Blush -MAC - Sheertone Shimmer - Springsheen
prettyfacades 4/6/2013 10:38:00 AM
I kind of love this. Kind of. It's a no brainer type of blush, throw on and go. I'm about NC20, and this goes great with my skintone, like a more natural look. It blends well into my skin and doesn't emphasise pores. The shimmer is a tad too much sometimes, I would prefer more of a sheen rather than a shimmer. The great thing about this is the formula. It doesn't break me out. Despite MAC having a reputation of having foundationst hat break people out (I agree with this), the blushes have a great non-irritating/clogging formula. Better than I can say about NARS blush formulas which gave me cystic acne. Price is ok, inexpensive. Packaging is just, normal I guess. It's great that it's not ridiculously bulky like Chanel (what is the point of bulky plastic packaging that feels to cheap?) Yes I would buy this again if I can't find anything that's similar with that sheen and good formula.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Unlisted Brand - Emma Hardie-amazing face
prettyfacades 4/6/2013 10:30:00 AM
This irritated my skin to no end, it actually irritated my skin enough to give me bumps all over my cheeks. And I did take everything off properly. The problem is with the essential oils in it. Yes, it makes this balm smell amazing, but it's soooo bad for sensitive skins. I'm giving it a 1 because there are just too many unnecessary ingredients in it such as fatty alcohols (clogging), lavender oil (one of the most irritating ingredients ever), etc etc etc. I'm usually so careful with what I buy/put on my face, like I will look at ingredients etc, but the hype drew me in and I completely regret this. I got it in a set with the exfoliating seeds and the muslim cloth, which weren't that great either. The seeds were kinda meh, and the cloth fell apart after less than 5 hand-washes. Just, NO.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Unlisted Brand - Accutane (by prescription)
prettyfacades 12/31/2012 2:27:00 AM
EDIT: I'm now on round 2 month 4, and I remember why accutane is so great now. I'm getting that accutane glow and I'm 90% clear. I have documented all my progress and products in my notepad. I went on Accutane for 9 months, 20mg/day, so total dose would be 120mg/kg. It was amazing, I was completely clear after 2 months, and this was after months of various antibiotics and topicals. The side effects I got were dryness. Dry skin, dry eyes, dry hair, and my periods would only be 3 days instead of the normal 5-6 days. Maybe this was because of the lack of fluids, so the blood can't flow? Idk. Also, the nosebleeds. They are SCARY as fuck. But just put on vaseline inside the nostril every couple of days and it'll be fine. But if I get a cold and have to blow my nose alot, there's bound to be a nosebleed. And it's seriously flowy and heavy, like to the point of the blood flowing backwards into the throat (LIKE you're drinking your own blood, ewwwww). After 1 year of finishing the course, I seemed to be breaking out a little. Not sure whether the effects have worn off or it's the products I was using, but now it's 18 months after I've finished my first course, and I have mild-moderate acne, some clogs, some cystic spots and some pustules. 18 months after finishing, my skin isn't super oily like before, it's more normal/combination. It's not really sensitive anymore,, but I have some breakouts. I am now going on a 2nd round of accutane a 10mg/day, a very low dose and I hope it'll get better. Bottom line: It isn't a miracle once-off cure for acne, but it does help alot. Acne might come back, but it won't be as bad as before. The side effects aren't that big of a problem, in my opinion.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Shu Uemura - Face Architect Glow Enhancing Powder Foundation SPF26
prettyfacades 8/19/2012 2:07:00 AM
I have the colour 974 in this, and I'm a very yellow NC20. LOVE. Words cannot describe how much I love this. It's amazing for a powder foundation. I apply this with a skunk brush (something like MAC 187 but from Laura Mercier) all over to set my concealer and give myself slightly more coverage. The colour is amazing. I'm asian so it's very difficult for me to find a foundation with yellow enough undertones for my skin that doesn't break me out or irritate my skin. It doesn't cake up or go orange on me. It does give the powdery look (obviously cos it's a powder foundation), but it's really alot better than other powder foundations I've tried. The most magical thing about this is that it manages to give decent coverage while still looking translucent. It's some kind of wizardry cos I always thought that was an oxymoron and impossible to achieve. But this does it. The powder is of very fine texture as well. Lasting power is really good. One time, I wore this for 15 hours (in summer, thru dance practice and a barbecue) and it still looked good. Maybe a little bit dewy-er than when it first looked but still good. Not greasy, orange, separated or disappeared. Doesn't break me out at all, my skin actually looks better since I've started using this and not liquid foundation. It does separate/pool into my pores a little by the 8th hour or so, but only at the base of my nose where I tend to get ezcema. So that is just my weird skin being problematic. I hate that the case is so big though. I don't even put a sponge in there so half the case is kinda just taking up valuable space in my (very cluttered) make up bag. I wish they made a more compact case that didn't have the sponge compartment. All in all: This is amazing. Buy this NOW. EDIT: THIS BROKE ME OUT. But if you're not sensitive to sunscreen ingredients, it'll be fine.