Mascara -L'Oreal - Telescopic Explosion 
sher 5/5/2010 11:54:00 PM
This product was a complete waste of money. I have had very good luck with low-end mascaras in the past few years. In fact, the quality of the drugstore mascara has increased so dramatically that I don't think I have bought a high-end mascara in two years! At any rate, I was excited to try this, because I have tiny, almost nonexistent bottom lashes and thought this could help. Plus, I am a person who is willing to put in some actual work to build up the lashes (two or three coats of mascara, sometimes using a lash comb or different formulas). Ugh. I used it the first time and wanted to chuck it in the trash. The wand is too flexible, and it is very easy to get the product on your skin. The formula is too wet to me, also contributing to making it likely to get streaks of product around your eye. Add in the fact that the product that actually gets on the lashes clumps madly. The bottom line is that I can actually get at those tiny lashes at the edge and those bottom lashes more efficiently and effectively with a normal mascara brush. This is a totally ineffective and useless product. I have held onto it and tried it at least five times now, and I still keep thinking I should just throw it away. Enjoy my money, L'Oreal. Guess I'll be sure to buy Cover Girl the next time I am at Walgreens buying mascara.
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Mascara -Cover Girl - Lash Blast Luxe
sher 1/24/2009 3:51:00 PM
I really like this mascara. The colors are very subtle, as is the shimmer. Neither are over the top, and they are all suitable for even a conservative office. The downside is that a lot of people may wish for more shimmer or more color. Overall, the formula remains true to the original Lash Blast, which I find preferable to the CG Eyelights (though I bought a few of those, too). Lash Blast Luxe is a bit different - entertaining for the average makeup-obsessed MUA-er, but not so trendy that you will look back at pictures of yourself and cringe over. I bought four colors - Black Royale, Black Emerald, Black Cabernet, and Black Platinum. I have yet to develop a favorite, but I lean toward Black Cabernet, primarly because of my eyeshadow preferences and eye color. I took swatches of the colors I bought on my hand and am including a picture of those, along with a matte black mascara for comparison purposes. It's not the same as seeing it on lashes, but you can at least see the differences in th colors. Look for the picture at the top of the reviews.
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Cover Girl - Lash Blast Luxe Black Emerald
sher 1/24/2009 2:25:00 PM
I was anticipating the Lash Blast Luxe mascara prior to finding it. It sounded fun, and I already knew that I liked the original Lash Blast.
I have a feeling this is going to be one of those "your mileage may vary" type of products due to the fact that different people are really looking for different characteristics when they buy this product. I like this mascara. The color is a deep green-black that reminds me of BB Ivy Shimmer gel ink. In indoor lighting, it looks off-black, but I can see a bit of tint. The green is more blue-toned than yellow-toned. The shimmers also are very subtle. They do not jump out just looking in the mirror normally, but I can see them from light coming through a window. It seems like this color has slightly more shimmer than the Black Cabernet, but there could be other factors causing me to think that because I have not done a side by side comparison with one on each eye.
This is why I really like this mascara: 1) it is true to the Lash Blast formula, which I love in that it separates very well and is very buildable, 2) the color is natural enough to get away with at the office, and 3) the shimmers are natural enough to get away with at the office (Guerlain Fairy mascara, this is not). I could see how these reasons could also be why someone might NOT like this mascara, but I enjoy the subtlety. The down side to me is that I could use a bit more sparkle; otherwise, I would have given this a 5.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -MAC - Take Wing Eyes- Quad
sher 1/19/2009 9:58:00 PM
The Take Wing quad is a nice arrangement of shadows. I really like it and use all four shadows to make a fun, smokey eye.
Restless is a low-shimmer grey with a slight purple cast. Take Wing is a matte dark brown, again with a slight plum cast. Tickles, a lustre formula, is a light, super-shimmery (distinct glitter particles show) pinkish-lavender. Bravado is a shimmery cranberry; it is very close to Cranberry but pinker and not quite as deep in color.
Here are my smokey eye directions: Put Restless on the outer 3/4 of lid and line outer 3/4 of lower lash line. Bravado goes on the inner part of the lids and inner part of the lower lash line. Be sure to blend well. Use a crease brush to work Take Wing into the crease; you can blend it onto the outer lid if you like. Use Restless to blend above Take Wing to "take the edge off" the matte deep shade. Use Tickles to highlight the brow bone and in inner corners of eyes. I really like the unexpectedness of Bravado on the lid. The end look is fun, but wearable and not over the top.
