Brows -Revlon - Colorstay Brow Enhancer
pgloe16 2/27/2013 3:04:00 PM
I have sparse eyebrows, thin eyebrow hair and as a teenager of the 90's, I over-plucked my eyebrows, so I have a lot of bald spots. I now prefer my eyebrows to be a straighter, fuller and in slightly thicker/wider shape. This requires me to color in parts of my skin and most eyebrow pencils leave the bald patches too pigmented, so my eyebrows look unevenly dense. Eyebrow powders don't last long for more than a couple of hours and I'm never able to get a clean, defined edge. Separate eyebrow waxes end up erasing all the hard work I put in to shading in my brows. So I really really really like this product! The waxy texture of the eyebrow color allows me to fill in the bald spots without worrying about certain parts being too pigmented. I can apply this with fairly heavy hand and still get natural looking brows. Since I still have my other eyebrow pencils, I do touch up my edges with them, as this product is better at filling in large areas of skin rather than defining. In terms of my coloring, I'm pretty pale, with dark brown hair. I was only able to find the light brown color for the pencil and it's actually the perfect color for me. My eyebrow hairs blend in well with wax and my brow shape looks good 8 hours later.
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Lotions/ Creams -Unlisted Brand - EXTRA VIRGIN Coconut Oil (All brands)
pgloe16 2/27/2013 2:17:00 PM
I tried taking coconut oil as both a supplement and topically and I wish I could love this as much as everyone else. Actually, I think it actually caused me to break out. TOPICALLY I tried it as a hair mask and wasn't super impressed. I just don't have the time or patience to use it as a mask on a regular basis. When I tried using it as a leave-in treatment on damp hair, it left my hair too greasy (I have wavy, dry hair, but it's also very thin). I used it to take off waterproof eye makeup, but saw no improvement compared to vaseline/albolene/baby oil. I tried using it as an extra moisturizing step for my face at night. The oil did not absorb at all during the night and I woke up feeling like my skin was tighter and drier. It also didn't really help with any eczema patches or dry elbows. AS A SUPPLEMENT I LOVED eating it by the spoonful so I had no problem with the taste or the texture. I would have about a tsp a day. However, after a couple of weeks, I broke out pretty badly in cystic acne around my eyebrows. For the past few years, I rarely break out and when I do, it's because I've eaten too much dairy. So it was strange that I was breaking out around my eyebrows. Also, topical products rarely cause breakouts for me, though I might get hives or rashes, so I was pretty sure that the acne was caused by something new in my diet. It could be the coconut oil or the Puffins cereal I had also started eating around the same time. All I know is that once I stopped eating both of those things, the acne healed and months later, I haven't broken out like that again.
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Top/Base Coats -Unlisted Brand - INM - Out the Door Top Coat
pgloe16 2/24/2013 5:50:00 PM
Compared to Seche Vite: Pros: thinner consistency, so it smoothes out streakiness really well. also much easier to apply for a smooth finish. much subtler scent no shrinkage, esp with thicker consistency polishes, as I've experienced with Seche Vite no chipping of large chunks of polish after 4-5 days of wear texture is not sticky after it's dried the bottle won't dry out and get gummy like Seche Vite. Seche Vite needs to be thinned out frequently. Cons: nowhere near as glossy as Seche Vite. more like a satin finish takes longer to dry I think this gives better protection than Seche Vite. Usually I get about 5-6 days of wear with Seche Vite without any growth or chipping (depends on the polish), but with Out the Door, there isn't shrinkage and chipping at the edges is less frequent. My manis look as good as new for over a week. This topcoat is also much easier to apply bc it's a thin consistency and I'm less likely to have to start over. BUT....I know a lot of people love a high glossy finish and Seche Vite gives the glossiest and fastest drying finish. Out the Door doesn't improve on the finish that the color polish already gives.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Revlon - Colorburst Lip Butter
pgloe16 2/11/2013 11:24:00 PM
I'm a Cherry Chapstick girl who has been refusing to grow up and use lipstick. One reason being I hate the way lipsticks can be so drying. I also hate the smell and taste of some lipsticks. Finally, I like more natural finishes, so I'm not a fan of a thick, opaque layer of color. Lip glosses can be tacky and sticky and who likes it when their hair sticks to their lips? Tinted lip balms often come in limited colors and sometimes are not pigmented enough. Revlon Lip Butters are great because they're the best of both worlds. Some of the colors are dense and pack a lot of pigmentation like traditional lipsticks, but with better lip feel. Other colors are sheerer and go on like tinted lip balms, but with longer staying power. These feel great going on, have no taste or scent and can rival some high end lip products in terms of pigmentation and hydration. I have four shades and they are in constant rotation.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -L'Oreal - Voluminous Million Lashes - waterproof
