Makeup Brushes -Urban Decay - Good Karma Optical Blurring Brush
missalexandre 10/4/2012 1:07:00 PM
I LOVE this brush! It is as soft as my skunk brushes, but dense like a kabuki. In fact, I bought it because it was so soft! I've tried it with bronzer, cream, liquid and powder foundation and it applies all of them like a dream. Currently I'm using it with Palladio Wet/Dry and it gives flawlessly even coverage without looking cakey. I'd recommend this brush to anyone who uses face products because it is that versatile. I haven't had any bristles shed or any other sign of decay so it's clearly of good quality too!
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Powder -Palladio - Wet/Dry foundation
missalexandre 9/30/2012 9:58:00 PM
I really like this! I ended up getting this for free; I had a $5 off of $10 coupon at Ulta, and it was on sale for $4.99. I usually use Revlon Colorstay but its a little heavy for everyday, so I grabbed this remembering it got good reviews on here. Beautiful coverage and finish on my combo, extra sensitive skin, plus no irritation! I got it in cypress beige, and while it could be a bit more yellow, it still looks good in natural light. I think the neutrality of the foundation helps me pull off more colors too. EDIT: This is my new HG. All of my little clogs that have plagued me forever are GONE. Liquid foundation was probably the culprit. No new big bumps either! I have gotten compliments on my skin for the first time in a while. This can go on a little powdery but in about half an hour it sets to the most natural, beautiful satiny finish while still covering!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -LUSH - The Olive Branch
missalexandre 9/13/2012 5:30:00 PM
I'm only giving this two stars because so many other people seem to like it. As for me, I tried it once and it broke me out on my back and chest. The smell wasn't my favorite, but I really don't like heavily scented things at all. I wouldn't recommend if you have sensitive skin.
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Polishes -Butter London - Rosie Lee
missalexandre 1/11/2012 10:14:00 PM
I bought this over the summer but am just getting to writing a review. For starters, I LOVE the color. I had been eyeing this shade since the Butter London display first went up in my Ulta, and caved and bought it for myself as a treat. Rosie Lee is an opaque pinky-rose glitter with warm undertones. It isn't too glaring or obnoxious. It goes on very smoothly, dries fast, and as others have said, the thick glitter texture makes it easy to repair chips. The first time I wore it it lasted with no chips for over a week. Then I went to the beach, and after a few days in the surf it began to dull. So I decided to repaint. It took nearly an HOUR to get the stuff off my nails! This was a little unnerving and inconvenient, but since I had no other polish and deeply loved the color, I repainted with Rosie Lee. This time it lasted not even a night before it began peeling off of my whole nail like it was a sticker. I thought it might be the humidity at the beach, so I waited until I was home to repaint again. Again, it took forever to get the polish off of the nails it hadn't already peeled off of, and it started peeling off again within the day. One strip even came off in the shower, and my boyfriend (disgusted) found it tangled in my hair. :( I stashed the polish and moved on to other colors. Later I went back to my nail polish stash and found a bright red matte Butter London nail polish in there. I couldn't remember buying a red one, just the Rosie Lee...then it dawned on me that that WAS Rosie Lee. Some kind of chemical reaction must have occurred. Last week was my first time buying BL since this fiasco (Yummy Mummy), and I have had much better luck with that polish. Rosie Lee gets two stars based on the fact that Butter London does make good polishes, as based on my experience with YM, and Rosie Lee is a beautiful color, but I would not recommend. I saw a dupe for Rosie Lee in CVS from Wet and Wild...bought it for $2 and its everything I wish Rosie Lee was. HIGHLY recommend the W&W version if you're looking at this polish :)
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Conditioner -Joico - K-Pak Reconstruct Daily Conditioner
missalexandre 1/9/2012 10:43:00 PM
I got a liter bottle of this at Ulta for 14.99...I originally went in just to try the K-Pak reconstructor but my beloved Bumble and Bumble Creme de Coco conditioner bottle had busted all over while I was on vacation, so when I saw how good of a deal it was I figured why not try it? This morning after the gym I shampooed with Bumble and Bumble Gentle shampoo, put in the reconstructor, and then put in the conditioner (I used a showercap on my hair to let the ingredients penetrate better for both). My hair felt silky in the shower when I was rinsing out the conditioner. I did a wash-and-go, smoothing just a dab of gel through my bottom layers. After my hair dried, I saw it in a mirror at school and WOW! It was so shiny, and my hair fell in that perfect messy-yet-sexy way with nice defined waves and no frizz. My boyfriend literally would not stop touching it all day, and asked what I did differently because it was so soft. It has just gotten better as the day goes on, getting even silkier. I'm pretty sure this was the conditioner, because all the reconstructor is supposed to do is make my hair stronger. :P For reference, I have very thick 2B/C hair cut into a shaggy lob. It is virgin as far as coloring goes, and is easily damaged from heat and has a tendency to dry out. I wash my hair whenever it gets dirty...sometimes its 2 days, sometimes its 5.
