Mascara -Maybelline - Lash Stiletto Voluptuous
murphy817 4/6/2010 10:58:00 AM
The reviews for this are funny. They are either I love or I hate this. My experience is that I like it. I've had better and worse. I gave this product a rating of 3 overall, price & packaging. I like falsie looking lashes but wouldn't use actual falsies. This mascara doesn't provide the look of falsies compared to other ds mascaras like (nyx & prestige) however, this does give noticable volume & length. For me, one coat did nothing but paint my lashes black. I needed about 3 coats to notice anything. This mascara starts off wet but dries rapidly and doesn't give any time to work with. After 3 coats, I experienced heavy clumping and brittliness. The brush IS a gimmick. The product would work the same with a straight brush. The end result after 3 coats were noticable but not falsie looking lashes. However, due to the drying formula, my lashes also appear brittle. I noticed no scent or eye sensitivity in this one like I did w/ the LS lengthening one. I paid $9 + tax w/ this which I find a bit pricely for a ds average mascara. I don't think I'll repurchase as I find Prestige MBL to be a better and cheaper volumizing mascara.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Maybelline - Instant Age Rewind Double Face Perfector [DISCONTINUED]
murphy817 4/2/2010 9:09:00 AM
Out of all the ds concealers on the market that I tried, this is the best I found at concealing dark under eye circles. I have the heredity kind that were with me since birth and no eye cream out there has deminished the severity of them! From my experience, liquid concealers work best for me. I also find that even though I have really dark circles, yellow base concealers do not work for me. I have this one in the light/medium and it seems to work fine. I tried the medium one but it has too much yellow tones in it and looked odd against my skin. My technique with this is to dot the concealer under my eyes and blend with my fingers. I top the concealer with the highlighter and blend with fingers. Be careful not to overdue the highlighter as it is very watery. For me, the highlighter gives me that extra brightening effect to open my eyes. The only con to this concealer duo is the chambers holding the product are small. I always run out of concealer before the highlighter.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Wet 'n' Wild - Wild Shine - Blazed 437F
murphy817 4/2/2010 8:51:00 AM
I'm so happy I picked this one up. I'm currently NW30 and love this against my skintone. I thought too that this color would clash against my coloring but it doesn't and it really stands out with my tanned skin. For an inexpensive NP, this doesn't streak and the color lays down evenly. The color itself is a deep orangy coral with no shimmer or sparkles. A great color for a summertime pedicure!
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - California Mango- Mango Mend Skin, Cuticle & Nail Balm
murphy817 3/30/2010 12:47:00 PM
I saw this product in a travel size tube at the checkout counter in Sally's. The SA told me he loves this stuff and I should try it. I believe the small tube was under $3 so I said why not. This is a gel-like balm that works on any dry and chapped area on the body. I only use this for my terrible thick barbaric looking cuticles. I like to apply liberally and massage it in my cuticles and nails. I only apply this before bed as it is very greasy. It really sinks in and makes my ugly cuticles more soft and presentable. It actually keeps them moisturized until the next night. This has only a few ingredients and they are normal simple things. The smell, however, is very strong! It smells like a mango gone bad :( But, it works and I will continue to use it.
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Lip Gloss -NYX - Mega gloss- Beige Pearl
murphy817 3/29/2010 11:11:00 AM
This is a gloss that works in many ways. You can wear it alone or on top of a stick/pencil to provide a different look. The color is sheer and pearly beige. I have pigmented lips and my natural color peaks through when I wear this alone. I'm okay with the sponge applicator but I much prefer brush applicators. The staying power of this gloss is outranking my current glosses of Dior & Lorac. The texture is goopy like MAC, IMO. I think the packaging is cute with the little black bow on the cap. For the price, you get a good amount of gloss in the tube. This is my first NYX gloss purchase and I will continue to buy more.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Revlon - ColorStay Makeup
murphy817 3/22/2010 4:08:00 PM
I'm slow to jump on the CS bandwagon. I normally use HE foundations but picked this one up on a whim. So, I have to be honest, I'm liking this more than my $50 foundation. I eyeballed the color selection and decided on Natural Beige. Yay, this color is so right for my skintone now. I'm sick of purchasing foundations w/ tons of yellow in them. I'm pleased that this has pink in it. Perfect color match-better than my 3 go to HE foundations. Also, another issue I have with foundations is the mask effect. CS, being definitely more full coverage than I'm used to, doesn't have that effect. I purchased the combo/oily type and I find that I can go 8 hours before I have to blot my t-zone. However, its not humid outside so this might change. This foundation has a runny texture. I dab a little out on a face sponge than go over my face. I use Face Secrets Triangle Sponges w/ Vitamin E and CS glides on smoothly and evenly with this sponge. I will update in the future if I experience any breakouts. Maybe my HE foundations will sit and collect dust for awhile.
