyes S
millymill 8/3/2010 11:51:00 PM
I actually got Gradical Eyes A (whats the difference between A, S and N?) in BR-1 and its a gorgeous gorgeous colour! besides the cream eye base, there is a highlight which is a kinda shimmery cream colour, a golden-ish colour, a caramel colour, and a milk coffee colour. It is a more yellow based palette, unlike i think BR-2 where the darker medium colour is more a reddish tone brown.The colour does not turn up exactly like how it seems in the pan though so be sure to test it out first though! The Good Beautiful colour, really really flattering palette. I cant help but gush over the colour! haha. Its neutral and does not go over the top with its shimmer. The eye base does actually help so remember to put it on. It blends nicely and is great for a smokey eye because it feathers out nicely (without all those expensive brushes). Plus this has got to have the best free applicator (that comes with the palette) of all drugstore brands. Colour pay-off is not too bad, dont expect very good pigmentation because this is meant to be a rather neutral palette after all. It is not all that sheer, but not very pigmented. Somewhat average, but still beautiful enough to be seen:) The Bad Leaves some residual shimmer after cleaning it off so must be cleaned off twice. The caramel colour (darker medium shade) does not show up so well on my eyelids, but thats probably because i have horrible dark circles and lids. Packaging feels cheap, but sturdy enough for me to feel confident it wont pop open. A little on the pricey side for a drugstore brand but hey, you get a quad AND a base. All in all, steer clear if you hate shimmers. I personally love this palette and the colours in it, because it creates so many possibilities you can play with, and all the colours are really pretty. Plus they actually give you a little card at the back with instructions on how to use it, which you can use as a starting point. But be sure to test out the colours though. The golden-ish colour looks light brown in the pan actually. A really pretty neutral palette, with just enough shimmer to look glamourous, but not so much to look overdone for a daytime look:)
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Mascara -Maybelline - Unstoppable Mascara [DISCONTINUED]
millymill 7/9/2010 2:30:00 AM
I actually got the Unstoppable Curly Extension but I cant find it here so I'm posting m review of that here. A rather blah mascara but with 1 redeeming factor: its lengthening properties. Just based on that I'm willing to repurchase The Good Good lengthening properties as mentioned above. I like the brush because its easier to control (but then again brushes are very personal preferences) and thus there are less clumps, and application for lower lashes is easier. The waterproof version is ABSOLUTELY WATERPROOF AND SMUDGEPROOF. I've cried in it, I've sweated in it and boy I tell you this thing stays. It doesnt flake to the best of my knowledge, even after crying/sweating. The Bad There is such a thing as too many coats for this mascara. Put too many coats and you get spidery looking lashes. Moreover there is absolutely no curling properties at all (despite its self-touted CURLY extension name) and it doesnt hold the curl well. Overall an average mascara. I love the waterproof-ness (if there is such a word) and the lengthening of this mascara. Not to mention the ease of application (which is a BIG BIG factor for me) makes it stand out. But its performance as a mascara is nothing to rave about, and its good as a finishing touch mascara, rather than a standalone one.
