Top/Base Coats -Revlon - quick dry base coat
shinygolden 11/21/2012 11:20:00 AM
I bought this when I was out of town and needed to snag a base coat in a hurry--I had left mine at home. Since then it has become my favorite base coat. As others have noted, it doesn't dry particularly quickly. On me it takes 2-3 minutes, but I don't mind because it's an excellent product. What I love most about this base coat is that my nails grow long and strong when I use it. I thought I was imagining this and then I left off using it--peelies and breakage again. *sad face* Resumed using it and now my nails are growing well again. Amazing, since this is not billed as a treatment. I know YMMV when it comes to polishes and bases, but this one is absolute HG for me. For the record I have used Seche Clear, various Barielle base coats, and many others, and they are okay, but this one knocks the socks off them.
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Polishes -China Glaze - Lubu Heels
shinygolden 10/3/2009 11:55:00 PM
I have both OPI Midnight in Moscow and China Glaze Lubu Heels, and I prefer this. My only regret is that Lubu Heels really needs a coat of black polish underneath to look its best, and so I took a lippie off for that. Still it's such a gorgeous color, and unique, IMO. Great application, great glitter (though not in your face), and glam to the max. With a clear top coat it glows like it's lit from within. And the price is right! Will buy again and again.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -MAC - Studio Sculpt SPF 15 Foundation
shinygolden 2/11/2009 10:12:00 PM
In my opinion this is the best foundation MAC makes for my needs. I have combination skin, very fair, warm-toned, and NC15 matches me perfectly. A little goes a long way--a dime-sized amount on the back of my hand does the trick. After applying MAC Prep + Prime SPF 50, I dab the foundation onto my face with my fingers, and finish application with a round, damp sponge (NOT wet). The sponge sheers the foundation out nicely in areas where it might otherwise be too thick. That said, it is also buildable once the first layer is on. I find this to be a full coverage foundation, but I am lucky and do not have lots to cover--the very occasional red spot is about it. This evens out my skin tone nicely, and looks very natural. (I set it with Blot powder in Light.) I find that it's matte in texture, but it could easily be mixed with Strobe Cream or High Beam to give a dewier look. I also love the tube packaging, and it also contains 1.3 oz. (as opposed to the usual 1 oz. foundation bottle), which is a generous size. A little goes so far that I think it will last me a long time. Also the tube is super portable! All in all this foundation is HG material, and would probably be my HG if I weren't a complete foundation junkie. :)
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Other -Boscia - Fresh Blotting Linens
shinygolden 8/24/2008 8:35:00 PM
Except for the generous size of the actual blotting sheets, these are nothing special at all. I may even take them back. Someone recommended the Clean and Clear papers, and they're so much better, in my opinion. Won't be buying these again!
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Loose Powders -T. LeClerc - Loose Powder in Camelia
shinygolden 2/20/2008 4:53:00 PM
I've tried so many powders, and this is one of the best. Gives a gorgeous porcelain finish to my face. Lovely, subtle, scent. Spendy, but it should last a long time. Thanks to the reviewers who said be careful when opening the first time--they saved me from having a good amount go down the drain! For the record, I'm PPP/NC15, and Camelia is the perfect shade for me.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - N Collection ~ 3N
shinygolden 2/20/2008 4:49:00 PM
I wish this were permanent. It's the perfect nude lip for me (NC15), pink and not beige. My lips are quite naturally dark pink, so I need a little concealer or foundation underneath for it to be true to color. It's worth the extra effort. Will buy a backup if I find it.
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Lipstick -MAC - Utterly Frivolous
shinygolden 2/20/2008 4:45:00 PM
Smooth texture and subtle pearl in a wonderfully face-brightening coral color. I'm NC15, leaning towards warmer, and this is not the slightest bit orange on me. In texture and brightening qualities it reminds me of NARS' Niagara, though Niagara does have a slight orange tone. I think I want a backup!
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Lipstick -MAC - Strawbaby
shinygolden 2/20/2008 4:41:00 PM
Beautiful warm rosy color on NC15 me. The glitter is subtle, but fresh. I don't think there's another color like this in the permanent collection. Would buy again if I could!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -MAC - Hipness- fafi collection
shinygolden 2/20/2008 4:38:00 PM
Beautiful blush, silky texture, very blendable! Not sure why it's a frost, because I see no shimmer. Really brightens up my PPP face without calling attention to the fact I'm wearing blush. Desirous (except for its gold sparkle) reminds me of this. Hipness is bit less deep and easier to blend, but I love them both.