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Lip Gloss -Smashbox - O-GLOSS
missalexandre 12/28/2011 8:54:00 PM
Pros: -Lasts forever. I got mine a few years ago when Sephora had them for $10 and I still have half the tube left. -Great color...on me at least. It looks kind of like I was just eating a watermelon lollipop. But if true pinks aren't your cup of tea I don't think you will be happy. The color ends up somewhere on the gamut from pale pink to hot pink, depending on the person. No coral or peach tones here. -Nice texture. Its smooth and non-sticky, and not too thick. It has no sparkle, which I like when I'm wearing glittery eyeshadow. -Versatile. I've worn this with smoky eyes at night and bare eyes during the day, and it never looks overdone. Cons: -Not long wearing. The glossiness stays for about half an hour, with no disturbance. It migrates around your mouth very easily too--I remember putting it on in my ex's car at a gas station while he was paying inside, and when he came back to the car and saw me he freaked out and said it looked like I had herpes where the pigment had migrated (in that short period of time) to the top corner of my lip. -WAY too expensive at full price. For $22, you can find the color it will turn on you in a much better formula. -Packaging is messy and unhygienic. I don't like squeeze tubes applied directly to my lips, so I end up using fingers. And this stuff stains. Overall its not the worst gloss, and I have recieved many compliments on it. But at full price, you can definitely find a better one.
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Blush -MAC - Sheertone Blush in Blushbaby
missalexandre 12/28/2011 11:16:00 AM
The perfect blush. Makes me look naturally radiant and sunny. Very hard to overapply, and if you do it blends out well.
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Blush -Maybelline - Dream Mousse Blush - All colors [DISCONTINUED]
missalexandre 12/14/2011 10:17:00 PM
Beautiful on...lots of pigment, blends well, good staying power...but broke me out :(
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Skincare - Face -Clinique - 3 Step System
missalexandre 12/13/2011 8:27:00 PM
I have very oily skin and get mild breakouts frequently. I have dabbled in Clinique skincare before, and was never really impressed with it, but after a friend and my sister went on the three-step system with amazing results, I decided I would too. The very nice Clinique associate recommended the oily skin liquid soap, type 4 toner, and DDML because I do not have problems with mineral oil and the skin around my mouth has a tendency to dry out. I have used it twice a day for the past week. WORST DECISION EVER!!!!!! As I am writing this, my face is a red, burning, sore swollen mess, with a rash that looks like poison ivy/cysts in patches on my forehead and cheeks. Something in this system does NOT agree with me. Earlier I rushed out and bought Purpose face wash and Cetaphil cream at the advice of a friend who has eczema and deals with reactions regularly, and took an antihistamine...hopefully this will clear up soon!!! I want to CRY looking at my face! I thought Clinique was supposed to be hypoallergenic but I have NEVER had anything like this happen with ANYTHING.
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Liquid -Maybelline - Fit Me Foundation
missalexandre 11/30/2011 9:56:00 PM
My HG foundation. This was honestly the last product I expected to be my HG. I have very oily skin with reactionary redness/some breakouts...plus I have very pale olive skin; a weird combination, I know, but because I started wearing spf every day all over after my friend got skin cancer at 16 last year. Because of this, finding a good foundation has been difficult. You name it, I've tried it. I either had reactions to it (bareminerals, MAC, Loreal) or there was not even a close color match (Clinique, Covergirl, Neutrogena, Tarte). Honestly, I picked up this foundation because the ad campaigning is so slick, and I saw it was BOGO 1/2 off at CVS. I bought the concealer and foundation in shade 125, and I think both combined were about $12. I wasn't expecting much because of the bad reviews on here, but WOW! The foundation applies so smoothly, and it is literally like someone is photoshopping all of the redness away from my complexion. It isn't cakey or thick, but it still covers, and I didn't notice it looking excessively shiny either. Any spots and dark circles I quickly blended away with the concealer, and after a quick weep of blush I patted pressed powder on top. It has made my skin look flawless every day, even post-Thanksgiving-indulgence, and I've recieved so many compliments on my glowing skin. The color match is impeccable, it holds up for about 12 hours, and the best part---it looks like flawless SKIN. There is no one-dimension look to this at all, it literally looks like you just have perfect skin. Plus, my breakouts and redness have seemed to be getting BETTER since using this makeup. I suggest that everyone not 100% satisfied with their makeup at least try it. I will never go without it now.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Clinique - Liquid Facial Soap - Oily skin
missalexandre 11/14/2011 5:03:00 PM
I bought the 3 step system for oily skin about 6 months ago when I had lots of acne and very oily skin, but quit using when it didn't seem to do anything. My skin was looking a lot better recently, so I've been really lazy about my cleanser choices. I was mostly clear with a basic Origins one and a Neutrogena, so two days ago I figured I'd use up this Clinique one, thinking it couldn't do too much harm. WRONG. I now have four HUGE painful cysts on my face and lots of little whiteheads in clusters. Two days ago I had NO acne. I don't know what it is with Clinique, but I have had more problems with their products than any other brand. I haven't tried anything by them that doesn't break me out horribly, and I've tried a lot (my mom is devoted to them and has been pushing their skincare and makeup on me since I was 14).
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