Liquid -Revlon - PhotoReady Airbrush Mousse Makeup
swtlilqtk 2/26/2013 5:03:00 PM
I dont even know what to say about all these negative reviews except none of these problems anyone else is running into have been the same for me. Firstly, making sure you shake the can to stop seperation before applying is really important. Secondly you want to squirt a SMALL amount on the back of hand dont apply directly face. You want to use a brush and apply with small circular motions like a real airbrush machine would apply the foundation. I like Urban Decay Optical Blurring foundation brush. This is similar in coverage to Dior Skinflash in my opinion except Dior is more dewy this is a natural skin finish. I think this is a great foundation for the price for someone with already decent skin who wants to perfect it and have it look as nautral as possible. I am 040 Natural Beige and it blends perfect, comparable to MAC NC 25. Nice netural undertones that lean more to the cool side.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Illamasqua - Tweak
swtlilqtk 12/21/2012 1:50:00 PM
LOVE this blush! Very smooth pigment, applies evenly...which is hard to find with such a pigmented blush. A lot of blushes with this much pigment in a matte formula (Im talking about YOU NARS Exibit A) go on uneven and just dont look natural even with a light hand. Anyways, I like to apply this lightly with a MAC 187 brush. Goes on natural and gives that "just in from the cold" flush. I do this when I don't do alot of other makeup, because the cheeks are automatically the focus with this color. I could see this as a blush that looks good on pretty much every skintone, expect someone with super pink undertones, it would just make you look ruddy. This reminds me greatly on MAC's Bite of an Apple from V.V. collection, so if you missed out on that and are sad, try this! Staying power on this is wonderful, too. It wore evenly all day long. I can't wait to try other Illamasqua blushes, as this was my first. Def. worth the price tag!
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Makeup Brushes -MAC - 224 Tapered Blending (Windshield Wiper) Brush
swtlilqtk 11/29/2012 9:00:00 PM
Whereas I personally do not "love" this brush as a blender for shadow I DO love it for my concealer! I use Select Cover Up and Prolongwear under my eyes, depending on the day, and I use this brush to blend out either one. Instead of giving a cakey, heavy made up appearance this gives an airbrush look. Just put a lil concealer on the back of you hand take the brush and pick up the product. I start on the inner corner doing small, circular motions until the product is completely is completely blended out. This does for your concealer what a 130 would do for your foudation. If you use any sort of heavy coverage concealer you NEED to get this brush to avoid a cakey look but still get the great coverage you desire. I like how gentle it is for my undereye area too....no pulling or tugging upon application! Sometimes when Im feeling super fancy I use it to apply eyecream and it gives a nice soothing effect. Great change to a standard, flat concealer brush, and def worth trying yourself if you haven't yet.
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Sable Eye Shadow
swtlilqtk 11/29/2012 8:48:00 PM
A beautiful, everyday wearable color that looks good on almost every skintone and eye color. Its what I would called a midtone, warm brown with a frost finish. Dark enough to add depth in the crease against a lighter color like All that Glitters on a lighter skintone (NC40NW30 or below) or can put light enough as a wash on the lid and still be wearable for day. If your skintone is darker (above NC 42/NW35) you can wear this as a more natural lid color and pair something darker in the crease for everyday. This color is really pretty as a wash on the NW40 through 45 range. Gives the lids just a lil natural color and glow, kind of what All that Glitters does for lighter skintones. Sable is pretty neutral if the fact that you can wear it with any color...other browns, blues, coppers, purples...and it looks good. I like it paired with purples best myself as I feel like it pulls out some of the purple undertones in the shadow. Paired against pinks, like Swish, it gives more softness to the shade. Great color to try if you like Mulch and want something softer and like a more frosty finish. A sister to Satin Taupe, another popular MAC shade....most who like Satin Taupe tend to like Sable. Sable is just slightly lighter and more brown whereas, Satin Taupe is the more taupey, grey tone with a lil more depth.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Cranberry eye shadow
swtlilqtk 11/29/2012 8:34:00 PM