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Stick -Shu Uemura - Nobara cream cover stick
prettyfacades 8/19/2012 1:55:00 AM
This is a creamy, med-full coverage foundation. I use it mainly as concealer around my eyes and nose; not so much for full on foundation unless I have a special event. I wear 774, I'm about NC20 in MAC. Pros: - Amazing glide - Doesn't crease under my eyes or settle into pores. - Multi tasking product: sheer out with a damp sponge, or whack it on with a dense brush for fuller coverage. So really good for travel - VERY VERY good colours for asian skintones. I have such yellow undertones that most foundations turn out peachy or orange on me. And this matches my skintone so well, I never thought that was possible. - Doesn't have cyclops, mineral oil, alcohol in it. So won't be a problem for most people, skin wise. - Doesn't emphasise flakes, relative to other foundations. Cons: - The twist up mechanism gets wobbly and doesn't twist up smoothly if it gets banged around alot. - Clogs my pores if I use it a few days in a row all over. But I think that's because it's really creamy and I live in a very hot and humid place where you sweat the moment you leave the house. - Oil does break through after 6 hours or so, and I don't have particularly oily skin. Bottomline: This is a good product to have around, very versatile and multi-purpose. I use this all the time when I travel and can't be bothered to bring my bulkier concealers.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -MAC - Buff
prettyfacades 8/19/2012 1:41:00 AM
This is fricking amazing. No one really talks about this, but it's seriously the most perfect blush for me. I'm very yellow/olive-y NC20. It's a matte brown with a hint of peach and grey in it. There is no red tones in it as far as I can tell, which is good for people who tend to get blotchy or have surface redness in the skin. It's like a darker and browner version of MAC Tenderling. I use it as a very subtle contour and it just gives a hint of definition without looking like I've actually put on product. It works great with the 129 brush for this. The grey ish tones in it mimics the natural shadow on the face. It's quite similar to Burberry blush in Earthy. I can see it being a very nice nude/neutral blush with people darker than me, maybe NC30 to NC40/42. The peach in it makes it good as a blush. Compared to other neutral blushes like Nars Douceur and MAC Blushbaby, this is alot less pink.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -La Roche Posay - Physiological Cleansing Gel
prettyfacades 8/19/2012 1:36:00 AM
I really really like this. And it's rare that I like a cleanser this much. My skin is semi-dehydrated, combination/acne prone. This cleanser cleans without stripping. Alot of cleansers I have tried in the past either 1) broke me out cos they don't rinse clean by themselves, or 2) stripped my skin hence irritating it and making me break out. My skin also got better after I started using this cleanser, it's more plump and less blotchy and I break out less. I think my previous cleanser (LRP Toleriane softening foaming gel) was irritating my skin, which contributed to dehydration and breakouts. Some people might think that this is not cleaning because there's a "film" left on the skin, but there isn't. It's just your skin's own oils/acid mantle, and just because the skin doesn't feel tight doesn't mean it's not clean! Tight skin means your cleanser is too harsh and your skin is irritated! I just wish it didn't have alcohol and fragrance in it. I am slightly sensitive to the last few ingredients but this hasn't caused any trouble for me after 3 months.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Phyto - Phytorhum shampoo
prettyfacades 8/19/2012 1:29:00 AM
