Palettes -Urban Decay - Book of Shadows Vol. IV
reenerneener 7/5/2012 3:54:00 AM
i think what pissed me off most about this palette is how i payed $60 for it...when shortly after it was released, it was going for nearly half that. my bad, i guess. but i don't think this palette did as well as UD was anticipating. so i marked the price as high, even though you can probable find this palette on hautelook or nordstrom rack for an incredibly reasonable price. for an actual review: first...packaging SUCKS. i know they're called 'BOOK of shadows...but this thing is the size of a bible. it is just impractical to carry around in my kit. i think if a client saw me pull out this huge palette they'd laugh. but i don't have the heart to depot it..so i guess i'll just deal with it :P the shadows are great, as usual with UD. i'm glad they finally steered away from making their shades intense glitter bombs. this palette comes with a travel primer (in the new squeeze tube which is SO much better than the genie bottle) as well as a full sized liquid liner & a travel sized mascara. it also comes with a speaker for your phone & some other dumb shit that i forgot about as soon as i got the palette. cool idea, i guess...but i don't need to use my makeup to watch videos..? eeeeither way. if you can score this palette for cheap, then definitely do it.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Unlisted Brand - Layla Cosmetics - Hologram Effect
reenerneener 4/26/2012 1:51:00 AM
I am terribly obsessed with this entire line of polishes. I seem to always miss out on the cool, holographic collections from OPI, China Glaze, etc & was stoked to see these at my local Ulta. I quickly (&impulsively) ended up buying them all. I was super excited to test them out when I got home. Some quick details before I review: Manufactured to Layla Cosmetics. I've only ever seen this brand at Ulta. From what I gather, they are based in Italy. Each bottle retails $15 USD...PRICEY. But, if you are an Ulta Rewards member, you can redeem your points for a dollar amount off your order (I ended up getting these at about $7-$8 per bottle after my rewards!) The collection consists of 8 colours total: Mercury Twilight (holographic silver) Coral Glam (holographic nude) Jade Groove (holographic green) Mermaid Spell (holographic teal) Retro Pink (holographic pink) Ultra Violet (holographic pink) Ocean Rush (holographic blue) Flash Black (holographic black) Each bottle is 10 mL & shelf life is listed as 36 months. They market these polishes to be used with the 'base file' they sell. I currently have acrylic nails & the directions state that using the file isn't necessary on acrylics or reconstructed nails. I ended up using the file anyways because I removed the nail polish I had on beforehand. The directions state that the nails should be shiny, as it helps make the effect more intense. I ended up applying 3 coats in total to make the effect/colouring super intense. I currently have on Flash Black (will add a pic to this review) and have been staring at my hands non-stop :P They suggest using their top coat for this, but I was unable to find it. So I used OPI DS Top Coat instead. The effect looked ruined at first, but after the top coat dried, it was super rainbow-y & glossy. So, with all that...it's safe to say that these are incredibly awesome & I'm addicted. I wouldn't normally pay so much for nail polish, but like I mentioned before, the Ulta reward points helped BIG TIME. Plus, the $3.50 off $10 purchase coupon works on these, too. The brush on these is okay, not huge but not too small either. I have a rather petite nail bed & had to dip the brush in for more polish a few times. I have a few other holo polishes, but feel I like these best. I have the Nfu-Oh series & could never get them to work well on me. Definitely check them out if you love holographic polishes. I am infatuated with these :D
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Tarte - Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara
reenerneener 4/26/2012 1:30:00 AM
After demolishing two tubes of this mascara, I think I'm ready to write my review :P I am sooooo happy this mascara was recommended to me. I have naturally long lashes that look absolutely flawless with this mascara. I am always complimented when I use it & asked if I'm wearing fakes. The price is a little intimidating, but I'm pretty happy with this mascara, so I dish over the dough. My only small complaint is that the brush is just a tad too big for my personal liking.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Tarte - Amazonian Clay 12-hour Full-Coverage Foundation SPF 15
reenerneener 4/26/2012 1:16:00 AM
I definitely have a love/hate with this foundation. Coverage is definitely full...maybe too full?! It has a bit of a thick consistency that my skin apparently hates. I did buy the brush that is meant for this foundation & it made a HUGE difference, though. But even so, I find that I only use this on days where I really, REALLY need the coverage. Be sure you moisturize well beforehand because it will emphasize any bit of dryness.
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Eye Primer -Urban Decay - Eyeshadow Primer Potion - Eden
reenerneener 4/25/2012 8:52:00 PM
My HG primer for sure! Even if my look for the day isn't matte, I still prefer to use this primer over anything else! I think the formula is more creamy & better than the original. I'm also super glad UD FINALLY updated their wasteful genie tube to a squeeze tube.