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Mascara -Maybelline - Magnum Volum Express Waterproof Mascara
millymill 7/9/2010 2:17:00 AM
It is a good mascara. Not great, but not bad. The Good It does not clump, unlike Cat Eyes. It applies on wonderfully and smoothly and it does both volumise and lengthen my lashes, though the effects arent really WOW kind. The volumising and lengthening is pretty decent. Holds the curl reasonably well. The Bad It flakes just a little, but enough to irritate me and my eyes. Also the brush is kinda big which makes it difficult to reach corners and do the lower lashes. Overall a pretty alright all-rounded mascara. On one hand the volumising effect and the curl-holding loses out to cat eyes, but on the other hand this is definitely ALOT less trouble to apply than cat eyes. Theres nothing that particularly impressed me in this mascara, but for its price, its a pretty good buy for a mascara that does abit of everything I want it to do:)
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Liquid -Maybelline - Angelfit Flawless Natural Liquid Foundation
millymill 7/4/2010 4:30:00 AM
This is not really my HG foundation I would say, but it still deserves a 5 because it certainly fulfills what I want of it The Good The packaging is a pump thing that makes it hygenic to use and also it wont dry up when exposed to the elements. Coverage I think is medium but be forewarned that a little goes a long way. Using too much will just make it cakey and unnatural looking so apply thinly and slow build up. Upon drying it gives a beautiful luminous glow and my face looks radiant and smooth:) Despite the heat and humidity here (read 30+ degrees celsius and humidity being around 70% being the norm), it really STAYS ON after all the puddles of sweat that I put it through:) and mind this is WITHOUT primer. I couldnt believe my eyes that after running errands in the afternoon and sweating ALOT (with sweat actually dripping off my face), there was still foundtion that existed on my face but lo and behold! When I used my make up remover, it was as if it was a normal day spent in the air-conditioned office:) The Bad The glass bottle it comes in looks fragile and breakable. The pump takes some time getting used to because the foundation is rather runny, and the hole might get messy if not wiped after every use. Also the colour that first comes out will not be the colour that people see on your face. You must allow it to dry before you can see the actual colour (though it doesnt take long to dry). Also dont attempt to dot all over the whole face and blend everything at the end. Do one part of your face at a time since this foundation dries pretty fast. Since the coverage is only medium, dont expect it to hide all your flaws. It hides some of my discolourations and blemishes well, but my infamous dark circles still need concealer. Also it has quite a plasticky cosmetic kinda smell, but that disappears quite soon. Overall Just based on the fact that it doesnt budge even in this kinda weather it deserves a 5. Of course bearing in mind that this was within 1 hour of applying the foundation, and not in the middle of the day (I would expect EVERYTHING to slide off in the middle of the day if I ran errands until my sweat was dripping). Definitely NOT a matte foundation, it gives a lovely glow, but not with shimmer or glitter or anything so no worries of looking like a disco ball:) Highly recommended if you can find your shade
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Foundations -Bourjois - Matte Mineral Foundation
millymill 6/28/2010 9:35:00 AM
The Good Amazingly easy to apply, especially with the mini kabuki that is supposed to come with it (but must be bought seperately here) just go round in circular motions and it is evenly spread in a very short time:) Moreover it is also very travel friendly since it is mousse, no spill, no powdery bits flying everywhere. Coverage is medium to heavy and it positively glides on to my skin leaving it really smooth and matte looking without looking unnatural. The great thing too is that it has a wonderfully light texture, no need to sacrifice coverage to allow your skin to feel like it can breathe:)))))) The Bad As mentioned before, pathetic colour selection. AND THE SMELL. I swear the smell is enough to break this item. It is the kinda smell that you either like, or you hate it to bits. I unfortunately hate it and it makes me slightly nauseous if i keep breathing it in. And even when its on my face I can still smell it. Ewww...I can stand plasticky-cosmetics smell, but this psuedo rose-like smell thing is just horrible:( All in all if you do find your colour match and you can stand the smell, go ahead and purchase it by all means. It is abit on the pricey side, but I do love the texture and the ease of application because its really a dream in those aspects:) but be forewarned that this is really MATTE and dont expect anything less than a very matte finish unless you have immensely oily skin. It isn't like all those matte foundations that finish off looking dewy...this one does really live up to its "matte" name
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Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express Cat Eyes Waterproof in feline black
millymill 6/13/2010 10:15:00 AM
