Hair Color -Revlon - Colorsilk in Blue Black
pulsesync 5/14/2013 11:28:00 AM
I have been dying my hair various shades of black over the years to experiment with the way they fade, and decided it was best to get a blue-black shade because when the blue sheen fades, it looks just like a super dark black, then kind of like a soft black, then super deep dark brown (which is my natural hair color). By buying a blue-black dye, I dye my hair much less frequently (every 4-5 months). As it fades, people ask me if I've colored my hair in any way but they can't put their finger on it, which I think is a fun side effect. I also love the blue sheen. It's really striking, and it suits my skintone. This has a bluer sheen than most blue-black dyes. For example, all of Garnier's blue black dyes lines are a joke. Revlon Colorsilk Blue Black is bluer than those. I am going to try their Colorsilk Buttercream Blue Black dye next to see how it compares. Hopefully the blue in that one will last longer. If you want to touch up the blue without dying your hair again and again, you may try applying a bright blue or indigo Manic Panic "dye" to your hair overnight every 3 weeks (seeing as you're putting it on black hair), and avoiding sulfate shampoos (might as well do the no-poo method). It will give you back the blue sheen and conditions your hair in the process. It sits around the hair shaft instead of penetrating it so it is not damaging. This CAN get expensive but if you're really into having a blue sheen it should work, or you can just skip some weeks.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Maybelline - Color Tattoo 24 hr # 30 Seashore Frosts
pulsesync 5/12/2013 1:04:00 PM
Very creamy consistency, totally not the hard-ish formula of their permanent line or previous LE color tattoos. This is like a dusty teal-blue with a white-gold duochrome. The pic above is very color-accurate. I really love this shade and its texture, etc but for those that can't find this anywhere, I'd say it's easily replicated with a sheer gold shadow or white-gold iridescent/duochrome shadow + a sheer, shiny teal-blue on either side. In other words, if this (__) resembles the closed lid, you can replicate Seashore Frosts like this: ( shiny or sheer teal blue | white-goldy duochrome | shiny or sheer teal blue ) If you're going to replicate it like that, I suggest a shiny gold primer like the Too Faced one. The Urban Decay one would be too yellow in my opinion.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Jonathan - Green Rootine Dry Shampoo Brush On Hair Powder
pulsesync 5/4/2013 10:30:00 PM
I am using the shade for brunettes. I find that dry shampoos all work very similarly and in that case, what I need from them past their purpose are good packaging and a tint to keep it from making my hair look grey. The packaging has a dial so you can control how much comes out and the brush applicator is better than an opening like baby powder containers, and the packaging isn't likely to suddenly become empty like Suave and Dove dry shampoo cans. Jonathan Green Rootine dry shampoo does the job without any problems.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Super Lustrous - Rose Velvet
pulsesync 4/24/2013 12:48:00 AM
This is the more pigmented version of Revlon Lip Butter in Pink Truffle. Its wear time is better than PT. It's a pink-brown color. I used to use it and PT interchangeably until I got MAC Cosmo in a swap and realized I like Cosmo much, much better. This is still a great color and lipstick, but I want a pinkier pink-brown than this.
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Blush -La Femme - Flamingo
pulsesync 4/20/2013 9:09:00 PM
This is ba-bam, golly gee whiz, holy moly, wow, insert every possible positive nonsense exclamation. I have an obsession with pink blushes and have purchased (or at the very least tested) some of the most popular pinks being sold. I realized I looooove the look of cool pinks because neutral or warm pinks start to look a little corally on my cheeks once applied. Even some cool pinks start to turn a little neutral or warm. But this one? Hell no. Flamingo Pink is by far the best pink blush, no...just blush, I have ever used and owned. It stays on from 9 am to 9 pm, and I'm sure it can for longer than that too. Towards the end of the evening, sure it's going to fade a little, but I mean a wee bit. At that point it looks like the look of when you applied your typical NARS blush in the morning. I don't use a cream blush under this nor a primer as bases. This beats NARS (both Desire and Gaiety), Tarina Tarantino Carves Rose, MUFE #26, and e.l.f. Pink Passion in staying power. Other brands with popular pinks like Dior, MAC, and Tarte did not stay well on me at all so I never bothered to purchase them. I am sure I have tried many more expensive pink blushes that faded to nothingness. I won't list them all. I would quote another reviewer Ihavequestions's whole review if I wanted to bore you but just read hers for more raving. See my review for NARS Desire for color comparisons of the pinks I mentioned. This is cooler than NARS Gaiety but lighter than MUFE #26 because MUFE is really purpley.