You can blend in some Bravado above the Take Wind, instead of Restless for a pinker look. I like using BB Black Plum gel liner with this quad and Guerlain's black kohl on the inner rims.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Cover Girl - Lash Blast Luxe Black Cabernet
sher 1/19/2009 9:30:00 PM
I was so excited to see this mascara - shimmering and tinted. It sounded so interesting, but it worried me slightly also. I am in my 30s, so I am not looking for a throwback to the 1980s when I wore electric blue mascara.
I have a feeling this is going to be one of those "your mileage may vary" type of products due to the fact that different people are really looking for different characteristics when they buy this product. I really liked this mascara. The color is VERY subtle; in indoor lighting, it looks black or off-black to me. It is, however, not a true black, but definitely a red-based-purplish(cabernet!)-black. The color reminds me of BB Black Plum gel liner, but the mascara color is a bit deeper. The shimmers also are extremely subtle. I could not see them just looking in the mirror normally; a bit of acrobatics (tilted head at an angle) in sunlight coming through the window revealed that they really were there.
This is why I really like this mascara: 1) it is true to the Lash Blast formula, which I love in that it separates very well and is very buildable, 2) the color is natural enough to get away with at the office, and 3) the shimmers are natural enough to get away with at the office (Guerlain Fairy mascara, this is not). I could see how these reasons could also be why someone might NOT like this mascara, but I enjoy the subtlety. The person who is up close and gazing into your eyes, whether it is you or your loved one, is the one who will notice the color or sparkle in this mascara. The down side to me is that I could use a bit more sparkle; otherwise, I would have given this a 5.
EDIT/UPDATE: My friend and I were walking past a window, and she said "I think you forgot to apply mascara on your one eye". I started cracking up - it was the sparkles and color of the mascara that she saw. When she looked at me straight on, she saw that I had mascara on. I'm not going to bump my rating down, but I thought it was funny that the sparkles and color had that effect.
Also, I compared swatches of Black Cabernet and CG Eyelights in Black Ruby, and they look identical to me. I prefer the Lash Blast formula to that of the Eyelights (Eyelights seems wetter).
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -MAC - Shadowy Lady Quad - Cult of Cherry
sher 1/7/2009 11:39:00 PM
I love this quad! Okay, I admit that Inventive Eyes has to be my absolute favorite MAC quad, but this one seriously rocks. I saw this in the store and was interested mainly because of the purple shades (which are gorgeous). At any rate, I was a bit baffled by how to use Deep Truth (the deep shimmering blue). I ended up asking an MA, and wow, she gave me the most amazing suggestion. I was totally skeptical, too, but she told me to put Deep Truth from lash to crease, use Shadowy Lady in the crease, blend it with Smudged Violet, and use Lightfall on the brow. All I can say is that this is one unique and gorgeous smokey eye. Again, I was seriously skeptical, because I have never been into blues. If you have the quad, I recommend trying it. It's probably not an everyday kind of look for most people, but it is surprisingly polished, and I have even worn it to work. I have hazel eyes, NC20-25, for reference.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Highlighters -Guerlain - Meteorites Giant Butterfly Pearls - W 2008
sher 12/28/2008 4:00:00 PM
Love, love, love!
I am a huge fan of Meteorites, and I usually buy every holiday LE box. These balls are bigger than usual, as is the shiny purple container with the embossed butterfly. The container is only purple, which is a departure from the usual multi-colored containers.
The balls are matte tan, iridescent pink, shimmery light gold, and super-shimmery pale pinkish-ivory. While they may be a little on the shimmery side for some, they are very beautiful and fairly neutral. I really love them, and I am glad that I bought them.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -Guerlain - Mysterious Butterfly 403
sher 12/28/2008 3:47:00 PM
Pros: Gorgeous packaging, beautiful in the case, smooth formula
Cons: Colors just do not work for me, colors do not work that well together for me
I SO wanted to love this. In fact, I do love it - I love looking at it. Unfortunately, I do not love wearing it. This is truly a time when I was completely and utterly seduced by the packaging and visual asthethic value. It's funny though, because I am a huge fan of purple eyeshadow and while the colors look like shades I normally would wear, they just do not look good on me by themselves.