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Liquid -LORAC - Breakthrough Performance Oil Free Anti-aging with sms complex spf 14
murphy817 3/22/2010 10:44:00 AM
This foundation resembles a tinted moisturizer in my opinion. I bought the shade SMS-4 (medium). Like with other Lorac foundations, it does have yellow hues in it-eventhough the website states that this shade is the non-yellow based one? Anyway, the color itself is a tad bit too light for me which is okay as I can darken it w/ bronzer. The product blends easily and works great w/ just your fingertips. Like I mentioned, the coverage is sheer and won't cover imperfections. You'll need a good concealer w/ this. The consistancy is very moisturizing! Unless you are very dry, I wouldn't advise putting on a facial cream under this. I'm combo/oily and used my Clinique DDMG under this and within 2 hours, my whole face was shiny. With my experience, I have to blot my whole face frequently with this foundation which is a big hassle. I do like the fact that this foundation feels weightless and I experienced no breakouts from this (2 great points about Lorac foundations) :) However, if I didn't have to blot 10x a day, I would definitely use this more. Even with no moisturizer, this was way too moisterizing for me. I won't be repurchasing.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -LORAC - Baked matte Satin Blush
murphy817 3/22/2010 10:26:00 AM
I love this blush. I bought it in the color called Hollywood. Hollywood is a bronzy pink hue. I think this color is so pretty. This blush is highly pigmented and a tiny bit goes a long way! I think this color can look beautiful on yellow, neutral or pink toned skin. I however think this blush color would be too dark for fair skinned people. This blush is perfect for summer days when all you want to wear is some concealer, bronzer and mascara. I advise that when you buy this to treat it like glass. They should put a handle with care sticker on it. I shattered the tester one in the store just by simply placing it back in the tester holder. The price is expensive for a blush ($24 US) but you do get a lot of product. The texture is creamy like eventhough its a powder. The staying power is incredible. I didn't get a matte finish from this. It has a sheen/pearl effect with no sparkles.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Almay - smart shade
murphy817 3/22/2010 10:12:00 AM
Are they kidding when they called this a concealer? I should of visited P'ville first when picking this up! I purchased the light/medium one and it did match my skin great but no coverage what so ever. I mean nothing! It didn't even cover a small pimple. What a waste of money. Why do I even try with this brand anymore? Save your money and do not buy this crap. Only two good qualities with this concealer 1. its non-drying and 2. color match.
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Concealers -Revlon - Age Defying Moisturizing Concealer (New) [DISCONTINUED]
murphy817 3/22/2010 10:08:00 AM
I would have to agree with reviewer jenniferjanson on this concealer. Wow, not all of us have banana colored skin! I purchased this in the medium because now I'm tanned and the color looked okay in the tube. The light/medium looked too light for me at this time. I normally buy light/medium in concealers but FSR, this one looked so yellow in the tube so I skipped it. The medium has a lot of yellow in it as well. The color was so wrong for my skin tone. But, the feel of this was amazing!!!! This was so moisturizing, creamy and so blendable! I think texture wise, this was the best I found in drug store concealers. Also, for a drug store concealer, it was opague enough to hide skin imperfections. I did a good job with undereye circles (obviously, you could still see them) but, it did a better job than LM SC duo and no cakiness! You can layer this and still looks natural. Too bad for the color choices. Yellow toned ladies, this is worth a try for you!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Maybelline - Mineral Power Blush True Peach [DISCONTINUED]
murphy817 3/19/2010 10:13:00 AM
Maybelline has some hidden gems in their line and this is one of them! I was rec'd this by many Mua'ers and actually bought it awhile ago. This blush was sitting in my makeup bin for months because, honesty, in the jar, this color looks way to loud and vibrant for my taste. I was afraid to try this out. I don't see peach but "in your face coral". I pulled this blush out today and wow, I'm so happy with this one! I knew it would be highly pigmented for the start so I applied it with a skunk brush. You only need a tiny dash in the cap to get ample color for both cheeks. This is a bit more color than what I'm used to but it is very pretty on. Also, I love that this doesn't have sparkles in it. I find this blush complements my skin better than my Nars Orgasm.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Masks -Queen Helene - Mint Julep Masque
