Hair Color -L'Oreal - Preference Shine Extending Hair Color
peekaboonyc 7/1/2009 8:13:00 PM
I picked #2B "Purest black" and was very impressed with the results, In my more than 20 years of coloring my hair in black (on and off) i have NEVER had a result as shiny as preference. First the mixture started to turn like a pastel lilac/blue, (which first worried me a little thinking the result would end up blue-black) but then became a darker neutral silvery gray, and darker until it looked like i had black shoe polish all over my head...Once rinsed out, the result was the shiniest black i have ever had, when i dried it, it had some sort of "silvery" undertones against the bathroom light as if i have applied a gloss or some fancy treatment on. The downside is that it faded way too much and too fast, even after 3 or 4 weeks later, the foam of my shampoo would still be very gray...However, doing some research looking for a solution to help avoid the fading (which is a common issue specially with vivid/dramatic colors) in hairfinder.com i have just learned that in order to deposit (darkening without lightening action) 10 volume peroxide should be used, rather than the 20vol that normally comes with the drugstore box which works best to lift 1 or 2 levels. So my next coloring I experimented using 10vol with Clairol professional cream color from the beauty supply, and yes! color sticks better and there's basically no fading!!! by the second shampoo the water was basically clear!!! but the color quality just couldn't compare with preference, so next time i am definitely back to L'oreal, I need to try shade #1 "Ultimate Black" but this time with 10vol instead ...just remember: DON'T use 10vol when you want to lift (lighten) or when you have lots of gray,because it wont work, the higher the volume the higher the lift, 10vol is only to deposit/darken. u can find all the info and FAQ at hairfinder.com I'll do my review of #1"Ultimate black" once i try it in about a month. Update: I already did #1 "Ultimate black", but decided to wait a month after it, to check the fading mostly...So this is the darkest black from preference, a seriously 'jet black' indeed, not as blue as a "blue black" shade but u can definitely see the cool bluish sheen it in the sun or bright light...Not as flattering on my nc20 skin as 2B "Purest black", but what really helped me is the shine and dimension... when just applied may look a little flat because the shade its just too dark and pigmented, but after the following 2 shampoos you start seeing more and more shine and dimension, the best gets at about 3-4 weeks..I see this particular shade (#1 Ultimate black) working beautifully in someone with dark/deep skin (Indian, African American, Mid Eastern etc).As i mentioned before, since i don't have grays, instead of using the 2oz of 20vol peroxide that comes in the box, I substituted it with 2oz of 10vol peroxide, I also mix the dye in halves, so I can take my time working the roots for about 30 min first, and then i mix the other half and apply to the lengths for another 30...and I got the most intense, uniform and lasting results, also what i like most, is that during the fading, the shade does NOT get warm/brassy at all!, it stays cool toned shampoo after shampoo, maybe less intense and less blueish, just a softer and more natural shade of black, almost like a very dark ash brown, the real proof always is against the lights of my bathroom, with other dyes I always see a little orange/mahogany here and there, (specially after 2 or 3 weeks) but with this color i cant see ANY warmth at all and its been more than 5 weeks!...So i highly recommend it for someone who wants a jet black color with no warmth but lots of shine!. (just remember, if you have little or no grays and you only want to deposit (darken): 10 vol peroxide is the secret to avoid any fading/warmth.) Good luck. :-)
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Bare Escentuals - Well-Rested For Eyes
peekaboonyc 12/21/2008 2:04:00 AM
I use this on the eyelids, to even out, and as a highlighting eyeshadow, also in the inner corner of the eyes to brighten, and it sure makes me look more rested and awake with out looking made up... Have tried under the eyes, or other parts of the face to cover minor flaws/redness, but doesnt work very well, it also has a mild shimmer, so u will still see the flaws, but with that shimmery layer on top..... good for the eyelids tough, specially those days u want a truly natural look.