Packaging: The compact is a light purple with a butterfly embossed on the top. The same butterfly is embossed on the eyeshadow itself using intense silver shimmer. I want to term it "glitter", but it is extremely fine. It is absolutely gorgeous.
Eyeshadows: This shimmery quad comes with a light iridescent ivory that shimmers gold and pink, a medium mauvey-rose color, a light-to-medium lilac, and a dark pink-based purple. There is enough room to use the colors without dipping into the silver shimmer. The best way to utilize the silver shimmer is use it sparingly or the color comes off looking very silver. While the quality of these eyeshadows is up to the usual Guerlain standards (very nice indeed), the shades just do not mesh well to me. I can work them when I use one or two of my other eyeshadows, but for the price, I really want the colors to work together and stand on their own. It could be that the colors are too cool for me, but at any rate, I would advise trying these out before buying.
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Lipstick -Guerlain - 515 Dazzling Butterfly - Holiday 2008
sher 12/22/2008 3:48:00 AM
Let me preface this with the facts that purple is my favorite color, and I love butterflies. Perhaps this colors my view, but this is a very interesting and unique lipstick. Not only does it have the lovely purple shiny package with an embossed butterfly, but the color itself stands out as well. It is a blue-based medium-toned mauvey-pink. It is very cool in tone, so cool, in fact, that I almost passed on it. The packaging was so great, and I love the Kiss Kiss formula so much that I decided to go for it anyway. I don't regret it.
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Blush -Tarte - Natural Swirl Full Blossom Cheek Stain
sher 10/5/2008 11:32:00 PM
I am a huge fan of Tarte cheekstains, so much so that I own nearly every one of them. I opened this cheek stain the other day, and both the texture and smell were off. I had only used it two or three times in the few months that I had it. I conclude that, apparently, I need to buy cosmetics that contain preservatives. The new formula for the natural stains is nowhere close to the original cheek stain formula. Tarte cheekstains are my HG blush, but I really do not like the new formula. I usually buy every single cheekstain that Tarte makes. I definitely will not buy another natural one, regardless of how nice the color may be.
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Misc Beauty Tools -Clarisonic - Pro Skincare Brush
sher 6/19/2008 12:09:00 AM
I absolutely love this product.
Background - I have had acne issues for forever. I took a course of Accutane a little over 10 years ago, and that improved my acne problem tremendously, but I have never been completely acne-free. It has taken the form of hormonal flare-ups, and as I have gotten older, my skin has become drier. The result is acne-prone combination skin. I had been plagued with dry patches on my cheeks that were breaking out when I grew so desperate that I shelled out the $200.00 for this brush. Yes, I admit it - it was pure desperation for better-looking skin that prompted my purchase. I did my research, reading reviews here, and I recognized that this brush might help with exfoliation, but that I could not expect any miracle from it for the acne.
I have been using the brush with the sensitive head on the 1-minute setting once a day (at night before bed) for one month. Wow. Here are the reasons I love this amazing product:
1. I saw improvement in my skin tone almost immediately. My face looks brighter and feels softer.
2. The exfoliation issue I was having was immediately moot. The brush exfoliates perfectly, but I found it works best when I don't push too hard against my skin. I just move it gently in circular motions (as the instructions suggest), and the brush works its magic.
3. My skin feels incredibly clean after using the brush.
4. As others have noticed, skincare products seem to soak in better.
5. Shockingly, and I am not sure if it is the brush or the fact that my moisturizer soaks in a little more, but the lines in my forehead do not seem as pronounced as they were before.
6. Most happily, my acne has lessened. Now I realize that this is something where YMMV, but for me, it really has worked! I think it is probably more of the "blocked pore" type of acne that has improved. I doubt that this would help with cystic acne. Don't get me wrong - I still get a zit or two, but they have definitely decreased in quantity.
7. It just feels nice.
I still caution that you do not want to buy this product with the expectation that it is going to solve an acne problem. That being said, I absolutely love this brush, wholeheartedly recommend it, and I may even buy one as a Christmas gift for a loved one this year! Love, love, love!