Cat eyes just sounds way too appealing to me. I have relatively alright lashes in terms of length but they are sparse and skinny and point downwards. Tested it without curling my lashes to see if it really has the curling ability that it supposedly has. Well granted that my lashes are STUBBORNLY STRAIGHT this does lift them up a little so I shall give the benefit of the doubt that yes it does curl. Volumizing it does an ok job but the 1 main gripe that i have about it is that IT CLUMPS HORRIBLY!!! I can see my lashes growing fatter and slightly longer, but the CLUMPING OH THE CLUMPING. Putting mascara is supposed to be a 5min affair, not a 30min one. Had to comb through my lashes ALOT before they actually separated decently:( then only I could see the extent of volumizing (which was not too bad honestly) Bottom line? There are much better mascaras out there within the same price range that volumize WITHOUT clumping so horrible (and to think the comb is supposed to separate your lashes...) I dont know if its my technique of applying it that is wrong, I wiggle I move it side to side but to no avail:(but at any rate I want a fuss free mascara that is easy to apply
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Foundations -Maybelline - Clear Smooth Gel Foundation
millymill 5/23/2010 6:46:00 AM
I wish I could love this really. I keep trying to like this but it seems to disappoint. First, the pros are that it does indeed feel very light on my skin and is kinda sheer (which I like). No problem of clogged pores or breakouts thus far and the staying power is pretty reasonable. The packaging is really good though, that much I give credit for. Hard tube tha wont get squashed when tossed around in your bag, but easy to squeeze out when needed. The packaging is easily the best part of this foundation. Now for the cons. I got #12 Natural. When squeezeed out it looks a little dark but when spread it made my face look abit pinkish (note it is pinkish, not radiant). It is rather difficult to blend, even if I squeeze and blend, squeeze and blend, despite putting moisturiser AND primer. I much rather put spots all over my face and blend it. It makes my skin feel oily rather fast though its supposed to be more water based. So much for that. And for the price you pay, you get a TINY little bottle, plus because it is difficult to blend, you end up having to use more of it so it actually isnt all that worth it. Moreover it literally slides off my face like 3-4 hours later and seriously my face isn't all that oily really. And there I am having unsightly splotches all over my face because this foundation has decided to selectively slide off in certain areas (granted they are my oily areas but STILL) I would really want to like this foundation because it sounds so much like a cheaper alternative to expensive tinted moisturisers, with more coverage and stuff that is good for your skin:(
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Blush -Canmake - Powder Cheeks
millymill 5/23/2010 6:23:00 AM
A rather pigmented blush, just one swipe and colour can already be seen. I bought PW24 which is like an orangey peachy colour and I really love this colour:) it's absolutely gorgeous. It has shimmer in it and really looks very shimmery in the compact itself but looks pretty alright when it is spread on the face itself. But bear in mind to really blend properly to avoid all the shimmer concentrating on the place where your brush first touches your cheeks because it can get quite obvious up close. The cons of this product is that the powder comes off really easily so there is always product at the side of the casing, and the packaging looks really flimsy. Maybe that's why it feels so pigmented because the powder comes off so easily?I have only used it twice and the hinge feels loose already:( The brush itself feels really nice and soft but is much too small to be a credible blush brush. Also it picks up less product than my very cheap no-brand blush brush. But the texture of the brush feels really nice and I'm sure I can find other uses for it. Overall I do recommend it since it is not too expensive and they do have a nice range of colours. NOT for those who do not like shimmer though but I believe they do have matte colours as well. Staying power is average, as long as you dont scratch your cheeks or rub it or anything it will pretty much stay (with the aid of loose powder). I cant wait to try other colours though I do wish the packaging didnt feel so fragile:)
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Concealers -Za - Concealer Perfection
millymill 5/8/2010 4:51:00 AM
Im kinda deciding between 4 and 5 (if only there was a 4.5 rating!) but I decided 4 because it is not absolutely perfect. This is a rather yellow toned concealer so its pretty good for purple undereye circles which I have and a little goes a long long way. I like that its a tube form so it doesnt spill or anything and you can control the amount that comes out. I wear it in the number 2 shade (for the 2-way foundation I wear 22) and I must say its the best drugstore one I have tried so far. It covers pretty well though not flawlessly (maybe its because Im always rushing when I put it on) but it is pretty blendable. Overall recommended if you wish to cover purplish imperfections. Now if only there was a sale coming up...