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Primer/ Corrector -Smashbox - Photo Finish Foundation Primer - Bronze [DISCONTINUED]
peekaboonyc 12/9/2008 2:51:00 PM
I got the traveling little bottle 1st to see how it would work on my skin, I knew from the beginning it would likely work because it looked very nice in the palm of my hand in the bright lights at sephora, i could immediately see that it did NOT contain any orange, or pink, shimmer, glitter etc ..then i got home and yep! i was right!! a perfect and uniform matte -yet natural- bronzed result, with no more of my large pores or stubborn shine, my face looking very smooth almost like baby skin... the color is more like a muted rosy brown, but this product wont work on sticky and wet summery days or when youre in a hurry and have even a slightly sweat on your forehead cause it will turn muddy and patchy....so make sure ure very relaxed and your face completely dry from oil or sweat also make sure u apply on very well exfoliated and moisturized skin(let set the moisturizer 1st for 20/30 min)...since the color is so natural, and glowing, i dont need any kind of foundation after it, I just apply a little concealer where needed, a little high lighting on the upper eye lids with 'BE 'well rested" and finish dusting with a good loose powder (Becca in mocha is mine) And people keep complementing how young and fresh my skin looks thinking is all natural of course (if they would just see me 1st thing in the morning haha) the little bottle is convenient and easy to carry, unlike the glass bottle that came out 1st, which leaves half of the product impossible to reach in any way (unless u break the bottle i guess) the price is in the middle, maybe a little expensive but is a good product and can replace foundation because has a decent amount of pigmentation, skin looks very good and even if properly applied, and i guess i would buy it again, in fact i have bought a few more in the last 2 years.
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Bronzers -BeneFit Cosmetics - HOOLA
peekaboonyc 12/8/2008 9:41:00 PM
I got this product about 2 years ago during the summer, and after a long search in Sephora for the perfect bronzing powder, (which for me means: No orange, No pink, No shimmer/glitter And No flowery/tropical scent) I came upon 'Hoola'..i was extremely excited to finally have such a perfect, natural bronzer in front of me, completely matte and golden based, with almost an olive undertone in it, but when i came home to try it, the results were terrible, my face looked like stained with dirt and soil, as if I have walked off the Sahara desert for a whole day during a sand storm... I tried with different brushes (since the little brush attached is totally useless) and technics but nothing seemed to work, i was sad, however i decided to keep it in my makeup drawer and find a way to use it some day later.... That was about 2 years ago, during the peak of summer in nyc,(very humid) but then last week as I was switching products from my everyday bag to my storage drawer (because the change of seasons since my skin tone changes A LOT through the year), i realized i couldnt wear my Becca face powder in Mocha right now because I was way too pale for it... so while digging the cosmetics i stumbled with the Hoola little bronzer and decided to give it another try, this time my skin being way lighter in color, and with a temperature of about 60*f less, and with zero humidity, meaning my pores way tighter as well...after a light dust with T.leclerc in banane, (being the face completely dry and smooth) i lightly dusted my powder brush with Hoola and gave my face a feather touch all over with it....ahhhh!!! big difference from what i remember from 2 years ago!!! this time it gave me a nice and elegant, golden beige glow!!!..so I concluded realizing that this product needs to be used VERY carefully, first: this works only for medium/light, light and even fair skins, as long as it has olive or yellow undertones, second: your face needs to be completely smoothed and already 'sealed' with a good mattifying facial powder, then you add hoola as the finishing touch..So DONT try to use it on a shiny, face to get rid of the shines, because you will only get a mess....and DONT use the brush that comes with it (I dont think anyone does it anyway) Use a big and fluffy powder brush instead, it is VERY pigmented, so dust it VERY lightly, and pass it around your face as if you were only tickling it, and gradually build the coverage as needed...so remember: using it lightly as a finishing touch on a perfectly clean and powdered face is the secret! Also found that if you have a 'luminizing' yellow toned powder underneath(T.leclerc banane) the result is even better, because the 'light' of such powder will come out from the inside out. Yeah the price is a little expensive for a bronzer, but again a little goes a looong way so is not bad, the packaging is not very glamourous and looks more like a toy of a toddler, but again what matters is whats inside of it... and i dont know if i would buy it again since i still have the entire thing with me and probably will for a long time and by then there will be something new to try for sure!!