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Elizabeth Arden - Mariah Carey - 'M'
sher 6/4/2008 1:06:00 AM
The absolute only reason I tried this perfume is because I got a sample. Celebrity fragrances totally turn me off, and I have never cared for Mariah Carey. Seriously, I NEVER would have tried this. I almost passed on the sample. I am glad that I didn't, because apparently, Mariah and I share a love of purple, butterflies, and this perfume. I like it so much that I am going to buy it despite my avid hatred of celebrity perfumes and my general apathy concerning Mariah herself. It goes on a bit sweet on me, but then dries down very pleasantly.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Almay - Clear Complexion Blemish Healing Makeup
sher 3/13/2008 1:11:00 AM
I went on a cruise and ended up a shade darker, so I went to the drugstore to get my temporarily darker skin a better match for foundation. I had been having a breakout here and there, so I decided to give this Almay foundation a try. Amazingly, I managed to get the right shade! Woo hoo! I am pleased with the finish and look of the foundation. It goes on smooth and matte, and while I was worried it would be too drying, I haven't had any problems with that. I have been using it for a week, and I haven't had any major breakouts, despite being "hormonal" (yeah, that's a euphemism). Overall, I am quite pleased with this foundation as an everyday foundation. The coverage is medium, the finish is matte, and it wears quite well for me through the day. I plan to at least finish this up, and I may even rebuy!
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Mascara -Mally Beauty - Xtra Hold Maximizing Mascara
sher 11/24/2007 12:42:00 AM
I actually really love most Mally products that I have tried. That being said, the idea behind this mascara is brilliant; the execution just does not deliver. This is a dual-ended mascara. One end is a "lash finding" comb that is meant to be followed by a coat of the "lash maximizing" traditional mascara brush. The formula is much too wet for my taste, and most importantly, my lashes stick together when I use it. I actually used this mascara on one eye and Cover Girl Lash Blast on the other eye, and there was no contest - the Lash Blast won by a landslide. It was so much better that I almost tossed the Mally mascara on the spot. I'm holding off, because I think I can use the "lash maximizing" side on top of another mascara that will provide definition. I really wanted to like this mascara, because most of the time I wear two mascaras - one (usually a lengthening mascara) for defining and separating the lashes, followed by a coat (or two) from a volumizing mascara. For reference, other mascaras that I actually like are Lancome Definicils/Hypnose/Amplicils, Diorshow, Cover Girl Lash Blast/Lash Exact, Max Factor Lash Perfect.
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Highlighters -Guerlain - Meteorites in Gold Temptation, LE Holidays 2007
sher 11/14/2007 12:27:00 AM
I *so* wanted to love this product. In fact, I would say if I had to admit to any sort of bias, I bought this product with the expectation that I would adore it. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Don't get me wrong - they are pretty and make a nice highlighter, but there are rather large visible glitter particles that limit the usage of the product for me. Please note that I currently have the original Mythic Meteorites, the Beige Chic, the Pink Fresh, the Perles de Velours (Holiday 2006), and Winter Radiance. Of these, my favorite is Beige Chic, and my preferred method of using them is as a finishing powder. With Gold Temptation Meteorites, I am not sure I would want to use them as a finishing powder unless I was going out in the evening or going to a party. I wore them today just on the tops of my cheek bones to work, and frankly, I felt a little weird, because I could see some glitter more heavily on one cheek than the other. Another interesting note - when I opened my Gold Temptation Meteorites, I was really disappointed, because I expected to see some gold balls, especially given the warm gold tone of the container. The majority of mine are more of a platinum color and after viewing some of the pictures here, there appears to be some variation in the amount of gold balls that come in each one. Unfortunately, I would have preferred more gold balls and less of the glittery platinum ones. If I get courageous, maybe I'll stir them up and see if any gold balls are buried at the bottom. As noted by others, the balls are smaller than normal in this set, and I am not sure if they are as hardy as the regular-sized Meteorites (which I can get stuck in a makeup brush, drop and roll it, and the ball will remain intact). The bottom line is these are pretty, but they function more as a highlighter or festive finishing powder. They are not Meteorites that I plan to put into regular rotation. The color itself is nice enough, but if you are new to Meteorites, I would stick with Mythic or Beige Chic, the tried and true Meteorites, as an introduction. If you are a hardcore Guerlain fan, these might be worth a look, but keep the sparkle factor in mind.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No