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Polishes -Revlon - Nail Enamel
millymill 4/26/2010 4:38:00 AM
My one pet peeve about nail polishes is that what comes out is not true to the colour in the bottle. BUT this is not the case for this nail polish. The 1st coat is already exactly the colour it looked like in the bottle, vibrant and suitably thick. The colours are really vibrant and this lasts really long and goes on pretty smooth. The only thing that took one lippie off was the fact that it does become a little blob-like if it is not spread properly in time (due to the fact that this stuff really does dry fast) but hey I would rather it dry fast and live with the faster spreading:)
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Blush -Revlon - ColorStay Mineral Blush in Petal
millymill 4/26/2010 3:13:00 AM
As with all the other reviewers, I agree that the first thing you should do is to throw out the brush it comes out with! It's horribly scratchy and I think my cheeks were pink because of the brush rather than the blush! Overall this blush is not very pigmented. Takes quite a few swipes to see some colour (and hence takes some time too). I think it is good for a makeup newbie like me since its not easy to overdo it, but it really does waste quite some time. The colour is quite pretty (when it does start to show) and has nice subtle shimmers in it. I still do love the colour, but for a blush that isnt all that pigmented and isnt all that cheap either for the amount of product given(though I got it at a sale), I would not want to get it again. Save your money and try some other blush instead
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Loose Powders -Fasio - Loose Powder in 001
millymill 4/21/2010 3:20:00 AM
Very nice fine loose powder with nice shimmers that make you face more radiant. Oil absorbing power is so-so, not great but ok (say around 6 hrs before blotting?) I love the texture of it and it makes my skin really nice and soft and smooth:) it tends to be messy, as with all loose powders and I agree with the previous poster that the puff doesnt spread the powder very well (though the puff feels really nice and soft too). Best is to use a large powder brush and spread evenly. The package is very small and compact and can be brought around easily (not that I would like to bring loose powder around anyway) but it is a little expensive for the amount given, and whats more it is a drugstore product. The holes also tend to dispense powder VERY easily and any accidental shake will just bring more powder up, hence wasting it because everytime you open it some powder will fly out. I always put it on top of a tissue when I want to open it. But overall I'm quite happy with this powder as there isnt too much glitter, and it makes my skin feel smooth and matte for some time:)
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Foundations -Za - Two-Way Foundation SPF20 PA++
millymill 4/21/2010 1:06:00 AM
I like the texture it gave and how it evened out my skin tone and made it nice and matte while looking like I have very smooth skin. Some might find it chalky and all but I think its a matter of how you put it on. It's not very buildable though but it gives pretty good coverage. I tend to sweat ALOT (like 2 mins after stepping out of the house I'm sweating already) and I love the fact that this doesnt streak and because it matches my skin colour so well, there arent patches of skin that look like a different colour:). The spf is an added plus though its a no no if you wish to take photos. I like the packaging too and how it came with a mirror plus the blue colour is a very nice blue. Oil control is not bad and I only had to blot maybe around 5 hours later (and this is in spite of the fact that I sweat so much). Overall a pretty good foundation with a good range of colours but I think it might feel abit heavy for some.
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Concealers -L'Oreal - True Match Super-Blendable Concealer
millymill 4/21/2010 12:56:00 AM
I like that it came with an applicator so that yo can dot it round your problem areas. Its alright for concealing the red parts round your nose but for undereye circles it does not do anything, and just makes that part look really chalky and white and overly made up. But one good thing that came out of it is that now i use it as a highlighter and its pretty good as one since its very blendable (and probably because it looks so white too). As a concealer, I wouldnt want to purchase it again, but as a highlighter, maybe since it is not that easy to overdo this as a highlighter (since its not actually white white)
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