Mascara -Maybelline - The Rocket Volum' Express Waterproof
theNYues 6/17/2013 2:07:00 AM
This is the first drugstore mascara that I absolutely love and would recommend. I have really straight lashes that usually do not hold a curl without wearing waterproof mascara. I have tried other Maybelline mascaras as well as Cover Girl, and Revlon however I have been disappointed by all of them and gave up on drugstore mascaras because they either flaked, smudged, did not provide any volume or simply did not hold a curl. I also given up on buying dept. store mascaras (Lancome, Dior, Estee Lauder) because those mascaras did not hold a curl or smudged on me and simply was not worth the $$$. I have been purchasing Japanese mascaras (Majolica Majorca, Fairy Drops) online because those have been tried and true and really do hold a curl and do not smudge all day. However I was desperate to find a cheaper alternative because buying Japanese mascaras online in the U.S. will cost on average $19. Anyway long story short I bought the Rocket Volum Express Waterproof on a whim and have been very pleased with the results. I tested it out today because it was a very humid day in NY and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to see if this mascara would smudge because even mascaras that claim to be waterproof smudge on me during hot humid weather. It did not smudge on me even after 11 hours and I didn't notice any flaking and this Maybelline mascara truly did provide volume and hold a curl which is everything I am looking for in a mascara.
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Blush -LORAC - Flaunt (Baked Matte Satin Blush)
theNYues 3/28/2013 12:49:00 PM
Everytime I apply this blush I am always impressed with the longevity of this product at the end of the day. The color is a vibrant cool tone pink with a silver shimmer and the color did not oxidize and stayed a true pink and did not look blotchy even after a long day. This cool tone pink blush with silver shimmer is a pleasant change compared to all the other pink blushes with a gold sheen or shimmer I own (NARS Orgasm, MAC Dainty) and is pretty flattering on my skin tone. A little goes a long way with this blush, I recommend blotting your brush once before applying to your face. (For reference I am MAC NC 20-25 , NARS Fiji)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Giorgio Armani - high precision retouch
theNYues 1/18/2011 4:09:00 PM
I am so glad I did my research on MUA and youtube and found out about the Giorgio Armani high precision concealer. One reviewer descibed this as her HG concealer and brought up a very good point about how the skin under our eyes is very thin compared to the rest of our face so it wouldn't make sense to cake on a thick product and expect that concealer to look natural all day so we are better off using a product in liquid form rather than a creamy concealer. After testing the product at the Giorgio Armani counter I was amazed how thinly the liquid product applied to my skin and yet it was highly pigmented and covered up my dark circles so well and also brighten the undereye area. This product is much more expensive than other concealers I have purchased in the past such as Benefit erase paste and Bobbi Brown creamy concealer however, in my opinion it is worth it and a little goes a long way. I would most defintely repurchase this product. For reference, I am NC20-25 in MAC, Medium in Benefit Erase Paste and Sand in Bobbil Brown creamy concealer and was color matched #3 in Giorgio Armani Precision concealer
18 out of 18 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -NARS - Sheer Glow Foundation 
theNYues 1/18/2011 2:29:00 PM
NARS Sheer Glow foundation is on the pricier side for a foundation however given the the quality of the foundation I must say that I don't regret my purchase. The name "Sheer Glow" may be a little deceiving cause it actuallly is highly pigmented so a little goes a long way. I would consider this at least a medium coverage foundation. I use maybe a pea size amount to cover my whole face and it spreads out easily and evenly whether you were to use a foundation brush or your fingers. I think compared to other creamier, thicker consistency foundations such as Estee Lauder double wear this foundation covers redness and evens out my skintone equally as well without giving a heavy "mask" feeling. Since this foundation gives a dewy glow finish to your skin if you do not like this effect on your t-zone I would recommend dusting a little bit of powder after foundation application. From my experience MAC blot powder worked really well and you only need a little bit. For reference, I am NC 20-25 in MAC foundations and I was color matched for "Fiji" for NARS Sheer Glow. Also you can purchase a pump at the NARS website. It is much easier to dispense the amount of foundation you want with a pump rather than pouring it directly out of the bottle and you end up not wasting a lot of product.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Comptoir Sud Pacifique - Vanille Abricot
theNYues 12/22/2010 1:29:00 AM
I first heard about Vanille Abricot through a Katie Puckrik review on youtube and within her less than 2 min review I heard "Italian Bakery", "walking cake" and I was sold and I went off to buy a bottle of Comptoir Sud Pacifique. I love gourmand scents but sometimes I find some gourmand scents make me nauseous later on in the day and I can only enjoy them for a short amount of time. However, this scent by Comptior Sud Pacifique Vanille Abricot actually is a pleasant gourmand scent that lasts all day without being too over powering or nauseating. I sprayed a little bit on my sweater before going to work and I kept on hearing people around me commenting how they swore they could smell cookies or cake and I didn't say anything but I was chuckling by myself cause I knew it was the Vanille Abricot :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Korres - Wild Rose 24-Hour Cream
