Liquid -Make Up For Ever - Mat Velvet PLUS Matifying Foundation
tempalina 11/29/2011 10:29:00 PM
I decided to buy this product during Sephora's FF sale. I've been wanting to try this since every other combo/oily girl seems to love it. My first impression was that the packaging is very lightweight and portable. However, when I opened it, it was squirting all over the place. I guess that happened with the mixtures of air pressure, and tossing and turning during delivery. I was already disappointed. When I tried the product, I liked how the shade seemed to match me very well. It made me look luminous, almost. However, I noticed it can come off a bit dry and thick. I guess I should've expected that seeing this is supposed to be a mattifying foundation. I found that when I use a foundation brush, this applies very streaky. When applied with a buffing brush, it looks better but still appears a bit streaky. Using a beauty blender works the best to help it blend seamless into the skin. Still, I was not satisfied with this foundation. Why? Not only is it hard to blend, it does last very long on my combo/oily skin. It still leaves me looking greasy and gross, even when I set it with powder. My t-zone would cake up and my cheeks would streak. Despite blotting and facial sprays, there was no improvement. I just couldn't figure out how to make this work. Lastly, this broke me out. I haven't had pimples in so long but after trying out this foundation (I tried it everyday for a week), I started breaking out. So annoying. I really had high hopes for the foundation and I was really hoping this could be "the one." I'm very disappointed. This is going back.
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Mascara -Lancome - Hypnose
tempalina 3/14/2011 2:45:00 PM
I've always wanted to try this mascara, and luckily got it as a gwp when I purchased something from Lancome. Good thing I didn't buy this because I would have returned it!!! This has serious clumping and flaking problems for me. There's nothing more I hate than flaking. No matter how I apply it, it flakes. It also does NOT hold curls. As soon as I put this on, I see my lashes falling down. It makes my curling quite useless. And for an asian girl, I need those curled lashes!!! lol. I gave it one lippie because it is very good in darkening my lashes. But that's it. Not enough for me to want to purchase.
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Liquid -NARS - Sheer Glow Foundation
tempalina 3/8/2011 8:51:00 PM
I've been wanting this foundation for the longest time. I happened to be at Nordstrom one time so I decided to ask for a Sheer Glow sample. I'm an NC35 in MAC studio fix fluid and was matched to Punjab in Sheer Glow. First off, the consistency is very nice. It's not too runny and not too thick either. It puts on very nicely and just looks superb. Almost like a very natural second skin. I also like how the foundation is yellow enough to match my asian skin tone. However, this turned me into a grease ball!! A very yucky, dirty-looking greaseball. It was not flattering at all. My skin is no longer as oily as it used to be (I'm actually combo now) so I was really surprised when this turned me into an oily mess. I was a little disappointed. I wanted this to work. Good thing I only got a sample, otherwise, I would have to return it. Oily ladies, be wary. Get a sample first and test it out for a day. That way, you won't have to return it if it doesn't work out.
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Mascara -Lancome - Definicils Mascara
tempalina 2/26/2011 11:09:00 PM
I got a sample of this recently when I purchased a skincare product from Lancome. I was excited to try it seeing as many people seem to talk about Lancome mascaras. First off, let me first say that I want my mascaras to volumize my lashes, make them slightly longer, hold my curl, and not run down my eyes. For this particular mascara, here are my 2 cents: I have pretty straight lashes so I need a mascara that will help keep them curled after using my eyelash curler. This did not do the job! The formula is very watery that it weighed my lashes down. So I decided to curl again afterwards, which is no biggie to me. But, this turned into a spidery sticky mess. I don't have many lashes but with the right mascara, my lashes actually look full. However, this would clump them together making it look like I only had 5 or something! It made it seem like I only had a few lashes compared to many. Totally not the look I was going for. My definition of volumizing means not only making the lashes darker, but also tends to "fan" them out to make it seem like I have a lot more than I really do. This mascara did NOT do that. It almost made it look like my lashes were farther apart, making them look fewer and sparser. It did, however, make it look darker. Just not my definition of volumized. This also did nothing to make my lashes longer. All in all, I'm glad I got to try this without having to buy it. It would have been a total waste of money. Asian babes who sounds like you have the same type of lashes I do, be wary of this mascara. I will NEVER buy this.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Stila - Kitten
tempalina 2/23/2011 6:11:00 PM
I got Stila Kitten as a single refill. On the pan, it looks pinkish with shimmer on it. I thought maybe the shimmer wouldn't be too much so I have it a try. I'm not a big fan of matte so I usually go for shimmery sparkly eyeshadows but this one blows them all away. But NOT in a good way. On me, this does not show any color. Nothing but shimmer and sparkle. I really do not like it. The glitter fall out is horrible too. This is not my first Stila eyeshadow and so far, Stila is just not working out for me. I don't think i will continue to repurchase from them.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Lancome - Eau Micellaire Douceur - Express Cleansing Water for Face, Eyes, Lips
