Mascara -Hard Candy - Lash Ink - 4 Day Lash Stain
nverno 8/3/2011 1:39:00 AM
This was maddening. It was like having dried old, half-on-half-off, stuck-together in different places, slept-on, lopsided, dull, cruddy lashes literally GLUED to me for four days. It's not a stain or a tint like the bottle says. It doesn't just add a black tint. The first day it looks okay, then after you shower the next day it all begins looking scraggly. After days of me soaking cotton rounds in oil and repeatedly allowing my eyes to sit with the cotton round and soak, it was finally off. Despite me being gentle in the process, I lost a lot of eyelashes after trying to get it off so many times, and because of how drying it was and how stuck together my lashes were for so long. Even though it was bought dirt cheap at walmart, it was the biggest piece of crap I have ever wasted my money on. My cousin bought it too and it looked horrible on her as well plus she couldn't get it off either. It looked even worse on her because she is a fair blonde and you could really see it. Never again.. In fact I bought the other mascara formulas from hard candy that night too.. the colored ones in different tubes and formulas. They weren't as bad as this one, but not that great either. The colors were cute and washed off unlike this one, but they didn't hold a curl and flaked and melted. Don't bother with this.. You get what you pay for and these are cheap crap. I miss the old hard candy that I used to buy at Nordstrom when I was 16!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -BeneFit Cosmetics - They're Real
nverno 8/3/2011 12:42:00 AM
Well this one definitely takes the cake. My quest for the perfect mascara is over.. It has everything I want in a mascara: Goes on silky and separate, curls at the root with volume, totally elongates them, fluffs and fans them out, shiny dark black in color & glossy (not dull at all), doesn't flake/smudge/meltdown, holds the curl all day, washes off easily when I wash my face at night ( i don't even use separate eye makeup remover for this!), plus doesn't appear to be drying to my eyelashes like some mascaras. Love this mascara best of all, and I am a mascara snob probably like most everyone on here. I had lukewarm feelings for Benefit's other mascara, "Badgal." It wasn't the worst mascara ever, but it did nothing for me.. It totally flaked and dried out quickly. The only other mascaras that I liked and regularly used prior to this one were Dior's Iconic and Fresh's Supernova. Both were good, but each took a long time to apply and de-clump, had potential to melt, and took a long time to wash off, so they had their downfalls too, but they seemed to make my pin-straight lashes curl for the day and not flake best out of any other mascara I have tried... and I have tried them all. From everything at sephora to everything at CVS. The first time I put it on I was like "yeah it's just okay..." but weird as it sounds, the next day I put it on and it was like the formula changed and my lashes looked amazing... I have no idea why the first use wasn't all that great, strange. i was going to return it, but now I'm so happy that I gave it another chance. Well, I love "They're Real," haven't touch my dior iconic or fresh supernova since. I've been using it for a month and a half. It still has plenty left and still looks glossy and fresh. I definitely will be repurchasing in bulk, lol. This is def my # 1! Well done, BENEFIT!!!!!
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Highlighters -BeneFit Cosmetics - High Beam
nverno 3/10/2011 2:09:00 AM
it really makes you have a glowy luminescent shine. It's a nice consistency, the color is perfect for brightening up the skin. i call it supermodel in a bottle. just try a little of this on your cheekbones! ** another great product is moon bean, more of a pinky glow cream,
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Palettes -BeneFit Cosmetics - Brows a-go-go
nverno 4/11/2010 1:05:00 PM
This makes your brows KICK @zz!! For once I found a kit where I actually LOVE and use every product inside it on a daily basis. You can do not just the brows, but the entire eyes easily with this kit! It contains BOTH the light and dark browzings powders, which is PERFECT for me because I always mixed these two together to get my perfect color. It also has the light browzing wax, again perfect for the way I love to use browzings. I always mix the light wax with the powders to get my brows on the right, natural-looking way. The browzings powder in light can also double as a contour shade for your crease and the browzings powder in dark can double as a soft, smokey, liner or it can go over the black liner in the package to soften it a little and change the look. The pinkish-natural shadow is perfect and easy for one quick sweep to even out and brighten up the entire eye area. Eyebright.. I use for a lot of things.. to brighten the under-eye and inner corners of eyes, it mixes nicely with concealer to brighten it up a bit, works well for me as a brow highlighter, mix with the pink shadow in the kit as an awesome highlighter for face and eyes. I like to use it with my fingers and not the brush so that it warms the product up and it glides on easier. The little black eyeliner which I thought would get lost, and be dry and crappy actually goes on smoothly and stays in place. You have to tilt it inside your regular sharpener to sharpen it though, which was a little weird at first, but now I am fine with doing that. The tweezers come in handy for emergencies. The brushes are GOOD. I always hate little brushes. I'm spoiled and I am used to using long-handled brushes to do my makeup, but I got into a situation where I left my travel brush kit home, and I was forced to get by using these brushes and let me just say that the the angled one outdid my expensive, long-handled angle brush. It gave such a nice application. The case is good and has a magnetic closure so it doesn't open up when thrown inside your makeup bag. Yet when you want to use it, it opens up very easily and smoothly unlike some compacts. The bruses and tweezers it comes with remain inside and all the product stays nice and neat. It's $38 which sounded expensive to me, but it's actually not. If you think about what it contains and how awesome your brows and eyes are gonna look, and how easy it is, it definitely more than justifies the price. I can not see myself without this! It's been lasting me a long time and I still have a lot, but when I need to I will definitely repurchase!!!
