Lotions/ Creams -Nubian Heritage - Ivorian Cocoa Butter hand cream
sterlingspider 1/23/2012 9:49:00 PM
Both the hand and body cream of this line are my HG moisturizers. If you're into cocoa butter it just doesn't get any better than this. The scent is perfectly chocolate, the texture is rich and silky, and it leaves my skin soft and glowing without being super greasy. The only downside to this product is I can't just go out and get it whenever I need to stock up, I found it once at a brick and mortar health food store and since then I've had to order it online. Edit: It appears to have been discontinued! I was so sad at this that I have emailed the company to beg them to bring it back.
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Nails -Unlisted Brand - Red Carpet Manicure System
sterlingspider 1/23/2012 7:41:00 PM
I received the Ulta kit with the pro light as a holiday gift and so far this has been awesome! I did a pedi as my first try and have done two manis since. I seriously cannot keep regular NP on my natural fingernails and since I stopped doing wraps about a decade ago this is the first time I've had NP last more than literally a few hours. Due to the care and precision needed to get neat thin layers it does take a REALLY long time from start to finish but if you take into account drying time on regular NP it probably evens out in the end. The finish stays incredible and glassy for the life of the mani/pedi (my toes are going on three weeks now). If your nails grow really fast (like mine) it's a lot of work for a weekly mani so after doing one dark colour and hating the amount of growout I think I'm mostly sticking to coloured frenches from now on. Definitely poke around the web and you'll find some great tips and tricks, there are tips on fixing chips (I've used that one successfully) and using regular NP between gel base and top coats, or using regular polish over a gel base (I haven't tried these yet but I'm really looking forward to them).
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -LORAC - Front of the Line Waterproof Eyeliner
sterlingspider 9/13/2011 2:19:00 PM
This specifically refers to the PRO version in black. Probably the nicest liquid liner application brush I've found: precise enough for a lot of detail, long enough for a nice long sweep, a nice hint of firmness to keep the line from squidging or dumping too much product at once. That being said the product itself is very temperamental, when it's great it's GREAT, good staying power and a nice dark line... but when it's not it's a serious fight to get a good look (and when liner is one of the last things you put on mess-ups can be a serious problem). It dries very fast, which is nice for keeping it in place, but if you have to go over it to darken it or tweak a line more often than not it will pick up part of the previous line like a dry erase marker. I always make sure to shake really well before application to be sure there's enough product on the brush to get my line done in one shot and even then I sometimes have to draw on my hand a few times to be sure it's dark enough. I'm told that some tubes are better than others so if you get a really bad one don't hesitate to return it. Not great on bare skin or just primer so look elsewhere for your "I just have to run out quick" makeup. Goes on best over primer and shadow.
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Deodorants -Dove - Go Fresh - Pomegranate & Lemon Verbena Scent
sterlingspider 9/13/2011 1:37:00 PM
Steer well clear if musk scents don't work on you. Started out as a clean pomegranate scent, turned into a direct clone of B&BW Midnight Pomegranate in about two hours and 6 hours later is so overwhelmingly strong I have to wear a sweatshirt to keep from getting a headache. Seems to work well enough as an antiperspirant which is why I didn't give it a 1 (my normal go to is Dove's unscented / sensitive skin version of the same).
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Blush -BeneFit Cosmetics - Benetint
sterlingspider 12/30/2009 4:32:00 PM
This stuff was a complete bust. I don't think I even had it 24 hours before I returned it. Despite loving the colour, like other darker skinned reviewers I found this way to sheer to to really be at all effective. I wear cheek colour with an extremely light touch and even then it took several heavy layers register as the "wind kissed" look I aim for (I should have taken the hint when the packaging says "apply three dots" but the SA made a giant X on the apple of my cheek). I really disliked the applicator brush and I think using a swab as others suggested would end up being extremely wasteful. I also imagine it would be a nightmare to blend if your skin was even a little bit dry. I could even have dealt with all that, but if you have any sort of perfume sensitivity this stuff might as well be labeled "headache in a bottle", you better like the smell of roses A LOT, especially if you're going to try wearing it on your lips. I felt like I was being attacked by a valentine's bouquet. I also found it burned on my cheeks very slightly.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - XXL Curl Power
sterlingspider 2/23/2008 11:50:00 PM
This mascara is a hot mess. The massive clumping from both layers completely cancels out any positive effects I may have gotten. I have naturally long (but sadly pin straight) lashes and I really just don't need all the extra goop, I just want a bit of curl. For the amount of work I had to do to get everything un-clumped I might as well just stick to my curler + clear mascara + no frills (no curling, plumping, or lengthening) black mascara, It's faster and far less likely to pull out lashes.
