Eye Shadow -Maybelline - Color Tattoo 24hr Cream Gel Shadow in Tough as Taupe
rhody 5/21/2013 1:44:00 PM
Terrible. Compared with the other tattoos, this has no staying power at all - it creases on me within a couple of hours. The colour is awful - more muddy than taupe. It is much darker than it looks in the pot. You could spend your hard-earned money on this, or you could rub some mud on your lids - it would have about the same result.
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Primer/ Corrector -Juice Beauty - Stem Cellular Repair CC Cream
rhody 4/22/2013 3:32:00 PM
I've been hesitating about reviewing this because some days I love it, and others days it doesn't work so well for me. I really wish MUA had a "maybe" button instead of just "yes" or "no" WRT repurchasing. Coverage: As others have stated, this gives EXTREMELY minimal coverage. It might make your skin look a little more uniform, but it's not going to cover anything except perhaps a little bit of redness. I suppose this is either a pro or con, depending on what you're looking for. Formula: I too have noticed what others have complained about, which is the product sitting on top of the skin. This happened to me too, but I think I was just using too much. If I use less of it it actually absorbs quite quickly into my skin and leaves it looking very natural (like I have nothing on). It provides a decent amount of moisture, but certainly not enough for very dry skin, or for cold winter days. My main concern is that I bought this product for two reasons: moisture and SUN PROTECTION. I know it's rated highly and has good, stable ingredients (zinc oxide). However, due to the need to apply it sparingly (or risk having it sit on top of your face) I feel like I'm not getting enough sun protection. Every article about sunscreen says you have to use a LOT to get proper protection, and you just can't use a lot of this stuff without it feeling heavy. So, for ordinary days when I'm not going to be in direct sun, I'll use this. But not sure if I'll repurchase.
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Eyeliner -Essence - long lasting eyeliner Think Khaki
rhody 3/14/2013 5:50:00 PM
A very pleasant surprise. I paid CAD $2.50 for this. Considering that I was about to pay $20 for a MUFE aqua eyes liner, I'm pretty happy that I found this! Pros: - cheap - pigmented - does NOT drag across the lid or skip. It's very, very soft. - a very nice colour. It's called khaki but it's really more of a golden olive green, with a metallic finish. Once applied, it almost looks like a gel eyeliner would look. - long-lasting. I've had it on for 9 hours now and it's still going strong. - decent packaging. Nothing fancy, but functional. The colour of the pen matches the colour of the liner product. Cons: - there is no built-in sharpener (it's an automatic pencil) and because the product is so soft, it's very hard to get a sharp line.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Colorburst Lip Butter in Pink Truffle
rhody 3/13/2013 12:33:00 PM
I normally wouldn't write a review of a product that I'm so blah about. But there are so many great reviews for this that I feel it would be useful to add my views. In my mind, this lipstick is absolutely nothing special. I do NOT understand the hype. The texture is nice (like all of the Revlon lip butters) and I really appreciate that there is no shimmer or glitter. However, the colour is neither here nor there. And I don't mean it's a fabulous neutral - no, I mean that it's kind of pink, kind of brown, but overall kind of blah. It actually reminds me of some of the 1990s brownish lipsticks. It's not hideous, but when I put it on I feel it does nothing to liven up my face. It's just meh. Also, I find that this smears really easily and smudges past my lip lines. For a lip butter (ie a product that's supposed to be easy to wear) I don't think I should have to use lip liner or lip primer to keep this from sliding around. Honestly, there are MUCH better neutrals out there. I really think this is an overhyped product.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Concealer Brush
rhody 2/25/2013 5:29:00 PM
Best dollar I ever spent. I LOOOOVE this brush and have purchased two back-ups. I have read that you are only supposed to put concealer on the very dark parts of your undereye circles - if you put it on the area surrounding the dark circle, it gives you that raccoon look. Well, this is the first brush that has ever allowed me to do such precise placement under my eyes. It's also excellent for covering any darkness near the tear ducts. I could think of a million uses for this brush. I'm not sure why people are complaining about it being small - you can see through the clear packaging that it's tiny! It's small size, synthetic bristles and crazy cheap price are why I love it.