pgloe16 2/11/2013 11:11:00 PM
If you've have tried a lot of the popular drugstore mascaras, imagine CoverGirl LashBlast meets Maybelline's Falsies. LashBlast is great because it dries super fast, holds a curl and separates without clumping. However, it's not the best at building up the lash base and providing volume. Falsies has been the best drugstore mascara I've tried for building volume, but it's a heavy formula and can get clumpy. Loreal Voluminous Million Lashes has a light formula separates my lashes, dries fast and never gets clumpy. It's buildable so you can control the volume and it holds a curl all day. I have pretty oily lids, so there is bound to be some transfer by the end of the day, but I experience that all mascaras, waterproof or not.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
BB Cream -Skin79 - Super+ BB Cream Gold Label
pgloe16 2/11/2013 10:50:00 PM
This is my 4th Korean BB Cream and my favorite so far because it's worked the best for my skin type which is VERY DRY. Keep in mind that this is not a replacement for moisturizer, even though there are hydrating properties. Korean skincare, even for oily skin, has a like three moisturizers in a set and they're all used together on a daily basis. BB creams were not designed to replace moisturizer. I made the switch permanently to BB creams about 5 years ago because my skin just does not get along with most base makeup. I just don't produce enough oils throughout the day for makeup to "take". Most of the BB creams I've tried actually work with my skin, so it doesn't look like I have mask of color sitting on top. That being said, this BB Cream has been the best at leaving natural, dewy finish. My skin looks plump, as if I'd just stepped out of the shower. I also have very sensitive skin that starts to sting immediately if a product irritates it. This product does not and feels great when applying, like a moisturizer. It's thicker than a tinted moisturizer or lotion, but not a heavy cream. It also has SPF, which I use as my daily sunscreen because when I've applied sunscreens separately, they tend to dry out my skin over the course of the day. This BB cream provides medium coverage and brightens without leaving a white cast. Usually about half a pump is plenty to cover my face. For serious acne scars, I do need to go over with a separate concealer. I also recommend using a separate under eye corrector as the BB cream alone will not be enough to hide obvious dark circles. I don't know my MAC #, but I have also tried Missha's Perfect Cover in #21 and both of these BB creams matched my skin tone perfectly, in both undertones and shade. Compared to the Missha one, Skin79 Gold leaves a dewier finish and often, the MIssha one would settle into the the sides of my nose and this one doesn't. While I do like that there is a pump, I wish I could see when I'm running out of product. That'd be my only complaint, but as far as product performance goes, it's perfect for me.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Top/Base Coats -Essie - Matte About You
pgloe16 2/11/2013 8:59:00 PM
FINALLY A NAIL TREND THAT SUITS MY PERSONALITY! While I love learning about crazy nail trends, I just don't like super flashy looks on myself. I love bold colors, but often wished that my topcoats would just provide protection without the super shiny, sticky glossy finish. I fell in love with this topcoat the moment I used it. I just love the look. I also love the satiny feel, which is similar to freshly buffed nails (and, as I realized while typing, like MacBook keys). As noted in other reviews, the topcoat does "darken" the color, but I would say that it neutralizes the color. This is perfect for those of you who love getting manis, but want to have a look that doesn't scream "NAIL POLISH!!!" (like the fellas out there who like a little pampering), I highly recommend giving this a try. I guess this isn't a very helpful review, but you can read all the other ones for info on protection wear, cost etc. I have nothing to add that they haven't already said.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Batiste - Original Dry Shampoo
pgloe16 1/20/2013 10:58:00 PM
Fourth dry shampoo I've tried (Suave and Rene Furterer were the others) and definitely the best of the bunch. It provides much more oil absorption than the two Suaves on the market, albeit Batiste is about twice as expensive. The powder/mist is not as fine as the Suave one, but there is no product buildup at the nozzle.. My only gripe would be the slightly white cast of powder when I get a little heavy handed when spraying (I have yet to try the version for brunette hair). I've tried both the Blush scent and the Original and I prefer the Original scent as it's not as overwhelming.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Unlisted Brand - Summer's Eve - Bath & Shower Gel for sensitive skin
pgloe16 1/20/2013 10:49:00 PM
