Palettes -Sonia Kashuk - Eye Palette in Neutral
staciarose22 5/13/2013 4:17:00 AM
The last time I bought SK makeup was over ten years ago when it first hit Target stores. The products were ok, much nicer than most drugstore brands at the time, but the eyeshadows were not pigmented or long lasting. I'm glad to see they've improved greatly and this brand is now a staple for the price. These are soft but not too soft/powdery, pigmented, and long lasting. I know it depends on which eye primer you use, but these are effortless matte shades that blend easily while leaving the right amount of color behind. They don't go muddy and stay clean looking through the day. This is a well balanced palette with a good range of highlight, mid tone, smokey, and black. It even includes cool and warm peach tones which you never see in palettes. There's a reason for those, too. They warm up the eye and can be used as a transition color. You don't have to go all matte and can include shimmer from other palettes, but this is a deal for the price.
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Blush -Illamasqua - Katie
staciarose22 5/4/2013 11:42:00 PM
Continuing with my Illamasqua spree, I chose Katie. It's just as soft and pigmented as all the other shades, and a matte finish. The shade is angelic and ethereal, as someone mentioned below. I've seen women with all skin tones use this, but anyone with a tan or dark mahogany skin tone might want to skip it. It will appear too pale, since the base appears to be white with just a touch of cool pale ballet pink. Nymph is the same tone if you need more color, but Sephora does not carry it (order through Illamasqua's website). Tremble is the warmer pink and also popular.
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Brows -Prestige - Brow Perfection Revitalizing Clear Brow Gel
staciarose22 5/4/2013 11:32:00 PM
If only more people knew about this brow gel. This not only keeps your brows in place all day, there is no residue or flakes to deal with. It also conditions them with various ingredients and extracts, so they don't feel like you've sprayed them with hairspray. I've been using it for a few years now and I use this to help with brow growth and on days where I don't wear makeup. I'm not saying it will help grow your brows, but it helps keep them in good condition. You can find this at Ulta for around $7.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Illamasqua - Naked Rose
staciarose22 4/27/2013 9:51:00 PM
I chose Naked Rose because it's so useful for many makeup looks and gives a soft beige rose color. It's like the little black dress of blush and works for just about everyone. What I like about these is Illamasqua seems to use a white base, so the color stays the same throughout the day and does not change.
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Blush -Illamasqua - Lover
staciarose22 4/27/2013 9:49:00 PM
What makes Lover unique is there are not many pale apricot matte blushes on the market. Most brands choose to make them shimmery or more of a highlighting product. Lover is soft to the touch but buildable, and it's very pigmented. People say the packaging is bulky, but it's not. The way we pick things up with our fingers fits the shape of Illamasqua compacts. If you just grab the side of it to open it will open easily without ruining your nail polish. I can't say most packaging is that easy to open.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -L'Oreal - EverCurl Silk & Gloss
staciarose22 4/25/2013 2:37:00 AM
I've gone through a bottle of this already because I use it every day without fail. The oils in it are light enough but give great results. My hair is much softer with shine and frizz control. With many other oils my hair feels weighted down and greasy, but this works much better to mimic my hair's natural oils. I have what I call "combination hair". Some days it's too oily and others it's too dry, but this seems to balance the two without a build up. The pump never clogs and gives a fine mist. I cannot be bothered with hair oils that you have to rub in your hands to apply, so this saves me time.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -Urban Decay - Naked Basics
staciarose22 4/11/2013 12:19:00 AM
I've had some time to work with this and compare it to other matte palettes. I do not feel it's worth buying. It's simply not a good matte palette for the price. Urban Decay is relying on the people who loved both Naked palettes to buy it. There are too many light shades, no variety of mid tone shades, and the darkest shadows are tough to work with (much like a stubborn MAC matte). That's because pigments can change the texture of a formula drastically. I don't doubt that some people love it because it's convenient for them, but I do doubt that they're using all of these shades on a regular basis. The Sonia Kashuk and Lorac Pro are better, the SK is cheaper, and both have more variety for your money. Some people have also mentioned their shadows are popping out of the pan, and this is a cheap plastic case for almost $30. They kept it at $27 because that price sounds better, but with taxes it's basically $30.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -L'Oreal - Advanced Haircare - Total Repair 5
staciarose22 3/29/2013 5:00:00 PM