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Eye Shadow -E.L.F. - Studio Line Single in Pebble
pulsesync 3/28/2013 12:20:00 AM
I didn't know I'd love this eyeshadow as much as I do. It can be such a perfect brow blending color through the inner part of the brow. I prefer a cool toned shade for cut creases for some reason, and this is perfect with Wet N' Wild's Brulee, another go-to single for me. I haven't hit pan on Pebble yet and I have been using it for 9 months on an on/off daily basis (I have probably used this for about 6 months worth of daily use). I use this to mix with a brow color that may look a little too warm, like the Revlon Brow Fantasy in Brunette, which is too neutral for me and not cool enough. For the record, my skin is light-medium, olivey-yellow, on the warm side, NC25, my lightest is NC20 and my darkest is lighter than NC30. I do look greenish when I get paler and certain shades really bring out the yellow and green in me. My hair is naturally a neutral soft black or an extremely deep brown in some lights. I am half Afghan and half Russian so my skin and hair are sometimes hard to match colors with. I think this e/s is all around a good color but for mixed race Caucausian-y people it is especially helpful. I have read blogs that this is a dupe for MAC Copperplate and I don't know if I'd ever justify spending on Copperplate when this is really good.. maybe I'll find an Inglot dupe and spend $6 for 2x the amount that MAC e/s contain/4x the amount that Elf e/s contain.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Unlisted Brand - Lanacane Anti-Chafing Gel
pulsesync 3/22/2013 10:46:00 PM
I found this in a local pharmacy when looking for the Monistat anti-chafing gel. All they had was this Lanacane one. It smells a bit chemically to me. It gives your skin an amazing smooth texture and diffuses the appearance of pores immensely. Between this and the Monistat one (I eventually got Monistat when Lanacane ran out), Lanacane is more pore-diffusing. I would not repurchase this or any other primer because I have personally noticed no difference in the wear of my foundation when I stopped using them (however, I will say my blush and contour fade much faster since I stopped wearing primer/anti chafing gel). I also had much less cystic acne since I stopped wearing primer. If you're not prone to breakouts from silicone products go ahead and try this Lanacane anti-chafing gel.
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Blush -NARS - Desire
pulsesync 2/13/2013 10:58:00 PM
I had wanted this blush for a year before finally getting it. I thought I'd nip the lemming by getting Elf's Pink Passion.. and that was fine, for a while. For the record, Elf's Pink Passion and Nars Desire are NOT dupes. Pink Passion is more blue toned and has a more neon look to it and is much more chalky. I loved how I looked brighter and happier with bright pink blush on, but the Elf blushes faded within 2 hours. That may be helped by me wearing primer but I break out when I do and I don't want to deal with breakouts just for blush to stay vibrant. There is no point to wearing blush if I'm going to need to touch it up every couple hours so I thought a higher end one would give me stronger lasting power. I'd say this lasts about 6 hours, which is high considering how most blushes don't last on me for long at all for some reason. I *really* like this on my NC25 skin (I'm fairly neutrally/olivey though, not too yellow). This is a yellow-toned bright pink. If you want something cooler (or more neutral on the color spectrum) and slightly softer looking, go with Tarina Tarantino Carved Rose. It's also awesome but is a bit more neutral because between Nars Desire and Make Up For Ever 26 it is in between. MUFE 26 is fairly purple toned. All of those have very good lasting power on me. But if I had to pick 1 out of the 3, I would pick Nars Desire because it's most flattering to me. Also, this doesn't come off as that bright until like the 3rd layer. If I try to wear a typical "wearable" pink blush, it's like I didn't even put any on. Bright pink blushes give me the effect that the wearable ones fail at doing. I don't have to layer this on endlessly and blend too much. It's a really good pigmentation and a reasonable price point.
