Makeup Brushes -Lumiere - Fiber Optic Angled Blush Brush
sophiamolina 3/31/2013 11:37:00 AM
Great brush to have around, especially if you want a subtle color for a blush. I like my MAC 168 Angled Blush Brush which tends to give a full color for your cheeks, however I feel like the MAC 168 doesn’t work well for me if I’m using a “scary-colored” blush (for example: any high-pigmented NARS blushes). Lumiere Duo Fiber Angled Blush Brush delivers a color that can be as natural as you want or as “high impact” as you need it to be. The blush packaging quality is great, when it came it had a plastic brush head protector and the brush itself is inside another plastic which works well for travel. The brush cost $14.00 and I paid about $5.95 for insurance which is required from the Lumiere Cosmetics website just in case any damage occurs that is out of their control. All in all, it’s a pretty versatile brush and the quality is great. I have yet to experience any shedding unlike the duo fiber brushes from MAC.
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Makeup Brushes -Everyday Minerals - Eye Kabuki Brush
sophiamolina 3/10/2013 10:21:00 PM
Product came within 2 days that I ordered it. Everyday Minerals also sells through Amazon (they sell SOME products). Product came in a small air bubble package and it was wrapped in brown paper, samples were also included. After I did the "finger pat" on my under eye concealer, I used this brush to blend it out, and it blended the concealer nicely. I was going to purchase the $24 Sephora concealer brush (#57) but for $8.99 and its good quality, I'll take the Everyday Minerals Eye Kabuki.
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Mascara -Cover Girl - Lash Blast Length
sophiamolina 3/14/2012 1:52:00 AM
I could care less about the packaging. It's one of the best mascaras I have. I love how the brush lengthens and separates my lashes. If you put on a second coat, it adds volume too. It has a good formula and it's the brush that prevents it from clumping when I apply it.
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Powder -Unlisted Brand - Buff'd Cosmetics - Concealing Mineral Foundation
sophiamolina 2/7/2012 6:23:00 AM
This my go-to mineral foundation. I searched endlessly for a mineral foundation where I don't have to mix 2 shades to achieve a true color match, and obviously buying two different shades is pricey. I wear a shade called Saffron. I have a little bit of tan but my undertone is still yellow. The packaging is great and when you receive it, the jar is filled with mineral makeup to where you gotta tap kind of hard to get the product out. And the price is reasonable considering for its size, you get a total of 15 gram mineral foundation for $20 Canadian dollars ($19 and some cents converted to U.S. dollars), considering some mineral makeup companies charge the same price for half the product. Also, this product lasts so long that you get your money's worth. I will not forget to mention the stellar customer service, the owner was quick to respond to my questions such as shade recommendations. I'd re-purchase when I run out.
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Makeup Brushes -Ecotools - Bamboo 5 Pieces Brush Set (Mineral Makeup)
sophiamolina 1/30/2012 9:48:00 PM
Overall, I liked this set. I love how Ecotools stepped their game up in affordable vegan brushes. I could care less about the packaging since that's not what I'm going to be using. It was a reasonable price for products that don't show any shedding, it's also soft. I use the crease brush as a concealer brush more than the concealer brush itself since using the crease brush will give me an even undereye color that'll blend with my foundation. I use the blush brush to blend out blush colors or I use it to apply setting powders. I just used the mini kabuki brush today and it provided me with an even application with my mineral foundation. Usually, synthetic brushes just swirl products around on your face without really doing its job of blending- but this seems to be a winner. I would buy this brush set again.
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Makeup Brushes -Bare Escentuals - Flawless Application Face Brush
sophiamolina 1/27/2012 6:24:00 AM
For a billion dollar mineral makeup corporation, you would think they'd get their mineral brushes right. I got this one from the "Try Me" kit and as time went on, this brush gave a scratchy feel to my face. Sure it'll soften once it's washed and conditioned... until it is used again continually and that scratchy feeling will resurface once again. Also, it never stopped its shedding process that you would think it's alive! I gave it one lippie since it was great when buffing mineral foundation onto the face. Other than that, I would never repurchase this until Leslie Blodgett (the owner of Bare Minerals) makes an executive decision on making these things better!
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Powder -Everyday Minerals - Olive Medium - Semi Matte
sophiamolina 1/14/2012 5:41:00 AM
This was my second attempt in finding a good color match for my skintone. Their Medium Golden was still way too light, I doubt that many mineral makeup companies can understand that just because most Asians have golden/yellow undertones they can also be tanned too. So I went for Olive Medium even though olive-based makeup is mainly for Mid-Eastern individuals. It was a good match, though it oxidised in my face and it didn't have great staying power even if I put the setting powder before and after. The packaging quality isn't all that good since the cap can break off easily when you're closing it tightly. It only gets 2 lippie due to its price and because the jar has a twist&lock sifter feature.
