Liquid -Yves Saint Laurent - TEINT RESIST Long Wear Transfer Resistant Foundation 
tijanarm 5/9/2012 9:29:00 AM
I can totally appreciate that just like any other cosmetics product this one will not work for everyone, but if you are lucky enough to find the shade, chances are it will work very well for you, unless you are super-dry or super-oily. I for one love this foundation as it provides long-wearing medium coverage that still lets your skin "glow" through, but stays put and resists oiliness and decently covers imperfections. Unlike some long lasting foundations (e.g. Mac Pro Longwear), this one is not tacky at all and easily spreads across your face with just fingers. Compared to Bobbi Brown Natural Finish Long Lasting Foundation, this one is much more longer wearing, at least on my skin (normal to combo for the most, but gets really oily in summer - no acne though). With that said, the color range is really poor. I was lucky enough to be matched to #2 (Blonde). I am light with yellow undertone and wear Bobbi Brown NFLLF in 2.5 Warm Sand. Compared to that, this one is a tiny bit less yellow, but believe me, it is not noticeable once you put it on your face. I like my foundations really yellow and I am happy with the warmness of this one. In Mac Pro Longwear I was matched to NC 20 (although I would've preferred NC17 or similar). That is just as a reference for all of you looking for the lightest warm colour in teint resist. Just as an FYI, the even numbers in this line are supposed to all be on the warmer side, although some of them tend to have a bit more red/pink than one would hope (i.e. 6). #4 is no longer available, at least not in any of the stores in Canada that carry YSL (but I see it listed on YSL site). So, for lighter-skinned yellow/warm undertoned folks out there, chances are you would match either 2 or 4 (or a mix of those 2), but do keep in mind that they are a tiny bit less yellow than Bobbi's foundations (I adore Bobbi's foundation colors, but find that even NFLLF wears off of me quickly and does not control oil enough in the summer months). As I said, if you are lucky enough to be closely matched and the texture/coverage ends up working for you, this is one of the most beautiful foundations that you can possibly wear!
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lips -Yves Saint Laurent - Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain 7 Corail Aquatique
tijanarm 2/28/2012 10:36:00 AM
This product's name is a mouthful, but just the fact that I came out of a cold to do a review for it after a long hiatus and super-busy schedule speaks volumes! I am not a gloss lover, I tend to lean towards lipsticks, but in short - this is one of my favorite lip products. It is hard to describe texture, however, I do believe it will be liked by both gloss and lipstick lovers. It starts out very light and "slippery", almost like putting on the color part of those two-ended long-lasting lipsticks, but this is where the similarity ends. It momentarily stains the lips and the product thickens to a slightly tacky lipgloss consistency. I know I am not making any sense here, but I have never tested a product like this. I think this is what Maybelline Superstay 10 hour Stain Gloss was envisioned to be, but it is not even close in quality. My biggest challenge in wearing lip stuff (i.e. lipsticks) is that they come off quickly and if I get the longer-wearing ones, they dry my lips. Glosses I hate wearing as they come off quickly, get in my long hair if it's windy or get gummy if they are of thicker consistency. I think that YSL has managed to address all of those issues and for me this is a winning product. It is tacky, but not gummy, it deposits longer-lasting colour without drying. I don't think it is super-moisturizing, but I have really dry lips and this does not dry them out. Actually, since I started wearing these I haven't noticed any dryness, so maybe it is a bit moisturizing after all. It has a doe foot applicator and it is easy to spread across your lips. The glossy coating wears on me for 4 hours (+/-) without eating and some drinking, which gets me to the lunch without reapplying. Once the top layer comes off my lips still have a nice stain and if I reapply it gets more intense. Overall, I need 2 applications of this (in the morning and after lunch) and I am set for the day. 7 Corail Aquatique on me is a nice warm MLBB shade in the morning, and when I add another layer after lunch it gets more intense, slightly more coralish red. Very nice color and obviously popular as I snatched the last one in local Sephora (after another Sephora was sold out on it). A sales rep at Sephora told me that people buy one of these, then come back the next day to buy other colors, so it seems popular. There are some nice colors in this line, typical for YSL (lots of reds/corals/pinks), but from what I've seen it is lighter in the nude/pale shades range. Definitely recommended, at least try it out if you can!