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Liquid -MAC - Face and Body Foundation
pulsesync 1/21/2013 1:43:00 PM
I feel like this foundation's performance highly depends on the temperature of the room you're applying it in and wearing. When it's warm, this glides on a lot easier and has a smoother finish. When it's cold, this is super streaky with a myriad of brushes (foundation, flat top kabuki, rounded kabuki, fingers, mixed with moisturizer, most sponges except for beautyblender). You have to buff it in a lot which is irritating... Sometimes I spend way more time trying to aggressively blend it on my skin than I do with filling in eyebrows or mascara application. It dries VERY quickly which probably contributes to the streakyness. I bought this when MAC only offered it in the 4.0 oz size.. It is a great value amongst most foundations but I think I have a hard time getting through that amount without it the components separating after a year (friend's experience with it). I have stored it in the fridge in the summertime to keep it from separating and I have kept it out in my makeup storage in the colder months. It is been about 9 months (no separation yet) since I bought it but I wish I had just bought something else instead. I don't think it lasts that long unless I powder over it. At least it doesn't transfer if I'm cuddling with my boyfriend and I don't have to worry about that possibility of flesh colored stuff on his shirt.
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Fragrances -Gucci - Gucci Guilty
pulsesync 12/10/2012 8:33:00 AM
This smells like a magazine page. You know what I mean. It's indistinct but it does smell good and you are unsure of whether you like it or not. I have this in the mini spray size which is opaque. I am just glad it has an atomizer instead of rollerball because I prefer to spray perfume on my clothes rather than my skin. The tube being opaque is annoying because I can't tell how much I have left. I have been using this as a "freshen up" spray around my armpits and crotch and such (don't lie, you do it too) since it's only a mini and it doesn't have enough depth to it for me to want to make it into a statement fragrance.
4 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Highlighters -MAC - Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade
pulsesync 11/4/2012 1:09:00 AM
I have to say I'm not that impressed. This perfectly serves its function, but I feel like so would a sheer shimmery white eyeshadow. I tried using Jordana Snowy White eyeshadow and it looked extremely similar. Highlighters have their nuances like all makeup products, and in this case the biggest difference is that the Jordana eyeshadow's white base is more pigmented and you have to use a light hand with it. With MAC Lightscapade, if you only want a natural looking glow, a light-medium hand is fine. It looks like it gives a dewy glow as opposed to LOOK AT MY SHIMMERY DEWY CHEEKS. However, I find myself needing several swipes or a heavy hand so it can waste a bit of time. Then again, I'd rather look not dewy enough than way too shiny. I sort of bought it so I could resell it for a higher price, then I ended up liking it enough to keep. :P All the same though - I'd be totally happy using any of my other highlighters like CoverGirl Snow Plum (what an unsung hero! This is slightly iridescent white-champagney pink) , Boots Shimmering Lotion, Wet n' Wild Reserve Your Cabana, Wet 'n' Wild Acapulco Glow etc. In no way is MAC Lightscapade something I'd always repurchase, mostly because there are outstanding cheaper options.
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Polishes -Wet 'n' Wild - 424 Black Creme
pulsesync 9/10/2012 10:56:00 PM
Pretty much opaque with one coat (two is best though). However, beware of the insane chipping, even if you are wearing a good basecoat and topcoat.