Generally, I love this. It gives my hair volume and makes my hair feel clean but not stripped. I have relatively fine, straight hair. It does smell funky, but after you get used to it, it's fine. The thing is, it doesn't come with a pump, and I like my shower products to have a pump. But I understand why it doesn't, I used a pump with my first bottle, and it started to smell really weird after a few weeks. Maybe it's the exposure to air or something, but I guess there's a reason why it doesn't have a pump. You have to shampoo twice with this though. First time, it won't really lather up, and you just work it into the roots/scalp and kinda push the reminder thru the length of the hair. Rinse after 2 minutes. The second time, it will lather up more. It is expensive for a shampoo, yes, but it's totally worth it. I wash my hair 2-3 times a week and one bottle can easily last me half a year.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Shiseido - Majolica Majorca Lash Expander Frame Plus
prettyfacades 8/19/2012 1:23:00 AM
In short: This holds a curl, doesn't smudge or flake or give me panda eyes. And I live in 60-90% humidity and have oily and hooded lids. But the wand is a pain to deal with, it's very easy to smear this all over your eyelids when you apply this. Although that may be just me being clumsy. This is a fiber mascara, very typical of japanese drugstore mascaras. It gives length, but not alot of volume. It is super black, so it really defines the lashes. I also have the blue one, which is a very nice shade, it really makes brown eyes pop. The wand is a weird comb/scoop plastic thing, it's very difficult for me to apply this without getting it all over my lids. But it's fine if you prop a namecard against your lid to "guard" it against the smearing. It's seriously bullet proof; I can sweat, cry, put in eyedrops and this will not budge. But you have to work with it quickly, because when it dries, it's so difficult to comb through it again. It does take more effort to put on than usual mascaras due to the wand but the formula is unbeatable imo.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Chanel - Rouge Coco in Legende 11
prettyfacades 3/16/2012 11:37:00 PM
I like this. It's the EXACT colour of my lips when I'm healthy and well rested. I'm NC20 and it goes on like a neutral-warm pink. The formula is a bit drying if I don't wear lip balm underneath. It is quite opaque, and has some slightly golden shimmer in it. It looks very natural and pretty on the lips. Will not repurchase as I'm not a fan of the Rouge Coco formula in general.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -La Roche Posay - Cicaplast
prettyfacades 3/16/2012 11:32:00 PM
I use this a primer on dry, flaky spots if I have them from acne medication. It helps makeup go on smoother, and is less scary than most commercial primers. I don't use this as proper skincare cos I'm quite sensitive to silicones but this has not broken me out. It tastes weird when you put it on the lips, so I don't use it for that. Not the best, but not bad either.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Kose - Sekkisei Seikisho Perfect Cleansing Oil
prettyfacades 3/16/2012 11:28:00 PM
I LOVE THIS OIL CLEANSER!! It's mineral oil based, which is actually the quite a "safe" oil for acne prones if you get it off completely, more safe than Olive oil or rosehip oil. Since this has emulsifiers in it, it rinses clean. It's not too drying, unlike the DHC one. And doesn't break me out. When I use it, it actually gets the oil clogs out of my skin. I use it with dry hands on dry skin. It has made my skin very smooth after a week of use. It comes with a pump and a stopped to prevent it from leaking when you travel. The bottle is translucent blue plastic and looks very clean. LOVE IT.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -MAC - Sheertone Blush in Coygirl
prettyfacades 3/16/2012 11:23:00 PM
This is a netural to cool undertoned pink. It's not too cool-toned that I can't wear it. I'm NC20 with strong yellow undertones and it's just a good pop of pink. It is sheer and when applied with a soft brush gives a very pretty and natural flush.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Avene - Cold cream ultra-rich cleansing gel
prettyfacades 1/26/2012 12:11:00 AM
OHGOD THE SMELL. Can't stand the overly synthetic orange smell, but luckily it fades away as soon as I wash it off. I use it as a body wash and face wash when I don't wear makeup. It cleans well and rinses without leaving a film. The skin on my back is now softer and less bumpy. The 400ml bottle comes with a pump which is really nice. Love this product, but the smell is reaaaalllly horrible. Going to try LRP Lipkar Syndet next.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Klorane - gentle shampoo with oat milk ( frequent use)
prettyfacades 1/20/2012 11:34:00 PM
This is an ok shampoo. It leaves the hair soft and smooth, not dry and frizzy, I don't even use conditioner. I would like it even more if it cleaned a bit better. I only wash my hair 2-3 times a week (lazy haha), and I feel like this doesn't really clean out all the product buildup from my dry shampoo, hairspray, and hair oils. It's good for everyday I guess but not cleansing enough for me. Yes I would repurchase. I'm trying to wash my hair more often actually, as motivation for me to work out more.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No