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Nanogold (Lustre) LE from the N Collection '08)
shinygolden 2/20/2008 4:34:00 PM
This color is unique enough that I bought a backup. On me it's a faintly rosy gold, and gorgeous as a wash on my neutral/warm PPP lids. Use it wet to get the payoff. I took a lippie off for the texture; if it were as silky/smooth as Vex or Patina, I'd have bought two more instead of just one.
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Lipstick -MAC - Antiquitease Queen's Sin
shinygolden 10/23/2007 3:07:00 PM
This lipstick is kind of miraculous, as it manages to be OTT, decadently, deeply red, and yet beautifully subtle and wearable. I think you would call it a true red, not warm, but not cool either. It's very jewel-like, with tons of depth, and if you want to amp it up for nighttime/holiday, layer a bit of clear lipglass over it, or the red lipglass from the collection. It's so pretty in the tube even that I just want to sit and stare at it. Swatches from Specktra were VERY accurate, and I'm happy, because it's as beautiful as the pics there looked. Perfect for the holidays!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Clinique - Lash Doubling Mascara
shinygolden 10/22/2007 1:36:00 AM
This mascara delivered for me as far as doubling goes--it really built up my lashes! Sad to say, though, it flakes and I wind up with threads of black IN my eyes, and I have to fish them out after I take my makeup off at night. I've even found some of this mascara in my eyes the next morning. Occasionally I've wound up with burning and itching eyes from this long before the end of the day. I've never had trouble with any other mascara getting in my eyes and irritating them on a normal, non-rainy, non-sweaty day. It's a shame, because it did make my lashes look glam!
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Liquid -Christian Dior - Diorskin Airflash
shinygolden 10/19/2007 2:24:00 PM
This is my HG foundation. I'm lucky that the 200 shade is a great match for me. Despite the price, they'd sell tons more of this if they'd make it in more shades, because it's so beautiful. After going through a lot of trial and error, I discovered the trick that helps me apply Airflash--a damp sponge. I spray the foundation directly on my face (don't forget to shake really well!) in the "Z" motion they recommend. Then I blend with the damp sponge, especially around the eyes, where it may settle in fine lines. I also use the clean side of the sponge to wipe off my eyebrows and other places where I don't necessarily want foundation. I wash the sponge VERY frequently, and trade for a new one often. After the first few times using it, I never had a problem with getting it on my hairline or clothes. Sometimes, if I want to be extra careful, I'll wrap my hair in a towel before using it. If I can, I also spray *before* getting entirely dressed. Even though Airflash has a very light texture, I also get excellent coverage from it, on the high end of medium, if that makes any sense. If I have any boo boos or red areas on my face, a little Meow concealer takes care of that. (Meow makes the best concealer I have ever used, bar none.) Between Airflash and the Meow, my face has never looked better, really approaching the flawless ideal. To sum up: great coverage, very natural looking, long-lasting, even in our humidity. Like I said, HG!
7 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -MAC - Smoke Signals - Smoking Eyes Quad
shinygolden 8/31/2007 8:16:00 PM
I have a lot of neutral e/s already, but I snapped this up in a hurry. All of these neutrals in one quad are so beautiful and so incredibly handy. I am PPP, NC 15, and I can create a great day/office look with Showstopper as liner, Next to Nothing as lid and browbone color, and Satin Taupe as crease and contour. With the same quad in my makeup bag I can glam up for the evening with Smoking as a wet liner, and more crease/contour drama with Showstopper. If MAC would add Smoking (black with tons of bronzy-gold sparkle) as a permanent e/s, I'd be really happy--it is *that* gorgeous. I'm thinking of buying another Smoking Eyes quad just to have a backup of Smoking, and I haven't ever done that before!
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Brows -Make Up For Ever - Make Up For Ever Waterproof Eyebrow Corrector
shinygolden 7/25/2007 12:05:00 PM
I'm really glad I read the comments here before purchasing MUFE Waterproof Eyebrow Corrector. I am a PPP, warm-toned, dark blond hair, combo skin, and I purchased it in #2, Medium Warm Brown. It's just right for me. Literally the size of a pinhead on the back of my hand is enough for one use. As for being waterproof, I wore it at the gym the other day, and it stayed on through my workout and looked great. (FYI, my face sweats a lot in summer and at the gym, which is one reason why I bought this.) I use my MAC #208 brush with it and it works very well. Practice makes perfect, though--read the tips from the other reviewers here, and you'll do fine with it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No