14 out of 14 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Unlisted Brand - D.J.V. Beautenizer Volume Lash
tijanarm 3/25/2011 9:37:00 AM
As someone who has tried every single mascara on the market and who places a huge importance on mascara performance alone (due to the fact that's the only eye makeup I use), I must admit this is very close to the HG status for me. It is definitely one of the best mascaras I have tried. I have been using it now for 1 month, and I purposely waited this long to be able to thoroughly review. PROs: -Deep glossy black -Volumizes like crazy in one coat, total fakes in 2 coats (at least on me). With all other mascaras I have to layer 3 coats to get the volume that I get in 1-2 coats with this one. -No clumping - I always use a comb after each mascara, but I don't have to with this one -Wipes off dry with no effort (good if you like me tend to accidentally paint your lids as well as eyelashes :-)) -Washes off easily with water + soap -Does not gunk/dry up quickly in the tube - I have had the tube for one month, same consistency as when I bought it - yet it is not runny/watery either. CON: -Really only one I can notice so far and fairly minor... Towards the end of the day, it tends to flake a bit. But, I also tend to have mascara on for 12 hours and I am very active (including strenuous yoga classes). Not sure how long the tube will last, but I expect at least 2 months based on usage so far. Price is not bad, definitely cheaper than overpriced and overhyped CD mascaras, which although may have been good in the beginning when they launched, now have seriously deteriorated in quality.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Burberry - Union red #17
tijanarm 2/5/2011 5:05:00 PM
Possibly one of my favourite reds!!!! If you like reds, give it a try. When Burberry first started selling makeup in Canada, I treated myself to their Blush lippy. I immediately fell in love with that great MLBB colour and fantastic lippy texture. Also, as a fan of red lips, I couldn't not notice the beautiful red - #17 Union red - but it was not until 6 months or so later that I would actually get to try it, and buy it. Union red is in my books almost a perfect red, possibly leaning a bit more towards warm, but barely. It brightens up olive-y and tanned skins amazingly well, but it could possibly work for some more in the cool spectrum also. I don't like to wear lip pencil and with this colour you don't have to as it does not bleed. If you have not yet tried Burberry lippys, I strongly suggest as they are of excellent quality. Creamy and plumping, yet they don't have too much slip or bleed, and tend to stay on decent amount of time. Well pigmented, they can look more intense by applying directly from the tube or, they can also be dabbed on for a more stained, subtle look. Thumbs up!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -Christian Dior - Capture Totale Radiance Enhancer
tijanarm 9/24/2010 7:36:00 AM
This is Dior's new product which is a crossover between a skin care and makeup, hence why I was having a problem deciding in which category to put it. That said, it is listed as a skin care product on Dior site, but the function is really predominantly as a primer. I had a super difficult time dishing out $145 CAD for this. But, every time I walked by Dior counter, I would try it on and would love the effects, so I finally caved in. I justified that the bottle was a decent size (50 ml) and that 1 pump is all you really need for one application. The product is technically both skin care and primer. It is meant to plump up and enhance radiance of your skin over time with Dior's proprietary Aminolumine (never found a decription for it, but I believe it's a cocktail of peptides). In addition, it is meant to serve as an immediate enhancer, by providing nice glow-y effect on your skin and acting as a makeup primer. I personally love the effect of this product, as I can see the skin almost immediately looking healthier and plumper. I have used it on its own (I have a pretty good skin to start with), mixed in with the foundation, under the foundation... name it. It worked the best layered under the foundation. I did not see prolonged makeup wear (which is the claim), but I tend to get oily and no primer lives up to that claim. Which brings me to the saddest and final point... As the product contains silicone, unfortunately, it ended up clogging my skin and I have seen a few bumps starting to appear on my otherwise perfectly blemish-free face... So, at this point, I am contemplating to either return it, or treat my mom who has a dry skin and will probably be able to pull it off without having the same issues. If you have a combo/oily/blemish-prone skin, definitely ask for a large sample before you buy, and try over the course of few days to ensure it works for you before you shell out $$$. If you have no breakout issues, I think you will like it, it is definitely a great product.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Cartier - Le Baiser du Dragon
tijanarm 5/15/2010 10:19:00 AM
This is somewhat of a repeat of my comments under the other entry for the Dragon.... I see two entries for the Dragon here on MUA so I will enter my comments into both. I actually like both pure perfume and eau de parfum of this fragrance, however, I tiny bit prefer pure perfume to EDP. Unlike EDP, pure perfume does not open sharp and remains soft and yet lingering on the skin all day long. I have not gotten any bad comments on this one, that it's strong, unpleasant, etc. On the contrary, I received tons of great compliments, especially from men. I have read reviews where this fragrance is compared to Angel, etc, but I completely do not get any resemblance. I dislike Angel and I love Dragon. The only fragrance that this slightly resembles (and very slightly), IMHO is Prada's Amber (white box). But even that is a stretch. It is a very expensive fragrance, if you buy it in the store you can expect to pay $375 CAD for 30 ml pure perfume, but on Fragrance X, 50 ml refill pure perfume (if you don't care for the fancy bottle) is $100 CAD. I must admit I wasn't too crazy about this fragrance at first, as I tried EDP which tends to open a bit sharp, but it settles very quickly into a gorgeous fragrance and if you want to completely avoid the sharper opening, then go for the pure perfume. This will be a staple in my collection!