Cranberry is a very pretty Red plum with a pinkish undertone. Its a Frost finish, and the texture is smooth and easy to blend. It's a shade like MAC's Star Violet, you either love it and it works for you or you hate it and think it makes you look sickly. Star Violet is more of a brownish plum instead of a red, but they're both around the same tone-wise. Anyways, I feel like this color looks good on cooler skintones as the pinkly plum can compete with the natural pink in ones skin and add to ruddiness. The color also looks great on darker skin women and pretty much any eye color, so that is a bonus. The easiest way to use this color is as an accent. I like to do a color like Jest all over the lid, Cranberry through the crease and maybe Sketch on the outer corner for a pretty purple smokey eye. You can also use it with cooler plums like Fig 1 to tone the pink down a lil. If you like pinks and purples this looks pretty with Stars and Rockets on the lid, Cranberry in the crease and Carbon on the outer corner. This is a nice bright, but still smokey eye. For what I like to call a "Sunset eye" I like Cranberry in the crease with Coppering on the lid and Handwritten on the outer corner. Overall if this works for your skintone this is a really versatile shade to have in your collection. Once you start using it in different ways you realize how much use you can get out of a shade that can look scary in the pot. I hope some of my pairings help some of you find new ways to use this beautiful color.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Pro Activ - 3-Step System
swtlilqtk 11/29/2012 8:14:00 PM
First thing most people have to consider about this system is any system really isn't "one size fits all". You have to know your skin and your skins needs to determine if you need to use every step of the system, every day, 2 twice a day...or if you should maybe on cleanse at night, tone every other day or whatnot. You have to listen to your skin and the way it reacts to the product. Another thing to consider it that this product contains benzoyl peroxide, and a lot of people have a sensitivty to it, even moreso than other acne ingrediants like salicylic acid. The toner contains Aloe Vera and Chamomile, with both are soothing but are natural ingrediants so people could have a sensitivy to these and also Witch Hazel which does have a tendency to dry. It also contains 5% glycolic acid...glycolic acid can cause irritation and also makes your skin sensitive to sun exposure, so if you're not using sunscreen with this system you're going to expose your skin to damage. Especially if using the toner in the AM. The repairing lotion contains BP as well, so this could be a overload on your skin, even if you're not sensitive to BP. The best way to test this system on your skin would to do the cleanser and toner at night ONLY for a week or so along with your regular moisturizer. If your skin can handle that, bring in the Proactive repair lotion. If your skin still reacts well you can try doing this system twice a day. I would give your skin two weeks with just the night treatment, then you can go onto the day if your skin reacts well. Make sure if you're doing it during the day to USE SUNSCREEN! All of the ingrediants in this product will make you skin extra sensitive to the sun! I personally can only do the Renewing cleanser...doing everything else makes my skin go into overload, dries it out and makes it worse. Again, I learned this through trial and error. I only do the cleanser at night every few days to keep breakouts at bay. I also like the Green Tea moisturizer Proactive has to offer. Its a light, hydrating product that doesnt make you greasy and doesn't overdry. Remember just because a system is sold together, doesn't mean you have to use it together! Do what works best for YOU. Your skin will thank you for it.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Coastal Scents - 88 color matte palette
swtlilqtk 11/28/2012 10:54:00 PM
This is a great starter palette for someone who wants a variety of colors to see what works best for their lifestyle, skintone, haircolor or whatnot. You can see not only if purples work well on you, but if warmer/cooler or lighter/darker purples suit you best..same with blues, greens or the whatnot. This allows you to try a variety of colors and tones without making a huge investment only to find out what you thought you liked doesn't work best on you. The shadow colors in this palette are very small, about dime sized, but for the price that is understandable. You get 88 shades, and this palette at full price is around $15 or so I believe, so you get to try 88 shades for the price of one full sized MAC shadow! If you're looking at it THAT way, even if you only like 10 out of the 88 shades you're still making out! When I had this palette I actually took swatches of the colors I liked and put them in a notebook. This allowed me to match them up with full sized shadows in higher end brands. The pigment in these are decent, but not the same as say, MAC or Urban Decay, so the colors I used the most I would invest in these brands something similar with....but Im glad I had this palette to find out before invest so much on one expensive shadow to only wear it 2 times a year. This is also a good palette for someone who wants to experiment with color on weekends, but has no need fo a blue shadow that will take them 3 years to run through. With a primer I would say these wear decently well...some shades are more pigmented and blend well than others, but that is to be expected with the pricing point. Using a flat brush and matte base, like Painterly paintpot, allows these shadows to go on more evenly. I think matte shadows without a base/flat brush poise a challenge from even high end brands, so these are definate tools to success. A good investment to any makeup lovers collection, if you're a novice or a pro, a nice way to expand your collection on the cheap.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Grey Friday