tempalina 2/22/2011 9:01:00 PM
Ingredients List at the bottom. Before I started using this cleanser, I was using the Laneige Refiner for a year. It was nice and it didn't break me out, but when I ran out of it, I wanted to buy a product that I didn't have to drive 40 miles away for or from online. I wanted something readily accessible. The first couple I tried were from Shiseido. After a few uses, I started getting small bumps on my face (maybe small pimples) that were very inflamed/swollen and red. I figured Shiseido was the culprit and I was right, because after a couple of days of not using it, the bumps went away. Next, I opted for Lancome. I have been using a Lancome moisturizer for about 8 months now and it hasn't caused me to break out so I decided maybe other Lancome skincare products (with the exception of the bifacil) would work for me as well. Here are my thoughts about this cleansing water... PROS: - First, the container is very pretty. I'm a sucker for nice packages. - 2 pumps is more than enough for the whole face! So don't waste it by pumping 2 or 3 thinking it's not enough because it is. One bottle will definitely last a very long time. - Gets rid of excess makeup that were not removed from washing. - Gentle yet thorough cleansing water that did not cause my skin to react in a bad way. - I believe this helped make my skin supple and ready for moisturizer. - In the mornings, this helped my skin feel nice and smooth, and clear from redness. It gives me that "cold" feeling, which I like, because it makes me think that my skin is clean and fresh. - I don't have to purchase this online or drive 5 cities away for. It is readily accessible from any counter of my choosing, be it macy's, nordstrom, and even sephora. - won't irritate your eye area CONS: - It has a smell that some people may not agree on. I don't find it flowery or sweet, and it kindof bothered me at first. So if you're picky with scent, you might want to sniff this one first before purchasing it. - the pump is a little weird. - The price is a little hefty but compared to my Laneige, it's almost normal for me. But wait for the GWP time that way you can get free extras! All in all, I really like this. I would definitely repurchase. =)) INGREDIENTS: Aqua/water, Hexylene Glycol, Glycerin, Poloxamer 184, Dihydrocholeth-30, Polyaminopropyl Biguanide, Benzyl Salicylate, Propylene Glycol, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Disodium EDTA, Rosa Gallica Extract/Rosa Gallica Flower Extract, Parfum/Fragrance
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Crème -Bobbi Brown - Oil-Free Even Finish Compact Foundation
tempalina 2/18/2011 10:58:00 PM
UPDATE 2/18/10: Sadly, this is not my HG. The shade does match my yellow skin fairly well. It can almost look like I am not wearing any foundation on. I noticed that if my skin has been pretty good, this looks and applies really well. I have noticed that this has the tendency to dry my cheeks and can accentuate dry areas. Because this is a cream foundation, it's easy to have a tendency to pile on when your blemishes are not fully covered. If you have fairly good skin that is combo/oily, this looks like it may work for you. *********** I wanted to try Bobbi Brown foundations just because it was recommended as one with the most yellow tones. It's been really hard for me to find the right matching foundation because of my yellow undertone. I've tried everything from chanel to mac to drugstore brands (i'm still willing to try Dior). but so far, this has given me the most radiant but matching finish. MAC did match me fairly well and for the longest time I thought it was the best that I was going to get. but after trying this, my face looked more radiant and just brighter (something that Mac has not done for me so far). I thought of getting the liquid foundation but after trying this, I couldn't really seem to notice the difference between the two so i opted to try this just for the sake of it. Looks pretty good so far.
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Bough Grey
tempalina 2/18/2011 10:52:00 PM
this is such a disappointment. i REALLY tried to work with this but i just couldn't get it to work. the pigmentation is horrible, it doesn't apply smoothly, and it's not flattering on my skintone (NC35). swapped it away.
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Birds and berries
tempalina 2/18/2011 10:51:00 PM
I actually like this eyeshadow. It shows up as a nice teal color on me (NC35) and it is very lovely. I can wear it in a more natural look (birds and berries on lid, light grey/silver on crease, then a matte highlight) or a little bit darker and smokey (add deep truth to outer v and crease, and add a darker silver/grey color). There are probably other eyeshadows that match it, but this is the only teal one that I have. I would likely to repurchase.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Highlighters -Chanel - Empreinte de Chanel
tempalina 2/18/2011 10:46:00 PM
I modeled for an event held by Chanel last year and my makeup artist said this one just came out. He suggested that I should get it because it's an amazing highlighter and used it on me. I liked what I saw in the mirror so I decided to purchase one. The staying power is pretty good and of course, the packaging is absolutely lovely. I tried to work with it and apply it as a highlighter, but I was not pleased with it. I got nothing but glitters. I prefer a more sheen glossy look rather than a glittery one. I debated for awhile if I should keep it because it's so pretty, but I figured I won't be using it so there's no point on keeping something so expensive. I admit that I was a little sad to let it go, but it would've been a terrible waste.