I used this and the shampoo till the last drop. I rarely use anything I buy at a drugstore past a few weeks, but this kept performing well for my hair. My hair has been soft, shiny, and well conditioned since I started using it. I also used the hair mask ever so often. As much as I like it, I bought the polishing sham/cond duo just to see how different it is from this one. You can feel the difference these make while your hair is still wet and while it's air drying. There is a huge difference between this line and other drugstore products.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -LORAC - PRO Palette
staciarose22 3/24/2013 1:48:00 AM
I thought this would have more reviews, but people are still stuck on those Naked palettes I suppose. I have a few of those and end up never using them, and the new matte palette has too many light shades with no mid tones. On to the Lorac Pro review...I waited several months to buy it to see if it was a flash in the pan or a solid purchase. This is not a neutral palette, but all of the shades are flattering and wearable. More than a few of these shades are unique, such as the Mauve, Garnet, Pewter, and Dark Purple. The mattes are soft focus and not as dry as some brands, but it won't go on too pigmented. Mattes tend to stay where you put them but these blend nicely. The shimmer row is refined shimmer or "grown up" shimmer with no glitter. Very high end brands tend to choose this formula and I love that Lorac was thinking ahead. You won't get tacky looks from this palette. It's a good staple product that doesn't have bulky packaging. Experiment with primers, though. Some people don't like the Lorac primer and I prefer UDPP or NARS.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Milani - Color Statement (all)
staciarose22 3/22/2013 11:13:00 PM
I have tried these in their vinyl, cream, and matte formulas. While I don't think they're very moisturizing, the vinyl formula is my favorite because it goes on smoother and doesn't feel as dry. Even the cream shades can feel dry after awhile. I like the shade range, lasting power, and the bright shades the most, but I've also noticed these break easily. I have a few that have never been dropped and they lean/scrape the side of the tube. I did drop a matte lipstick on the carpet and it broke. They smell like baby dolls and a lipstick for little girls, but it's kind of an addictive scent. After awhile you get used to it. My favorite shades are Flamingo Pose, Hot Pink Rage, Fruit Punch, and Flirty Fuchsia.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Wild Watermelon Lip Butter
staciarose22 3/18/2013 10:43:00 PM
I bought Wild Watermelon and Sorbet, the other two new shades were opened. These are more of a jelly Lip Butter with no shimmer or glitter. They seem more sheer than the original line and not as creamy/thick in texture. While I do like the shades, you don't need to run out and get these because they're permanent. Wild Watermelon is a sheer red that looks like jam, and it's not as pigmented as Cherry Tart or Candy Apple. I'd say it leans more similar to Cherry Tart. On my lips these are a lot like YSL Rouge Volupte Shine. Just a tint of color.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Butter London - Fairy Lights
staciarose22 3/15/2013 11:10:00 PM
I've had this shade on a list for over a year and finally bought it on sale during 21 Days of Beauty at Ulta. It's a very reflective foil pink/metallic. I bought some of the metal polishes from Essie but they chip in no time and there is no pink, so hopefully Butter London holds up better than Essie did. This shade is quite rare in polish brands. It went on beautifully in two coats and dried in no time. I think I'll wear this a lot this spring.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Haux Eye Shadow
staciarose22 2/23/2013 5:38:00 AM
I've been looking at this shadow for a week and in the past I've avoided mauve brown shades. It's one of those shadows that looks interesting as a crease color (and mixed with other shades), but all over the lid it might look like a bruised eye. If you mix it with something like Scene or Copperplate, it gives a very romantic look. Perfect for wedding, which has been mentioned before in reviews. I think the Inglot dupe for this is 344, and it's probably more pigmented--as most Inglot shadows are. I'd use 344 and 339 together.
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Concealers -Maybelline - Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Spot Concealer
staciarose22 2/20/2013 10:11:00 PM
I'm a fan of the original Age Rewind concealer so I wanted to give this a try. Its meant to cover blemishes or dark spots on your face. I think you can use it under your eyes because I don't notice any acids in the ingredient list. It has good coverage that sets without drying your skin or getting cakey. You can build the coverage with this one, so far it's really good. If you don't want to pay full price, there are several Maybelline Age Rewind coupons in Allure magazine this month. The cover is Mila Kunis. The only con to this is the little clear tape they put around the cap. It's so hard to get off that you can chip your nails.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Inglot - 446P
staciarose22 2/19/2013 10:48:00 PM
446 seems to look different in every picture I've seen. I trust Temptalia's camera more, and decided to buy it. It's a rich jewel toned purple and exactly what most women want but can never find. It's gorgeous with green or brown eyes and enhances them. You can't go wrong with Inglot's pearl formula. It's soft, pigmented, and lasts.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No