murphy817 3/19/2010 10:03:00 AM
Why does this happen to me? I try something that everyone in the world loves and it sucks for me. Well, I wanted to post a review now for the short term effects that I got from the MJM than I will edit later for the long term. Because, I am determined to stick this one out and use it longer. After using this for a week, I've noticed I'm breaking out. Lastnight, I left it on my face overnight (per instructions for maximum results on prob. areas). This morning, I was welcomed with 5 new zits on my face. Does this cause purging? I'm not sure if this is what is happening. I have no difference in the size of my pores as of yet. I, do however adore the scent and feel of this masque. I love the way it leaves my skin soft after rinsing. Also, I differ from other users on the difficulty of rinsing this off. I find that it rinses off very easily with no residue left behind. I love the price of this too! I will continue to use for a month than update this review. x fingers. ****UPDATE**** I had to toss this :( It just wasn't working for me. Everytime I put this one my face, new breakouts appeared.
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Lipstick -OPI - Don't Melbourne The Toast
murphy817 3/17/2010 10:11:00 AM
I bought this in a collection w/ a few other lipsticks from TJ Maxx. I believe the collection was under 10 dollars. Don't Melbourne The Toast is my fave color out of the collection. I feel this lipstick is neutral enough for everyone to wear and can go w/ many mu looks. However, I find this formula to be drying and I would recommend using a clear gloss over this. Also, this may settle into fine lines on mature lips. Color: Pink with a nude undertone laced with subtle gold shimmer Appearance on the Lip: Satin Texture on the Lip: Matte & Dry (Non-Creamy) Duration: Longwear Packaging: Simple. Black Nars-like cap w/ silver lettering and a clear bottom for a visual of the color.
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Mascara -Essence - Black Mania Carbon Black Volume Mascara
murphy817 3/16/2010 10:43:00 AM
I'm shocked that the mascara obsessed MUA'ers haven't reviewed this one yet. I found this at Ulta in the d/s section. Wow, I'm so happy I bought this. Okay, let me say that Essence Cosmetics is a cheapie brand that is trendy and geared for young ladies (kind of has a NYX vibe). But, anyone can use these products because they aren't OTT. I think this mascara beats Lash Blast, Full & Soft, Voluminous, and many h/e volume mascaras. The color is a nice jet black. The wand is very stiff, it reminds me of a pipe cleaner though. I love the opening of the tube. It is perfect and small. It grabs any globs on the wand. The formula is wet and allows time for multiple layers. I love falsie looking lashes and normally apply at least 3 coats but with this, 2 coats and it looked awesome. I have short thin lashes and w/ 2 coats, they were thick, seperated and even stretched my lashes enough to touch the top lid! Also, I experienced no clumps or spider legs! But, the BEST feature of this mascara, it's so cheap! Under 3 bucks!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Cetaphil - Daily Facial Cleanser (Normal to Oily Skin)
murphy817 3/16/2010 10:18:00 AM
I'm guilty for not buying this sooner and the ONLY reason for that was the cheap dollar store looking packaging! So, I've been searching highend and lowend for the right cleanser for my PITA face. I have combo/oily skin. In the summer, I look like an oil slick by 3 hours into the day. In the winter, I still need to blot my tzone but have dry cheeks and chin. I have sensitive skin which can break out with harsh products. I've tried cleansers geared for oily skin which strip all oils and make the skin feel tight. I've tried mild cleansers that leave a film on my face and clogg my pores. WTH, I bought this jug of Cetaphil as a last ditch effort. Wow, I was amazed of how good it removed makeup and left my skin clean and soft. No signs of irritation or reddness & bumps caused by other cleansers. No signs of breakouts and no dryness or flakiness w/ this. In fact, in just 2 washes, it rid most of my flakes caused by the previous cleanser I was using. I love using this w/ the L'Oreal 360 sublet. Despite the god awful packaging, I will continue to buy this.
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