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Blush -BeneFit Cosmetics - Posietint
nverno 4/11/2010 12:36:00 PM
LOVE this product. I put this on and it gives me a really pretty, natural flush of color. It lasts all day because it is a stain. Because it is a liquid, it doesn't have a finish so it doesn't look heavy or powdery at all. It doesn't add another layer of powder or makeup on top of makeup so it really makes you look like you're wearing less, but still gives you the color you are looking for. You can put it on your lips too. It looked kinda scary and really PINK at first, but I was told that I have to try it. I never, ever would have picked it out for myself.. am fair/light with a yellow undertone and the color at first does not look like it would come out a natural color. The packaging can be intimidating! It goes on a little weird with a nail-polish style bottle and brush. The liquid consistency is a little different than i am used to working with, but it is easy once you get the hang of it. After setting my foundation, I "paint" three lines or dots on the apples of my cheeks and then pat/blend upwards in the area that I want my blush. Then I repeat if I want more color. That's it. (I usually start off with a little bit of product so it's sheer, then let it set and put a little more, like building it until I'm happy with the amount of color just so that I don't overdue it all at once). It's important to remember that it is a stain, so you want to do one side at a time so that you can blend the product in quickly before it sets/dries. The fact that it's a stain is a good thing, because it's not coming off for the day, so you're not going to have to worry about looking washed out and having to reapply your blush several times throughout the day. You want to make sure your skin is properly moisturized too, that way it blends easier and doesn't set in as fast. If you do this it's all good with the product. I finish sometimes with a little bit of the "one hot minute" or another sheer bronzer powder swept all over, like where the sun hits.. I'm telling you Posietint doesn't look heavy and stays on like no other blush. For the lips I usually put it on and then something over it like a gloss or balm or even another lipstick so that it has a finish. If not, it could end up looking like you just ate a popsicle or candy so on the lip I like to put at least a clear gloss over it for finish. The price seemed steep at first but because you don't need a lot, it will last you a really long time. and because this doesn't fade at all during the day, you do not need to reapply it like with other blushes, so that makes it more worth it too. Another good one that I like and is similar is the Benetint. works similarly, and is a stain too, but is more of a rose rather than a poppy-pink color like Posietint. It depends on what other makeup i am wearing, but I usually use one of these. Both of these really impressed me because of their staying power and their being so lightweight and invisible finish. I HATE looking powdery from setting foundation, then bronzer, highlighter (sometimes) and by the time I put blush on I look so layered and powdery and makeup-y! That's why I've been loving stains lately. No touchups throughout the day, no looking washed-out, and no finish at all, no heavey layer.. just lots of lasting color! You just have to understand how to apply and get past the packaging and bright/dark colors of the product because they go on translucent and you build the color up to what you like. I would definitely repurchase if I ever run out of these two!