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BB Cream -Too Faced - Tinted Beauty Balm Multi-Benefit Skin Care Makeup
pulsesync 8/31/2012 10:48:00 PM
I am in love with this. Read on for a rave review. My skin: Dry with flakes half the time around my mouth, sensitive, gets light freckles on my nose in the summer, hormonal acne and 0-5 clogged pores here and there at any given time anywhere on my face because it likes to give me hell whether or not I use makeup or skincare, neutral leaning warm/ MAC NC25 most of the year. Moisturizer I use underneath this without primer and it looks great with Too Faced BB cream - Eucerin Everyday Protection Spf 30 Face lotion. Powder over Too Faced - MAC MSFN in Medium Plus Why I bought this: An SA first recommended this to me when I was trying to buy some TM's or BB creams and was unsure where to start with and she said all she was wearing was the Too Faced BB Cream. Her skin looked great and naturally luminous (not sweaty-looking) so I asked for a sample. At the time I was also interested in the MUFE HD foundation and the Laura Mercier TM, got samples of those, neither of which ever fully blended on my skin. Color and Consistency: I got the Vanilla Glow shade. This matches NC25 for sure. It will be slightly too dark for NC20 I think, and might be okay for NC30. Definitely too light for NC35 -- get Cream Glow. Too Faced blended flawlessly, felt like an averagely thick moisturizer on my face as opposed to a runny B&BW lotion or super thick Nivea-like creme consistency. How it looks and wears throughout a day or sweat: It has microshimmer which takes away the need to add highlighter or a luminizing lotion or something like that. On me, many foundations have a dulling look because they have too much of a matte finish and looks way more like a foundation mask unlike Too Faced's effect of slightly-closer-to-perfection skin. Too Faced's looks like a post-workout sort of glow but all day long. About that, I've worn this to work out to test its reaction to a sweaty face and I have to say I actually looked BETTER after sweating in it (no powder over it). It may not be the best thing for my skin to wear it during a work out but life happens and I don't always have time to go to the gym in the morning so I'll work out with make up on sometimes. IMO, this settles into the skin in the way that a ridge-filling basecoat does on nails. Oil Control: I am much more prone to sweating a lot on my face more than oil production but some days I get very oily on my nose all of a sudden and this doesn't control it, especially since the microshimmer in this can emphasize the sheen of oil (or sweat). My MSFN takes care of that aspect for me. Price vs Quality: Considering the BB cream market in the US has only recently exploded of different price points, and there are cheaper Asian brand bb creams, this could seem lost in the overall number of choices. However I haven't tried all of them yet so this is my HG for now. I have used Bobbi Brown's (more expensive than Too Faced's) which I love a little less but it is a smaller tube yet more pigmented so it evens out in the end. You may end up buying a BB cream or TM that could have a huge tube but not be enough coverage for you so you'll do a couple layers and run out of it the same time that you'd run out of any other brand's TM or BB cream. To me, at that point Too Faced is A) average high end price for a TM/BB cream, possibly even on the low end of Sephora-carried brands B)medium, buildable coverage that I don't have to layer endlessly for a good effect and won't have to repurchase too soon and C)great quality! Sorry for the long review, I haven't written a review in a while and felt I should expand on this relatively non-talked product I think is a gem.
14 out of 16 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Sally Hansen - Xtreme Wear - Pacific Blue
pulsesync 6/28/2012 9:13:00 AM
I love this. It is one of the most vivid blues I've ever seen and has amazing staying power. I had it on for 9 days and I only had a bit of tip wear. Will repurchase if it ever runs out but I think I have so much polish and rotate it so often that I'll never really have to.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Brows -Rimmel - Professional Eyebrow Pencil
pulsesync 6/28/2012 9:06:00 AM
Currently the only brow pencil that works for me, meaning it has a)the right color for my very dark brown hair color ( I have 004 Black Brown) and most importantly b) IT DOESN'T RIP MY HAIRS OUT. Somehow, all other brow pencils I've tried to date are so creamy/waxy that they glue my eyebrows flat on my skin and when I think that I'm done filling, they rip out a hair or two. They have been thrown in the trash, given away, or returned to the store. I also love the color of this because it's the nicest brown eyeliner color I've tried. I previously used a thin, small winged black liquid liner for an everyday look but this looks a lot more appropriate for minimal makeup days. Unfortunately it creased and faded but oh man, the color. If anyone knows of a liner that is a color dupe of this one and stays well, please inbox me.
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