12 out of 12 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Maybelline - Dream Matte Mousse
peekaboonyc 12/7/2008 1:11:00 AM
I got my 1st jar of this product last spring, while being much more tanned, i took the shade "tan"(dark 1) and this perfectly matched my body and neck since i dont tan my face... first i found it a little too heavy, but then using some common sense i figured it out that i could thin it down a bit mixing it with half of moisturizer in the back of your hand, and that makes not only lighter, but more manageable and easier to apply, u will still get a matte result, but more natural and dewy, just like skin is supposed to look...my finishing touch was with Becca loose powder in mocha applied with a powder brush specially to those difficult, shiny, large pored areas like the t zone, or under the eyes to seal the concealer etc...the results are amazing, there is no more pores, no more shine, no more sallowness/unevenness etc just an even, healthy, matte complexion...however now winter is here, i have not tanned in several months and my skin is dramatically lighter and i cant use the same shade.... so i went in search for my "winter shade" i got "natural beige"(medium 2.5) but when i got home i realized it was still too dark and orange, when back to the drugstore and exchanged it for a 2 shades lighter "sandy beige"(medium 1) this one was about my color level, but a little too pinkish for my light olive complexion, (ive never seen pink sand in my life so go figure) so had to go back one more time and after comparing one to another, finally decided for "light beige"(medium 0) and this one works perfectly!!! it is completely yellow based, not a hint of pink under any kind of light... Since im way lot lighter these days i cant really use the mocha powder on top, so i dug out my "mineral veil' from BE from my make up drawer, a little dust with the powder brush in the problem areas and voila!! ready 2go...I still wonder why drugstores dont have at least miniature testers on the make up area, or a piece of white material stained with the real product, or at least face pictures with different models wearing each one of the shades, just the same way they show Adriana Lima wearing "pure beige", (cant they afford another 14 models?) or just come up with something more intelligent... they would save tons of money if people could try the products at the store,(i just returned two opened jars myself) and their sales would sky rocket since many people dont buy there just because of the fact that there is no way to test it and its no fun to play the guessing game every time..advice: the peek of color u see -on the bottom of the closed jar- looks paler than really is, then once you open it the mousse may look very yellow/orange/spicy toned, but once properly applied on well moisturized skin, it works wonders!... Update: Since i stopped tanning at all about a year ago and use spf85, my face got even lighter and now im between classic ivory(summer) and light ivory(winter) being this last one the lightest shade on this brand (and im about nc20) so I don't think people with truly pale skin could use anything from this brand....
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Loose Powders -Becca - Fine Loose Finishing Powder
peekaboonyc 12/6/2008 3:11:00 AM
This is probably my favorite beauty product, along with the becca concealer -in 'honeycomb'- I use it in mocha, and for the 1st time i have had face powder in my face without looking like i put flour on...it erases my pores like magic, evens out my skin tone, without masking it, AND gets rid of the shine, but without making it too matte, looking extremely natural, with that "soft focus" effect.. people usually give me compliments on my skin, NOT on my makeup which is what most of us are looking for..its totally imperceptible under ANY light,(unlike other powders that may look good in certain type of lighting but not that good in others) i just look with a healthier more even,and rested, fresher skin..This works best with a powder brush instead of the applicator that comes with it....the problem is that has been discontinued from sephora, and also from bergdorf&goodman here in nyc, and have to start looking for a new one since i have very little left... For its size Its somehow pricey, the kind of stuff you want to save for special occasions, NOT for sundays at the movies or for the gym.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No