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Blush -BeneFit Cosmetics - Benetint
nverno 2/24/2010 8:51:00 AM
i LOVE, love, love, love, love this product. ha. It looked kinda scary and really red at first, but I was told that I have to try it. I never, ever would have picked it out for myself.. the packaging can be deceiving! I am fair/light with a yellow undertone. I put this on and it gives me a really pretty, natural flush of color. It lasts all day because it is a stain. Because it is a liquid, it doesn't have a finish so it really doesn't look heavy or powdery at all. It doesn't add another layer of powder or makeup on top of makeup so it really makes you look like you're wearing less, but still gives you the color you are looking for. You can put it on your lips too. Okay so, it goes on a little weird with a nail-polish style bottle and brush. The liquid consistency is a little different than i am used to working with, but it is easy once you get the hang of it. After setting my foundation, I put three lines on the apples of my cheeks and then pat/blend upwards in the area that I want my blush. Then I repeat if I want more color. That's it. I finish sometimes with a little bit of dallas bronzer powder swept all over, like where the sun hits.. this doens't look heavy and stays on like no other blush. For the lips I usually put it on and then something over it like a gloss or balm or even another lipstick so that it has a finish. If not, it could end up looking like you just ate a popsicle. The price seemed steep at first but because you don't need a lot, it will last you a really long time. and because this doesn't fade at all during the day, you do not need to reapply it like with other blushes, so that makes it more worth it too. Another good one that I like and is similar is the Posy tint. works similarly, and is a stain too, but is more of a pink rather than a rosy color like benetint. It depends on what other makeup i am wearing, but I usually use one of these. Both of these really impressed me because of their staying power and their being so lightweight and invisible finish. You just have to understand and get past the packaging and bright/dark colors of the product because they go on translucent and you build the color up to what you like. I would definitely repurchase if I ever run out of these two!
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Bronzers -NARS - Irresistiblement
nverno 5/14/2009 10:03:00 PM
Nars Irresistiblement Face Color Bronzer ($30)... This is a really nice all-over bronzing/tanning color product for a fair-light skin. When, where was this bronzer? Did Nars always have this or is it new for summer!? I just noticed this in Sephora and it is different than the other Nars bronzers. It isn't a true brown shade like laguna or dark like casino, but more golden/peach/caramel without a hint of shine or shimmer (think the guerlain terracotta bronzers, especially makeup artist 00- but this costs less $$). I looove it. It's like a peach-caramel matte pressed-powder that gives a glowy, lightly-sunkissed healthy radiant color to fairer, cooler skin tones such as myself. I think this would look great on medium or darker complexion for the apples of the cheeks used like a blush or work all over to brighten up the complexion. It looks orangy in the pan, but goes on me to be a really nice, natural healthy-looking glow. It has a nicer consistency than the other Nars bronzers, and I like those too, but I like this much better. I am happy nars got this in. It has good staying power like the Nars blushers. Worth a try. I will repurchase when need be.
12 out of 12 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Korres - Zea Mays Powder Blush in Natural
nverno 5/7/2009 2:48:00 AM
Wow!! This blush I had to review because I am LOVING it so much. (I have never felt comfortable contouring my cheeks, ever, so I never did it until finding this blush). I wanted cheekbones and this gave them to me yet it looks natural against my fair/light cool skin. I use this for contouring directly sort of under my cheekbone and then a splash of whatever pinky/rosey/corally blush that I am in the mood for just to give me a pop of color on the apples of my cheeks. I leave the higher part of my cheekbone alone or I use a little highlighter before putting on the pink to really bring them out. This has great color payoff so one dip is good enough for my fairer complexion. It is a peachy/brownish, slightly (really really slightly) lumious color. It applies smoothly and doesn't settle into my horrible acne scars. It lasts all day. It's $22 at Sephora. I truly love this. It's worth every penny to me. I think this would work as a contour blusher on anyone, fair to deeper medium, and it would probably make a beautiful, glow-ey pop of color on a deeper skin tone. My sister has more of a light/medium complexion with warmer undertones and it looks great on her too... If you were always afraid of contouring, try this one on next time you're in a sephora or wherever else you can find korres. I am definitely gonna repurchase!! A+++ I copied this from Sephora.com: What it is: A velvety powder blush that provides natural yet luminous color. What it is formulated to do: Korres Blush is formulated with the Korres proprietary botanical blend of phytosteroles, soy, and licorice that delivers a smooth, glowing finish. What it is formulated WITHOUT: - Parabens - Sulfates - Synthetic Fragrances - Phthalates What else you need to know: This natural beauty essential has a soft, creamy texture that allows for effortless, uniform application. EDIT: I still love this stuff and i just wanted to add that it is pretty close to nars madly in color, on me.. i like them both a lot and i can't decide which one is better.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -Christian Dior - Dior Bronze Original Tan - Spicy Tan 04 (peachy bronze)