theNYues 12/16/2010 5:43:00 PM
I've never used any products from Korres before so initially I was skeptical however, i was avidly searching for a paraben free, petro-chemical free product so I decided to give it a shot. I am very impressed with this Korres cream. I have dry combination skin so in the winter I get dry patches on my cheeks and extra oily around my t-zone and this cream gave me the necessary moisture for my dry patches but also did not make my t-zone extra oily so overall its a very well balanced product. I would definitely recommend this product and would repurchase when I run out. The following are a list of products that the Korres Wild Rose cream does NOT contain that i got from the Sephora website... What it is formulated WITHOUT: - Parabens - Sulfates - Synthetic Dyes - Petro-Chemicals - Phthalates - GMO - Triclosan
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -NYX - Silky Rose
theNYues 12/2/2010 11:45:00 PM
For reference, I'm a NC20-25 and Silky Rose is a flattering blush when used with a very light hand. It gives you a nice rosy cheek effect like you've just came in from the cold. NYX Silky Rose has a chalky/powdery consistency yet still very pigmented and for $6 i can't really complain.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Liners -NARS - Fantasia
theNYues 12/2/2010 12:50:00 AM
I never expected to be so impressed with a lip liner... but this lip pencil alone can replace all of my nude color lipsticks as well. It is highly pigmented and has a moderate creamy consistency that is solid enough to line your lips but creamy enough not to tug at your lips while lining and filing them in. I have highly pigmented lips that are close to a plum color and this covers them opaquely enough to give the nude/pink-peach effect that I have been trying to achieve through so many lipsticks and lip liners, but never found satisfactory results. This is a product that I would definitely purchase again.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -Essie - Lollipop
theNYues 9/6/2010 11:57:00 PM
Essie Lollipop is a glamorous red polish that has a slight coral undertone with a very pretty glossy finish. I had this polish for a while but I received so many compliments today I had to write a review. Despite the coral undertones it is a very versatile color and I can see myself wearing this through the fall and winter.
3 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -Shiseido - Benefiance Revitalizing Eye Cream [DISCONTINUED]
theNYues 6/13/2010 6:09:00 PM
I read many reviews and contemplated many times at my local Sephora before I decided to pick up the Shisedo Benefiance Revitalizing eye cream. I have tried many other eye creams since i was 20 yrs old and I found it hard to justify spending $50 on a small jar of eye cream. However, I have to say, this product is defintely worth it. It moisturizes like no other eye cream I have used before. Personally, I use only as a night cream. This product is defintely too "creamy" to use during the day time but for a night cream it is absolutely perfect. When I wake up in the morning I definitely see the results. It's hard to describe in words how well an eye cream works... I guess I can definitely tell that my eye area is firmer and well hydrated compared to when I was using other products such as Origins or Kiehl's which were decent products and I have no complaints about them, but just never really impressed me. A little goes a very long way with the Shisedo Benefiance eye cream. I would recommend only using maybe half of what you normally use with other products just because it is very hydrating and cause of its creamy consistency.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Laura Mercier - Foundation Primer - Hydrating
theNYues 6/13/2010 5:42:00 PM
I was on my 4th bottle of smashbox photo finish primer till I watched a couple of youtube beauty guru reviews about the Laura Mercier Primer. I immediately went to Sephora to ask for a sample. Since I have combination skin they recommended the Hydrating formula. I loved it so much I had to go back and purchase a full bottle. To be honest, this is more of a comparative review since I have only used two different primers so far. Smashbox photo finish formula is much "smoother" so applying foundation is much easier with a glide on effect, however, as much as the application is easy, throughout the day i noticed that my foundation never really was absorbed but just sat on top of the primer and slid around so after 4 hrs you can see that all your makeup has migrated to the sides of your nose and around the corners of your eyes and fine lines around my mouth. Bascially this formula does not help your foundation absorb better it just smooths the application of makeup. The Laura Mercier primer application is not as smooth but defintely works well as a primer. I feel like it really primes my skin as well as moisturize, to help my foundation last longer and absorb better with out the feeling of having a "film" of makeup slipping and sliding on top of my face all day. I could not give the Laura Mercier primer 5 lippies just because this is the second foundation primer I have ever used and I have not tried many other products to compare it to so I may possibly find a better primer in the future. But for now, I will definitely recommend and purchase again when I run out.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No