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Highlighters -TheBalm - Mary-Lou Manizer
reenerneener 4/25/2012 7:13:00 AM
As a girl who rarely bronzes/luminizes, I am super happy to have found this & it's sister bronzer. I grabbed these from Marshalls a few months ago (so price was cheap) but for some reason, never gave them a try. With warmer weather coming, I want to give my fair skin some colour. I started off with this first & touched up areas that I'd normally highlight. I was surprised at how subtle but pretty this looked, like a natural dewy finish on my skin. It's noticeable on my fair complexion, but not to the point where I look like a greasy, shimmery mess. Love this.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Typographic (from Matte2)
reenerneener 4/25/2012 7:01:00 AM
Probably my favourite black eyeshadow. It has a great texture & blends really well. I like that it's dark enough to be black, but not HOLYSHITTHAT'SDARK black. You can build it up gently to deepen it without regretting what you're doing. This is one of my go-to shadows for adding some definition to the crease with just about any look.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Primer -Fyrinnae - Pixie Epoxy
reenerneener 4/25/2012 6:59:00 AM
This stuff is a god-send for glitter fiends like me! Works really well with loose pigments/glitters, to add some extra 'oomph' to your looks. You need the teeniest, tiniest dab, which means your tube of this will last forever. The downside is the shipping process Fyrinnae has. If you don't want to wait, you can always opt for the LA Splash Sealer/Base which is just as good as Pixie Epoxy!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Paint Pot in Painterly
reenerneener 4/25/2012 6:55:00 AM
My go-to eyeshadow base. Painterly suits my skintone really well whether I do a simple neutral eye or something bright. Formula is creamy, easy to blend. I tend to use a medium-sized flat brush to apply this & if necessary, just use my finger to blend. Not too crazy about the price, but the products lasts me a long time, even with daily use.
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Eye Shadow -Maybelline - Color Tattoo 24hr Cream Gel Shadow
reenerneener 4/25/2012 6:45:00 AM
I'll admit...for a Maybelline product, I'm pretty impressed. These are definitely comparable to MAC paint pots for a more affordable price. Some of the formulas are creamier, more opaque while a few others are sheer. I don't use these as an eyeshadow by itself, but rather as a coloured base. You can usually pick these up on sale at Ulta or Walgreens, so the price isn't bad. I wouldn't buy again, simply because I own too many other bases :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Revlon - Colorburst Lip Butter
reenerneener 4/25/2012 6:35:00 AM
I...am officially addicted to these! What a pleasant little surprise these are! First off, the colour range is HUGE, so it is very likely that you will find a few colours that suit you well. Also, I love that these vary in their texture & opacity. Some are sheer & shiny, while a few are thicker & more pigmented. I have 9 so far & not a single complaint with any of them! Also, you can generally find these on sale (BOGO50%) and Revlon runs coupons all the time for even more savings, so price wise, they're very affordable! Love these!
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Liquid -Revlon - ColorStay Makeup
reenerneener 4/25/2012 6:32:00 AM
For a drug store foundation, not bad! I've tried many of the popular high-end foundations but never found one I could really stick with. I finally gave ColourStay a try & I'm really liking it. I don't use foundation everyday & luckily, in most cases, I can get away with some tinted moisturizer. But I picked up a bottle after reading the awesome reviews & gave it a try on one of those days where I needed some coverage. The formula was nice, not too sticky or runny. The colour matched me PERFECTLY & as a lighter-than-NC15 skintone, that is rare! I used a basic foundation brush & felt the coverage was pretty medium, but it kinda left a dewy look on my skin. It lasted me an 8-hour work day & washed off easy. Only downside for me? I wish it came with a pump!
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Blush -TheBalm - Down Boy
reenerneener 3/8/2012 2:17:00 AM
I will hopefully be buying this blush forever! It works PERFECTLY with my incredibly fair skin. It's super easy to build up from a light flush, to full on pink cheeks. LOVE it. I was lucky to find this for cheap at Marshalls. I also scored a backup on HauteLook, for about half the regular price. This is a nice, clean, matte blush that is amazing.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -TheBalm - Hot Mama
reenerneener 3/8/2012 2:14:00 AM
As someone who did NOT get along with NARS Orgasm blush, I was really happy to stumble across Hot Mama at Marshalls a few weeks ago. This blush is essentially Orgasm's twin, just without the annoying chunky glitter. I also find that Hot Mama is easier to work with in terms of how it applies & blends out. I was lucky to find this for cheap, as TheBalm products tend to be quite pricy.
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Mascara -FairyDrops - Platinum mascara
reenerneener 8/23/2011 2:27:00 PM
I generally stick with Lancome Hypnose in terms of a high end mascara. But my Sephora rarely has it in stock, so I decided to give the Scandal Queen version a try. First, the brush is pretty unique, but I'm not sure if I'm finding a difference with the way my lashes look. The formula had a weird consistency as it seemed thinner & wetter than the mascaras I normally use. Unfortunately, this mascara caused some type of chemical burning around my eyes. Within hours of applying it (and changing nothing else about my usual routine) my eyes were burning & I noticed a red mark on my eyelid. This has NEVER happened to me before with any other product. I stopped using it for a few days, just to be sure & when I attempted again, it came right back. I wouldn't wear anything around my eyes for 2-3 days & they were so itchy, bumpy & red. It was painful & terrible :/ It seems like the other reviews for this are better than mine, so I'm hoping it was just me who had an allergic reaction to something as opposed to everyone. Thankfully, Sephora has an awesome return policy & I'm hoping they've got my Hypnose in stock!
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