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Patina (Frost)
rhody 2/19/2013 4:26:00 PM
On paper this eyeshadow was everything I wanted: a cool, greyish-brownish-taupe with subtle shimmer. Unfortunately, it just doesn't look good on me. I have green eyes, and this seems to compete with my eye colour instead of enhancing it. It really makes me look washed out and tired, and seems to bring out the red in the skin around my eyes. Overall, it is just not flattering at all - I would look better wearing no eyeshadow than this. I get why some people like the color, as it's fairly unique, but it just looks bad on me (fair skin, neutral undertones, green eyes and blond hair). I also find that the pigmentation is very poor.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Rimmel - Glam Eyes HD Shadows
rhody 1/3/2013 10:08:00 AM
Like everyone else, my main complaint is the packaging. While the flag design is very appealing, the pans of colour are minuscule and it makes it next to impossible to apply. Too bad, because the shadows are decent, especially for the price. They're quite pigmented, soft, and blend like a dream. I have the green one (Green Park). A bit sparkly for anyone with crepey lids, but otherwise a good shadow in terrible packaging.
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Concealers -Garnier - Anti-Dark-Circle Eye Roller
rhody 12/21/2012 12:54:00 PM
I don't know what everyone else is raving about; I hate this product so much. For me it was a total waste of $15 (which I consider to be fairly expensive for a drugstore brand). It makes me look about 10 years older than I am, settles into fine lines, and does not blend with my skin. It is literally one of the worst concealers I've tried. The rollerball dispenses way too much product, is imprecise, and cannot be very hygienic. An absolute disaster on me.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Cargo - Cannes
rhody 12/19/2012 2:48:00 PM
I love, and I mean love, Cargo blushes. I had wanted Cannes for a while and was so excited to try it. Sadly, this one will be going back. As others have described, it is a matte peach with no pink tones at all. Well, it turns out that I need some pink tones after all. On me, this just made me kook kind of ruddy; the colour did not look natural. On me, it was more orange than peach. I know that blush is supposed to mimic our natural flush, and I don't naturally flush a matte orangey-peach. The texture of the product is good, as is the amount you get. My problem was only with the colour.
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Eye Shadow -Sephora - Cinderella collection Midnight Hour
rhody 11/18/2012 4:33:00 PM
Being a crazy Disney fan, I eagerly bought this eye shadow kit. The colours looked very nice in the pan: a pale peachy pink, a white, a light grey and a very dark grey. Unfortunately, this went back to Sephora. Although the colours are pretty, the texture made my lids look really crepey. I was surprised because the colours don't look glittery in the pan, but they go on very very shimmery. The pink looked the least shimmery in the pan, but it turned into a frosted mess on my eyes. I won't even comment on how the white one looked. It would be perfect if I wanted to look 15 years older than I really am. The packaging is very pretty, sophisticated, and very subtly Disney. It made me sad to return it but $33 was too much to pay for a palette that was never going to get used.
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Eyeliner -Tarte - EmphasEYES Aqua-Gel Eyeliner
rhody 11/18/2012 4:18:00 PM
How do I hate this product? Let me count the ways... 1. The trip broke off FOUR TIMES during one attempted application. 2. It's like they put colored butter in a stick. It caught in every single one of my eyelashes, causing chunks to form all along the rim of my lashes. Absolutely unwearable. 3. Pieces of the glitter went into my eyeball and stung like hell. I got this in a Sephora insider kit, and I can honestly say this is the only product I've ever thrown in the garbage after one use. It's just abysmal. If I had paid full price for this you can bet I'd be sending an angry message to Tarte. As it is I'm bummed that I wasted my beauty insider points on this. Tarte should really be ashamed that they're selling this at the price they are. It's insulting to the customer.