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Eye Shadow -Revlon - Color Stay 12 Hour Eye Shadow- Berry Bloom
sterlingspider 2/12/2008 11:53:00 PM
I'm in the odd position of not particularly liking pink but looking absolutely awesome in it so I've tried to incorporate more of it into my makeup repertoire. I like that these colors go a bit towards purple without being boring and mauve-y and there's a nice range with two different intensities of shell pink and two intensities of a more classically berry tone (but with an interesting silver gray undertone to it). Looking at it I find it odd that I don't use the dark plummy color that much as of the four it's definitely my pick, but I suppose that just means I need to experiment more. Not the best pigmentation on bare eyelids but with a bit of something underneath to grab it the colors pop well enough. Like I said regarding the Spring Moss palate it's not the most incredible makeup, but these are colors I wouldn't necessarily spring for from a higher end line and it's nice to have the versatility for so relatively cheap (especially if you can find them on sale or even BOGO).
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Eye Shadow -Revlon - Colorstay 12-Hour Eyeshadow quad "Spring Moss"
sterlingspider 2/11/2008 7:16:00 PM
To me this is a nice general baseline quad. Some great colors (the mossy gold green is my fave) that compliment each other well and all work as great accent/layering colors with a variety of other shadow colors. On bare lids this isn't going to do much for you, but with some sort of base you can get a bit of color out of these, it's a pretty good shadow quad for the price. They're not colors I'm going to use every single day so they would not be worth buying each one in a separate pot from a higher end line (except maybe that gold green), but packaged together it's more then worth the relatively low price.
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Lip Gloss -Jason Natural Cosmetics - Temptations Moisturizing Lip Tint
sterlingspider 2/11/2008 6:50:00 PM
I got this in Pink Hope for free from a friend in the natural supplements business and I'm really sad to see that it was a limited edition color as I'm rapidly running out. It's so nice to have a lip gloss that doesn't feel or taste like you're coated scented plastic and it has a nice slippery non sticky feel which moisturizes really well. It has a nice sheer shimmer to it which looks demure with just a swipe or really glossy and dewy when applied heavily. I am notoriously hard on lip gloss tubes and break the tops off of them regularly, but this has been living in my bags for months. The (metal) handle for the wand may be a little dented but the neck is still holding up nicely.
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Eyeliner -Revlon - Colorstay Eyeliner
sterlingspider 2/11/2008 6:42:00 PM
I got this as a BOGO in Black with Revlon's Wet/Dry liner and while it's not my go-to pencil (the wet/dry holds that title for now) it definitely rates as my pocketbook touch-up liner. It goes on a little dryer then I'd like but that's just fine for touch ups and the built in sharpener means never scratching your eye with the wood part of a pencil in a dark bathroom.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Revlon - Wet/Dry Eyeliner- All Shades
sterlingspider 2/11/2008 6:25:00 PM
I have this in Blackest Black and it's definitely my go to "crap I have about negative 5 seconds to put on some makeup... and GO!" eyeliner. It goes on smoothly and evenly, and is great for a smudgy pumping up the lash-line sort of look or a heavy black rimmed eyes look. When I want precision I go for my liquid, when I want soft and fuzzy as many black pencil liners as I have I always find myself digging in the bottom of my makeup bag for this. I do have to watch a bit for raccoon eyes but I have oily lids so that's pretty much the story of my life.
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Eye Shadow -NYX - Trio in Serengeti
sterlingspider 2/11/2008 1:38:00 AM
This is the green I've been searching for all these years. The lighter green in this trio is the vibrant lime I've been aching for and the darker slightly mossy green is the perfect shade tone. Add to it a beautiful yellow which is clear and bright enough not to look horrible against my olive skin tone and you have a total win of a compact. All this for $6 at Eckerds. I get compliments just about every time I wear these colors and I've had more then one woman look at me wistfully and exclaim that they wish they could wear green eyeshadow, and to me that is the mark of a winning color. I love pairing these with a bright teal blue for an insanely vibrant peacock look.
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Eye Shadow -Maybelline - Expert Eye Shadow - Pixie Winks
sterlingspider 2/11/2008 1:32:00 AM
I was on a search for the perfect bright green and I thought I had finally found it in this, only to find when I got it home that it doesn't show up for anything. Maybe it would work layered over a creme foundation of some sort, but on it's own it's completely useless.
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Eye Shadow -L'Oreal - HiP Bright Duo - Flashy
sterlingspider 2/11/2008 1:28:00 AM
I got this for the peacock color and it has definitely become one of my go-to colors. The bone color it is paired with is a great highlight for me when I want something a bit softer then white, but I'm a fairly dark olive tone so I can see it being a bit pointless for most. I have not had any issues with pigmentation or staying power at all, nor has it bothered my eyes (and I do regularly wear this out to a club hot enough to melt makeup). The compact is a bit annoying, it's unnecessarily bulky (seriously, who carries eye shadow with them and yet doesn't already have a preferred mirror?) and hard to get the shadow side open.
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Masks -Queen Helene - Mint Julep Masque
sterlingspider 2/10/2008 11:46:00 PM
This mask is great as a spot treatment but I think I've used it all of twice as a full mask because holy crap THE BURNING. Tread carefully with this stuff if you have sensitive skin. That being said that one tube will probably last the rest of my natural life. That being said I love that it doesn't stink of flowers or fake fruit like so many other products, my nose is if anything even more sensitive then my skin and it's nice not to feel assaulted by ones products for once.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No