I grew up watching the Summer's Eve commercials and as a child, would giggle when the name was mentioned, as a tween would joke "Do you have that 'not so fresh feeling'?" and as an adult, scoffed at the idea that we would need anything besides what nature gave us. I'd used various body washes and soaps for years with no concern about scent or a "not so fresh feeling". Then I got a case of BV and even after getting treated for it, I could never go back to how I was pre-BV. I tried different cleansers, body washes, soaps, and even water only. No luck. Enter Summer's Eve Wash for Sensitive Skin (Unscented). I definitely noticed a difference after a couple of weeks of use. I feel cleaner throughout the day and I'm no longer paranoid about scent. At around $3-4 a bottle, it's definitely worth a repeat buy.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Suave - Professionals Keratin Infusion Dry Shampoo
pgloe16 1/29/2012 12:56:00 AM
This is the third dry shampoo I've tried (Rene Furterer and Suave's original dry shampoo) and this is the best of the three. The mist of powder is fine and does not gum up the roots the way Rene Furterer one does. My hair is fine and thin at the top, so too much product weighs it down. Some might think the mist is too fine, but i actually prefer it. It might not be effective enough for those with very oily scalps or those who want to go several days without washing. It works well for every other day washing or as a midday refresher/volume booster. The scent is a little medicinal, but is a vast improvement on the cloyingly sweet one of the original Suave formula and the burning tire smell of Rene Furterer. All in all, it's very affordable, much won't be a miracle worker for those with very oily hair.
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Milani - Infinite Liquid Eye Liner
pgloe16 10/31/2011 11:40:00 PM
I've tried gel liners and several drugstore liquid liners. The one I reviewed was Koji Dolly Wink, which is quite good and long lasting, but is expensive and needs to be ordered online or from Japan. Enter Milani Infinite Liquid Eye Liner. It's cheap ($6-7), available at drug stores and lasts even longer (16+ hours with little transfer). The cons are that the formula is on the thick side, which takes getting used to, and that the brush is not super fine.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Clarins - Double Fix
pgloe16 9/20/2011 10:51:00 PM
Use over your favorite mascara to prevent transfer of makeup to the bottom of your eyes. I have oily Asian double-eye lids and this product really keeps me from looking like a raccoon. Expensive Japanese mascaras are also pretty smudge-proof, but a coat of Clarins Double Fix over any mascara will provide even better protection from mascara transfer. I've gone swimming with no running or smearing and now I can just use a drugstore mascara. It doesn't undo the curl too much. Removal is easy with eye makeup remover. I also use it as a brow fix and it provides a little grip to my eyebrow hairs that my eyebrow pencil takes to well and the color lasts longer than if I don't use it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Shiseido - White Lucent Brightening Serum
pgloe16 6/10/2011 1:44:00 AM
I got the White Lucent Brightening Serum as a sample from my Shiseido sales contact, so I just incorporated it into my routine without much thought, and if it lightened up any acne scars, great! After a week of use, twice a day, I noticed I was getting some hives on my cheeks, which is usually where allergies or irritations first appear on my face. I stopped using it and the next day, my skin was back to normal. Unfortunately, I don't know if it lives up to it's name because I didn't use it long enough to see any whitening or brightening effects.
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Blush -BeneFit Cosmetics - Benetint
pgloe16 6/10/2011 1:37:00 AM
Of the lip stains out on the market, Benetint gives me the most flattering just-bitten-color that lasts the longest and has the most product for the price. I've tried lip stains from Tarte and Revlon, and neither last as long, nor give you as much product, than Benetint. However, the formula is a little too watery, so if you put on too much at once, you'll taste some of it, and it's not too tasty. It's best to put on 2-3 think layers, letting each layer dry. As a cheek stain, it's a little too watery and absorbs into the skin too quickly, so it doesn't blend well. Also the color is too intense for me as a cheek stain. I prefer Posietint, which has a creamier consistency and is a light pink stain, as a blush.
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Blush -BeneFit Cosmetics - Posietint
pgloe16 6/10/2011 1:31:00 AM
I bought the travel-sized trio set of Posietint, Benetint and High Beam and Posietint is really great as a cheek stain. I'm fairly pale and true pinks flatter me the most. Though it looks garish and thick in the tube, Posietint applies slightly creamy and blends well with liquid/cream foundation bases. It's gives me a very natural, flush look. On my lips, it's not as pigmented as I'd like, so I stick with Benetint for lip stain.
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