swtlilqtk 11/27/2012 6:47:00 PM
As the other reviewer states, yes, this is a good layering lipstick. It does appear more of a purplish tint with a hint of grey...I would say by itself its almost similar to MAC Icon with slightly more a grey tint to it. I've tried it layer over a couple different colors and it looks very pretty. Over a red it gives a color resembling MAC Fluid lipstick...over a bright lilac it gives a color like MAC Odyssey. I haven't tried it over a pink yet, but Im sure it will look pretty. Nice and vampy by itself with a deep plum liner....a fun color to try in many different ways! It's sold out so I doubt you will be able to get it, but if you have it I hope I gave you a couple fun color pairings to try. :)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Crème -Urban Decay - Surreal Skin Cream to Powder Foundation
swtlilqtk 11/26/2012 7:16:00 PM
Im extremely torn about how I feel about this product. First, I think the coverage on this is great...a medium coverage with a slightly dewy finish.This IS a product I can use and get completely flawless looking skin with, which I LOVE. But, it breaks me out. Not in big pimples, but clusters of little under the skin ones. I didn't realize it so I kept putting more and more on to try and "fix" the problem, and then I finally figured out what was going on. It does contain a lot of different "cones" and other pore cloggers like Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, PEG/PPG-10/1, and other things that contain irritate skin...one of them being a form of plastic...I can't remember the chemical name for it now though. If you aren't sensitive to anything on the ingrediants list, I would def. give this a try. Great coverage, good for travelling and wears well. Wish this didn't break me out...because it would def be a HG foundation for me if it didn't.
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Liquid -Urban Decay - Naked Skin
swtlilqtk 11/26/2012 7:02:00 PM
When MAC discontiuned Mineralize Satinfinish, I was looking for something similar to replace it. Reading the discription that Urban Decay provides which is -"This formula helps skin achieve a natural, illuminated and bright finish— like the beautiful skin you were born with. Naked Skin is formulated with light-diffusing spheres, transforming you to look professionally retouched. Buildable coverage allows women to customize their look." I thought this would be the perfect thing. Well...not so much. I will say the color selection on this formula is great. The 3.0 matched me perfectly and I'm normally a MAC NC25-30. They have a nice range of tones/undertones that I think most people could find a color to match them. To me, the coverage leaves something to be desired. While is does have the illuminated finish I like the formula seems thin and lacks even decent coverage with a few coats. It goes on lighter than most tinted moisturizers or BB creams. I have a few slight, very light, acne scars and this couldn't even cover them at all. I think if you have completely perfect, flawless skin you may like this...but any skin issues will not be covered with this formula. You will need a seperate concealer, which I don't always like to do. Also, Im dry and I feel like it went a lil patchy on me. It contains Sodium Hyaluronate, which is supposed to be moisturizing, but on me tends to have an opposite effect for some reason. Overall though I am giving this a 3 due to the fact that on a normal skin that doesn't need much coverage I think this could be beautiful. I don't regret trying this at all because it turned me onto the Good Karma Optical Blending foundation brush, which is probably the best brush I've ever purchased! Whats nice about this too is Sephora will give you a sample so you're not stuck buying something you hate...if you think you'll like it, give it a try...not much to lose.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Superlustrous - Certainly Red
swtlilqtk 11/18/2012 11:54:00 AM
This, is my opinion, is pretty much a dupe for MAC Red, which is one of my favorite red lipsticks! Def a bold, blue based red...creamy finish without being overly glossly. This looks beautiful on full force or blotted down as a stain. This is, again like MAC Red, an in your face red. Very pin up, something you can wear by itself without much make and look polished and put together. May be too bold for someone looking to try red the first time...a sheerer red, like MAC Lady Bug or Revlon Color Burst lip color in Cherry Tart, may be better choices. Also good for first times, a deeper red like Revlon Really Red or Mac Viva Glam 1, red but not in your face. The wear time on this color is good and feels smooth and not overly drying on the lips. If you're looking for a good blue-based brighter red at a cheap price, def give this a try!