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Makeup Brushes -Unlisted Brand - Paris Presents - High Definition Powder Brush
sophiamolina 12/29/2011 4:02:00 AM
One of the best and cheapest products I got! This brush delivers just the perfect amount of color of my blush. I was contemplating on purchasing the Pro Foundation Airbrush #55 from the Sephora Platinum Brush collection but this is the perfect dupe. It's actually just as soft as the Pro Foundation Airbrush #55 and has a shorter handle which is something I prefer in case I have to take it for traveling. I dont care about the packaging, that's the least of my worries- it's all about product perfomarnce. I would totally repurchase this again.
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Mascara -Bare Escentuals - buxom lash
sophiamolina 12/23/2011 1:49:00 AM
My first "expensive grown up mascara" =) I accepted the fact that my mascara will always and forever clump until I discovered this gem while grazing at Sephora. I always keep this around eventhough I buy other mascaras, it's still my main one. Th price is less than $20 and the box it came in doesn't really matter. I'll always repurchase because it's a great lash volumizer, and for a mascara that's not waterproof- it doesn't smudge on me.
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Powder -Unlisted Brand - Valana Minerals
sophiamolina 12/19/2011 4:54:00 AM
I found my good color match with this line, although it had very little staying power. I wish the company would add kaolin clay and serecite as their key ingredients so it would have staying power for oily skinned customers. So it's a hit and miss, but it's okay. But what I can say is I'm glad there is an affordable makeup line speacializing in serving the needs of people with darker skin. So to all the darker skinned people out there, Valana Minerals might be the one you've been waiting for.
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Powder -Unlisted Brand - Joppa Minerals- Full Coverage Foundation- All
sophiamolina 12/19/2011 4:48:00 AM
The only reason I gave it 3 stars instead of 5 is because I didn't find my perfect match with this foundation. Medium 2.5 is still a teeny tiny bit light for me, not too much though... but to the trained eye- it will be noticed. It's supposed to be for Asian skintones but it still has some pink tones to it. The great part is, it had wonderful staying power and it didn't get chalky on my face. Mineral Foundation suits oily skinned individuals- so ladies, and gentlemen too, when you're on a quest for a mineral makeup make sure that kaolin clayand serecite are the key ingredients in the mineral makeup itself rather to save time from putting on a separate setting powder. Mineral Makeup with built-in kaolin clay and serecite makes a whole lot of difference, and that's what Joppa Minerals has. Also, healthy mineral makeup tends to have less than 10 ingredients. For others out there taking a shot at trying to find their color match with this brand, Good Luck!
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Brows -Anastasia Of Beverly Hills - Anastasia Brow Powder
sophiamolina 12/15/2011 6:05:00 AM
I got this duo brow powder in Ash and it really last such a long time. I've had it since 2009. This is the perfect shade of powder for women with golden, yellow, and olive skintones. Let's be honest, a dark brown, gray, or black eyeliner just seems too obvious. But with this brow powder, only trained makeup connoisseurs can only tell that my eyebrows are getting help from Anastasia =)
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Highlighters -MAC - Iridescent Powder - Belightful
sophiamolina 12/13/2011 10:47:00 PM
I saw this at a cosmetic outlet where discountinued and over-produced cosmetics were sold. I had a feeling this fell on the discontinued category so I stocked up with 2 of them. The staying power is great for someone like me who has oily skin. For everyone who complained that it's too glittery- don't you all know how to apply makeup with your brushes with a light hand? Geez! This product suits well if you just want to have an illuminated look in your cheekbones, on the bridge of your nose, and on the top of the forehead. I suggest that you use this product when your mineral makeup (or any foundation you fancy) has a matte finish, having a pearl finish of a foundation and putting this product on would make someone look like a shiny Christmas ball ornament. Overall, if I ever run out- I would search for a very identical dupe. Not unless MAC revives this product =)
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Blush -NARS - Torrid
sophiamolina 12/11/2011 1:01:00 AM
This blush leans towards a warmer color of coral with golden shimmer. I'm a medium skintone woman with yellow undertones and this NARS blush suits me well. It's a splurge to purchase but the color is highly pigmented (the same goes for every NARS blushes) so it would take a long time for you to hit the bottom of the makeup pan. A little goes a long way, or else you'll end up looking like a clown. Overall, I would totally repurchase this product again.
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Lip Gloss -NYX - Mood Lip Gloss
sophiamolina 12/1/2011 12:55:00 AM
Too Faced LipGloss Mood Swing breaks the bank since it cost $20 a piece, so when I saw this at ULTA, I gave it a try. I purchased it when there was a buy-1-get-half-off promo so I got two. It's not as thick as the Mood Swing lipgloss but it's not watery either, although once it dries on your lips it gives it a stained look. I don't believe in "wearing your red lips" everyday since it's not our lips' natural hue- so to "enhance" your natural lips with a pink that matches your skintone, grab this product. I pair mines with a neutral eyecolor and eyeliner for an everyday look =)
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