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Liquid -Revlon - PhotoReady Makeup
tempalina 2/18/2011 10:43:00 PM
I am combination/oily and acne-prone. i've been wanting to try this foundation since everyone and their mother has basically tried this. so when cvs had their bogo, i figured i'd grab myself one. My 2 cents: PROS: - nice buildable coverage - photographs well with no white cast finish - able to match my skintone pretty well - mixable with other foundations for a nicer skin finish - not as thick as colorstay, but not too light either CONS: - a tad bit sparkly especially under direct sunlight - foundation shades may be hard to be truly matched - sometimes caused a cystic pimple or two by the end of the day - hard to get the last drops of foundation because the pump cannot be taken out I personally like this foundation. Aside from the pimple or two that I get from it, it's not that bad. Is it a must-have? Not necessarily, but it fits the bill. I will repurchase when it goes on sale again.
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Mascara -Christian Dior - Diorshow Black Out Mascara
tempalina 2/18/2011 10:33:00 PM
I've been hearing so much hoorah about Dior mascaras so I decided to go out and try them. My first trial was with the Diorshow Black Out. I was not very happy with this product. PROS: - creates really darkened and black eyelashes when I get it to work - nice packaging CONS: - not waterproof one because this thing ends up under my eyes even if I only apply this to my top lashes - clumping. even when I use a mascara base, this mascara still disappoints me. Too pricey for something that doesn't perform very well when there are drugstore items that are a lot cheaper which performs 1000x better. Save your money!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Amazing Cosmetics - Amazing Concealer
tempalina 2/18/2011 5:26:00 PM
I bought this based on Michelle Phan's rave that this is her favorite concealer. I just thought I'd give it a try since many others agreed with her. So I stopped by Sephora to grab one and decided that Medium Beige Light was my color match (also as advised by the SA. She was raving that the product really is Amazing, hence the name). For the longest time, I thought this thing matched my skin tone and the foundation I was using at the time (Shiseido). But one day, my bf (who never says anything about my makeup) notices that my skin tone is not even (or looks a tad darker). So I thought I needed to change my foundation and I went into this massive haul/hunt for the perfect foundation shade in different brands (both high-end and drugstore) thinking that was the problem. But still kept getting a weird color. When I finally decided to use my MAC concealer one day, viola! I noticed the change. I realized that because I apply this on the blemishes on my chin, it made my chin turn into a very off color compared to the rest of my face and neck (which is what my bf noticed). CONS: - cannot find a matching shade. even when I went back to Sephora. It always ends up looking sorta grayish. - this settles into the fine lines under my eyes like no other. I have to keep patting on my undereye area to keep this at bay because it just sinks in. - has no lasting power. I find myself reapplying this throughout the day because it just would not stay on! Maybe because from my patting due to con#2. - this is pretty thick and is a little too much for me. I'd rather have a lighter consistency. Pros? I find absolutely nothing that's good about it. Although this has a nice consistency that is creamy and easy to blend, it really doesn't do anything for me. Will NOT be repurchasing.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Chanel - Pro Lumiere Professional Finish Make-Up ] [DISCONTINUED]
tempalina 2/18/2011 5:15:00 PM
Update 2/16/11: I actually really like this foundation. I did not break out from this and it did not accentuate my dry pimples at all. This foundation also photographs really well. It is also THE perfect match for my skin tone. I didn't even realize it until recently when I was trying to clean my face. I was using my cleansing wipes to wipe my foundation and powder off, and I kept rubbing on my cheeks because I thought I wasn't getting the foundation off. I realized later on that I was already rubbing my face off (and not the foundation). But because the shade matched so well, I couldn't even tell which one was my actual skin! This was the very first time this has ever happened to me. I find this very surprising. Overall, I am very pleased with this. Could it be my HG? We shall see.. =) *************** A year ago, I decided to try Chanel foundations. I'm an NC35 and Shell seems to have matched me. They were having a national event at Nordstrom's and one of the makeup artists there (I'm guessing he's well-known since he was treated like the leader of the pack). but in any case, he convinced me that he wanted to do my makeup so I said ok (I wasn't wearing any so I guess I looked extra fugly that day. Lol). but anyway, he tried this foundation on me and set it with a powder and i swear, it lasted ALL DAY. i worked at the hospital afterwards and i did not touch up once. he didn't even put concealer on the dark blemishes on my chin. i usually put a gunk of concealer there when using other foundations because nothing ever seemed to be able to cover them up. on top of that, he didn't even use very much on my entire face, only half the pump. i don't know yet if this will cause me to break out or if the color really matches me (my bf seems to think it's still a little dark on me). i'll have to try it out and see. i will edit in the future. but so far, so good.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Lancome - Teint Idole ULTRA [DISCONTINUED]
tempalina 2/18/2011 5:04:00 PM
i am an avid fan of the Lancome Dual powder foundation, but I wanted to try a liquid foundation. so i went out to try this one. i really wanted to like this foundation. it was soooo hard for me to get a matching shade to my asian skin. it either made me look white on pics or darker in person. i kept going back to the counter every week or so to try to get a new shade. i tried a different foundation color and when i thought i had it, i thought maybe it was the powder i was using (color ideal) so i got a different shade for that too. NOTHING WORKED! i got fed up and returned everything altogether. the SA asked me if i wanted to get color matched again but i got tired of going back and forth so i just decided to get the dual finish again. i will not try this product again. such a hassle.
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