nverno 5/1/2009 12:49:00 PM
I was playing at Sephora (my 2nd home), and never noticed this bronzer before at the Dior showcase (I think it's new or newer perhaps?? There aren't any reviews here yet either). I love this color bronzer! At first glance it looked waaay too dark for my cool, pale skin, but after trying it, looks can be deceiving. My mom commented that my skin looked good and I looked healthy. Then she asked me if I was out in the sun (which I never do to my poor skin anymore). She usually doesn't like how it comes out when I try to make myself look tan. Well for fun and to try something new, I swiped some of Dior's spicy tan on my cheekbones (like it was a blush), and then a sheerer, lighter amount on my forehead, nose, and chin. I already had been wearing my normal everyday “golden bronze” by Laura Mercier all over to give me a little glow, and this Dior bronzer topped it off sooo nicely. The color was the exact color I get in the sun! It looked so natural. It has a slight shimmer in it when you look down at the pressed powder, but no shimmer when on your cheeks... just a nice, radiant peachy-brown (even a tinge of red?) sun-kissed color like nothing else I have found yet. It comes in a pressed powder compact, and applies smoothly, and wears great- it has great color payoff (you use such a small amount of product each time), and stays on all day. It does not settle weird into my fine lines around my eyes or my acne scars (some powders do that to me). The color's name "Spicy Tan" definitely makes sense. I highly recommend it to anyone because it works on fairer skins to give lighter bronzers a "kick" to spice it up a bit without looking phony, and I think this would no doubt make a beautiful all-over bronzer on a deeper skin. As with all Dior products, my only gripe is the high cost- it was $42, but all I can say is you get what you pay for with Dior- quality and beautiful color unlike other brands. The way it makes me feel also justifies the price... I love being tan, but I can't damage my skin anymore. When I look in the mirror with this bronzer on, it tricks me and makes me feel sun-kissed again. I give it an A+ all around (except the price), and I pray that they don't discontinue this one because Dior can do that sometimes. I will be definitely be buying it again.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Kinerase - Kinerase Lotion with SPF 30
nverno 4/29/2009 1:49:00 AM
I got this after reading good things about Kinerase in magazines and a colleague recommending this sunscreen last summer. This isn't a good look for oily skin. It made me pretty shiny right off the bat and got worse throughout the day. I gave it several tries and the same shiny sheen result... whether I was indoors and in air conditioning, or wore it outdoors in the heat, it got really shiny... Despite the shine, I did not break out from this (thankfully), and the sunblock in it is effective because I did not get burned in the sun. Also, this baby is expensive. I would recommend trying a sample prior to buying. I'm sensitive to something in it because it makes my eyes mildly burn the whole time it's on me. Even when I was careful to avoid my eye area, it still stung my eyes, making me uncomfortable. I find the cover FX skintint Spf 30 to be a better option for my oily skin and sensitive eye area. I also love the shiseido face/body spf 55 (nicer consistency for oily peeps), and the Peter Thomas Roth's transparent mineral sunscreen powder spf 30. Now it comes in another formula for absorbing shine and spf 45. I'm trying that next. I gave it three lippies because I think that as far as consistency goes, it would probably be good for a drier skin type and the sunblock in it effectively protected my skin.
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Lotions/ Creams -Sephora - SuperStars - Super Supreme Body Butter
nverno 4/17/2009 1:23:00 AM
This is like having a second skin... One that is smooth, soft, and glow-ey. It's not too thick, so it's not hard to spread, and yet it's still so luxurious and creamy and buttery. It absorbs, but leaves a satiny glow and your skin is soft to the touch until the next time you shower it off. I was so surprised by the end of the day last night when I touched my leg by my ankle where it is usually pretty dry and ashy no matter what product I put on in the morning and it was fr*%^ggen silky as hell. I can never say that about any other body cream product, especially one in this price range ($25) for a huge tub of it. The Laura Mercier body souffle is really good too, but the cost is so up there that I was only using it for special occasions, and it's different because it is scented and the scent stays and is not unisex (in my opinion). This healed my razor-burned legs where some lotions and body butters have made me get ingrowns because they were like, way too heavy or something. It has also helped my yucky cracked elbows significantly (for some reason they got super dry from this past winter- worse than they ever had been before). It also healed my boyfriend's sunburn- like overnight. The sephora body butter never "balls" up (or flakes might be a better word I am not sure how to describe it) when you apply too much like most lotions or creams do. I have a tendency to rush and overdo things and even when I overdo it and apply too much, most of it absorbs and any excess easily towels off without balling or flaking up. The smell is really light, fresh and unisex and fades soon after application. So far the large jar/tub of it ($25) has lasted me a while and when I do run out I am going to be repurchasing it- forever-ever-and ever-ever- and giving this to people when I need to give presents. It is so good and so worth it. Any woman would love it in my opinion (and a man might love it it too ;) Lol