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Lipstick -Revlon - Super Lustrous- Love That Red
swtlilqtk 11/17/2012 10:55:00 PM
I've been on a misson: To find the brightest primary red lip color possible without a overly glossy finish. This, has been near impossible...every matte or satin bright red I've come across wasn't as "in your face" as I wanted, and the glossy colors I found to not be as classic and wearable. I am a fan of reds. All shades. I don't discriminate. I like different textures, shades and finishes for different looks. I wanted a red that was bold and classic, a 50's pin up shade. Most colors weren't that TRUE red...too pink (MAC Ruby Woo) too dark (MAC Russian Red) too orange (Hourglass Raven) and too glossy ( Kat Von D Outlaw) just to name a few....literally nothing was IT. I went to Chanel and tried every red there...I own almost every Nars red, tired YSL Muse...no. Nothing was doing to for me. SO...I was doing some research on the internet and search vibrant reds. A bunch of different Revlon shades came up, this being one of them. Since Revlon was on a BOGO 50% off at Ulta I decided to try 4 Revlon reds: Fire and Ice, Love that Red, Really Red and Certainly Red. With my $5 off coupon on top of the BOGO, I got all four at around $19 after tax, so a steal! They're all beautiful, just like any red in their own right, but Love That Red is IT. If you want people to see you coming, to see your lips first, this is your red! I would not consider this a good "starter" red. It would probably be too bold for most. Really Red would be a good "classic" choice for most looking to start out with red. But for those of us who already love and own many reds, who want our red not to whisper, but to shout from the roof tops...well here ya go! The finish on this is creamy, smooth...not overly glossy...wears well and makes your teeth look white. Even not on sale I think its around $7 a tube, so def worth experimenting with! If you want a stand out red, give this a try. You WON'T be disappointed. I'm so glad my search is over! Now, onto the next big makeup obession! lol
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Unlisted Brand - Dial Antibacterial Liquid Hand Soap
swtlilqtk 10/25/2012 11:19:00 PM
Ever since I've found out I was pregnant with my second child, a boy, my skin has been a wreck! All around my jaw and neck area I had small, hard under the skin pimples that nothing I've seemed to do would help them go away...I switched up my skincare routine and adding this soap in seemed to be one of the biggest things that has helped. It doesn't leave my normal skin overly dry, but it is slightly drying, so you would need to moisturize after unless super oily. I suggest this to anyone with acne problems....its soooo cheap that even if it doesn't work there isn't much to lose! Being pregnant I can use BP or other traditional acne meds and honestly this seems to help more than any of the other acne things I would use before pregnancy anyways. Give it a try for yourself....its a $1 or so a bottle, so you have nothing to lose and hopefully can gain clear skin like I have!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Yves Saint Laurent - Teint Touche Eclat Foundation
swtlilqtk 10/17/2012 11:55:00 AM
Color selection on this is great. The Beige 30 looked great on me colorwise, couldn't even see it go onto my skin. Coverage is lovely and the finish is perfect. I apply this just quickly with a sponge and it looked beautiful, natural and radiant. Lovely. But sadly, it broke me out almost instantly. Whenever something has an irritant (which for me is a "cone" high up on its list...this was has Dimethicone has the 3rd thing in) I break out in almost hive-like under the skin bumps within an hour or two of wearing a product. This broke me out within the hour. I think though for someone who has no trouble with the ingredients listed, this is a wonderful foundation for a airbrushed, flawless look without feeling a heavy face of makeup.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -MAC - Select SPF 15 Foundation
swtlilqtk 10/17/2012 11:24:00 AM
I've been working for MAC for 4 years between freelancing and a on counter artist, and in 4 years I've NEVER shown this foundation to anyone....that pretty much shows you what I think of it. No coverage, oily feel, doesn't wear well. Not shocked they discontiuned this. On the other hand they DID dc Mineralize Satinfinish a great foundation for someone looking for lightweight coverage, only leaving us with F&B which I don't love. Every once in a blue moon a customer would come up and want to replace this and I would show them something else to fit their needs and they would indeed be much happier with my new suggestion than Select SPF. I do love Select Cover up concealer though, so even if you hate this foundation, do let it scare you away from trying the concealer. Great medium coverage while adding radiance to the under eye area...non drying...good stuff. Maybe if the foundation worked as well as the concealer it would still be around.
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