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Sunscreen -Badger - SPF 30
rhody 8/17/2012 10:43:00 AM
Completely hideous. There is not much to add to the other negative reviews: this is shockingly greasy, smelly, heavy, occlusive, and leaves a white cast. Also, despite the good safety ratings this receives, I got a LOT of colour while wearing this. Adding insult to injury, this sunscreen completely ruined a gorgeous new bathing suit by staining it with oil. I have tried to get the stains out but the suit (an expensive one from J Crew) is ruined. That should give you an indication of how oily this stuff is. I don't think I have ever hated a sunscreen as much as this one, and I am no stranger to natural products. There are WAY better natural sunscreens out there. All Terrain Aqua sunscreen is mineral-based and does not leave any greasy finish.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Urban Decay - Half Baked Eyeshadow
rhody 7/5/2012 11:46:00 AM
I am surprised by the number of great reviews of this product from women in their late 30s and over. It is a nice colour (though nothing unique) and it does have good colour payoff. However, it accentuates any crepiness (which I don't have much of at all, fortunately, but what I do have looks a thousand times worse with this shadow) and is just way too shimmery and reflective to look sophisticated. I can see this working on young women with a darker skin tone, but if you are a bit older and pale, beware. I will be returning this as I can't justify spending over $20 Canadian on a product that makes me look tacky. Stila Oasis is a much more subtle gold with great texture and payoff.
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Juice Beauty - SPF30 Tinted Mineral Moisturizer in Ivory
rhody 6/14/2012 1:01:00 PM
NOTE: This review is for the Ivory version of the tinted mineral moisturizer. If you read the ingredients you will see that the active ingredients, ie. sunscreen, in each of the colours is different. In Ivory the active ingredient is 20% zinc oxide. There is no titanium dioxide in this one. REVIEW I am forever on the hunt for a nice moisturizer with mineral-only sunscreen, high spf, that is not tested on animals. Not easy to find. Juice Beauty tinted mineral moisturizer Ivory is not quite holy grail, though I suspect that it might gain that status during the winter, when my skin is drier. PROs: - zinc-only sunscreen, high enough SPF for every day. - very good rating on EWG - the light tint does even out my complexion, although the coverage is quite sheer. Tint is VERY light though, so only for truly pale people. - Does not leave a white cast. - smells good (though this is a personal thing. The smell is very herb-y and might not be for everyone). - plastic tube is portable, attractive and hygienic. CONs: - has a tacky feel going on, takes a while to absorb. - does leave the skin looking "dewy" so it is not for those who are looking for a matte finish. The only reason this is not holy grail for me is that I would like something a little less dewy. I cannot really see wearing this on a super-hot day as I can really only handle matte products when my skin is very sweaty. But for moderately warm days it is fine. Certainly for those with drier skin it could work out amazingly well - I'm sure that this will be perfect during winter months. Although it is not perfect, I will keep using it because it is 1) safe and effective SPF 2) fairly cosmetically elegant, for a mineral sunscreen. Does not leave a hideous cast or a greasy mess 3) made by a company that does not test on animals
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Unlisted Brand - Kibio - High Protection Face Lotion SPF 30
rhody 5/17/2012 9:47:00 AM
I was very excited to try this when I read about it. I am constantly on the prowl for a perfect mineral sunscreen. So when I read about this, I went out and bought it right away. However, it has one MAJOR flaw which will prevent me from buying it again. Quite frankly, I think I will have to return this. Pros: - no white cast at all - mineral/physical sunscreen - fairly high (30) protection - relatively inexpensive ($15CAD) - portable packaging Cons: - this stuff is like spreading thick oil on your face! I'm in my late 30s, and my skin is pretty dry. But this stuff was literally like using a thick oil. I let it soak in for about half an hour and it was still crazy. I then patted a powder over it, but my skin was so greasy that the brush stuck to my face. After about 40 minutes I blotted my skin with a blue Clean and Clear blotting sheet and the oil seeped through immediately and soaked two sheets. My husband described it as "%^$*ing disgusting". I think that says it all. Perhaps if you have the world's most parched, dry skin, this could work. But even then I'm not sure. It just doesn't absorb well. The search continues.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No