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Makeup Brushes -Laura Mercier - Finishing Brush aka Skunk
nverno 4/17/2009 12:53:00 AM
I'm really loving and getting a lot of use out of this brush. It's the perfect blending tool. After I apply foundation and set it, I apply bronzer with a fluffy powder brush (I have the platinum sephora powder brush and love it for bronzer) and I use this finishing brush to sort of diffuse the bronzer onto my pale face. It's not too abrasive and yet not too soft, so it does get in there and blend a little without scrubbing it off your face. Mine doesn't shed like some of the other reviewers' brushes did. I can foresee that the handle might break apart at some point from a lot of use and the glue loosening up like some of my other Laura Mercier brushes did (the smokey eye brush in particular). I don't mind because I just superglued it back together and since it didn't affect the shape or bristles, it worked fine. I'm super-fair and this helps the bronzer look realistic and sets it into the foundation a little better. I have tried it before on blush and it works great for that too, although I have a separate brush (or several) for blush already. The L.M. Cheek brush is expensive for a cheek/blush brush, but to me is hands-down the best blush brush I have ever used. I have the sephora platinum angled blush brush too, and although it is a very good one, I really love the LM one because it's shape and softness and the awesome soft application it gives. I will be writing a review for that one too soon.
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Shampoo -Terax - Fior di camomilla
nverno 4/2/2009 1:29:00 PM
This is the best, most gentle cleansing shampoo that my dry, damaged hair has ever used. I usually only use sulfate-free shampoo's and that has helped with the texture of my hair (not feeling so stripped), but sometimes I want a little more of a lather, and a deeper wash. Fior di camomilla is one of the only shampoos that actually gets my hair really clean without stripping it or making it dry. I can actually let my hair air-dry again after using this. I receive compliments all of the time when I use this. It's supposed to be for use on blonde hair, because I think the camomille brings out highlights. I have dark brown highlighted hair and it works just fine. The only problem is that I am now having a hard time finding it again to repurchase. If anyone knows where it is available to buy, please let me know. Anyways, I highly reccomend!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Laura Mercier - Mineral Primer Brush
nverno 3/19/2009 4:22:00 PM
I use this brush for applying my (foundation) setting powder (HD powder) and I use it to apply bronzer all over. I don't use it for applying the Laura Mercier mineral makeup primer like it was made for. I bought the L.M. mineral primer brush because I just really liked the way it felt and its shape, and saw many other uses for it.
I LOVE it! Mine is more on the soft side. It is gentle and is not at all rough-feeling on my sensitive face, but it is still stiff enough to blend very nicely and give me an evenly-blended bronze against my super pale skin. It also really locks my foundation in when I use it with my setting powder. Makes my makeup look good and stays on, and it's quick and easy for me to use.
Again, I love this brush and find myself reaching for it everyday. It could be because I am not using it for it's original purpose (applying the Laura Mercier mineral primer powder), but I have to disagree with the others here. I find it to be an awesome blending tool. Mine does not shed, even after the way I abuse brushes, so I probably won't have to repurchase, but I would if the need ever be. The price was high, but worth it because of the quality and how much use I get out of it. All professional brushes cost around that much anyways ($36). Worth checking out for sure.
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Top/Base Coats -Unlisted Brand - INM - Out the Door Top Coat
nverno 2/4/2009 10:36:00 PM
EDIT: For me, it is good at one thing only: drying quickly. All my home manicures (and hard work) chip by the next day. Good quality, shiny, fast-drying top coat. It does make your manicure dry very quickly, which was why I purchased 'Out the Door,' however be careful not to make your polish layers too thick because it can peel easily. It is pretty thick.... I think it's the combination of having two thick color polish layers and then a thick topcoat layer that makes it peel. If I am careful and I don't make any of the layers too thick, I can get a manicure to last me a while. My favorite topcoat is the 'Good to Go!' by Essie. It might not dry as fast as the 'Out the Door,' but I feel it peels less and that my mani's last longer with it. Also unlike the 'Out the Door,' you don't have to worry about applying the Essie 'Good to Go' too heavy either. It gets goopy and thick towards the middle of the bottle, but still works just fine. So when I run out of this stuff I'm probably gonna buy Essie's again. It's pretty good, and pretty cheap, but it isn't my favorite (I bought it for $3.99 at Sally's with my professionals' discount card, but I think it's $4.99 regularly).
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