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Fragrances -Cartier - Le Baiser Du Dragon - Parfum
tijanarm 5/15/2010 10:13:00 AM
I see two entries for the Dragon here on MUA and I presume this is for the pure perfume version, which IMHO is fantastic. I actually like both pure perfume and eau de parfum, however, I tiny bit prefer pure perfume to EDP. Unlike EDP, pure perfume does not open sharp and remains soft and yet lingering on the skin all day long. I have not gotten any bad comments on this one, that it's strong, unpleasant, etc. On the contrary, I received tons of great compliments, especially from men. I have read reviews where this fragrance is compared to Angel, etc, but I completely do not get any resemblance. I dislike Angel and I love Dragon. The only fragrance that this slightly resembles (and very slightly), IMHO is Prada's Amber (white box). But even that is a stretch. It is a very expensive fragrance, if you buy it in the store you can expect to pay $375 CAD for 30 ml pure perfume, but on Fragrance X, 50 ml refill pure perfume (if you don't care for the fancy bottle) is $100 CAD. I must admit I wasn't too crazy about this fragrance at first, as I tried EDP which tends to open a bit sharp, but it settles very quickly into a gorgeous fragrance and if you want to completely avoid the sharper opening, then go for the pure perfume. This will be a staple in my collection!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Cartier - Panthere eau Legere
tijanarm 5/1/2010 9:56:00 AM
On first sniff I thought this was nice but nothing special. I bought a bottle somehow automatically and ended up gifting it to a friend of mine who's been using the classic Panthere for over 20 years. She liked it, but said she didn't love it like the classic, which prompted me to reexamine this fragrance closer. I ended up going back to the store and testing over a longer period of time and I have decided to buy a bottle again, this time, I will use it myself. If you are looking for a lighter version of Panthere, this is not it. The original Panthere's key note is a very intensive tuberose, while in this Legere version tuberose is lot less prominent (but still present) and there is a whole slew of other ingredients that add a more fresh and white floral dimension, such as grapefruit, mandarin, orange blossom, jasmine, gardenia, freesia - to name a few. Don't let the fruity ingredients confuse you, this is not your girly fruity fragrance (which, BTW, I wholeheartedly dislike) If you love the original Panthere you may not necessarily like this one, but the original is a bit too much tuberose for me. Eau Legere, on the other hand, smells divine on me. Highly recommended!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - At First Sight
tijanarm 4/20/2010 9:18:00 AM
I like the colour a lot, but debating if this one needs even more than 2 coats as it seems a bit streaky on my nails. I put 3 coats on my toes, then it looks a bit too opaque. So, still iffy on it, giving it 4 lippies because of the colour, but not sure I would repurchase given I am not getting the consistency I like.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Hermes - Amazone
tijanarm 4/18/2010 9:44:00 AM
If I could give Amazone 10 lippies, I would, that says how much I love this fragrance... With this fragrance, it is all about the drydown... I admit that I am probably very emotionally connected to this fragrance and that that's why I love it so much. My mom used to wear this one a lot as I was growing up and every time I smell it, it brings on beautiful childhood memories. But that aside, I just simply adore the drydown of this fragrance. I know Hermes no longer makes EDP, and since I have discovered a place where I can still get EDP for a very affordable price, I have to stock up. EDP is just so beautiful and rich and you only need a dab. This fragrance may start out a bit more harsh, but if you give it even just a few minutes, let alone a bit longer time than that, it will develop into a gorgeous scent. It is my new signature fragrance and best of all - no one really uses it, yet everyone asks me what it is - LOL!!!! Word of caution - less is more with this one! Enjoy!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Cartier - eau de Cartier
tijanarm 4/18/2010 9:36:00 AM
I wish there was a "maybe" option for the repurchase, but fornow I am leaning towards "yes". I am really not sure I would dish out the $$$ to buy this, but since I had Shoppers Optimum points and I like to use those on rewarding myself with a fragrance, I ended up getting the 200 ml bottle ($115 CAD). I really love the notes of this fragrance, even though I am not into unisex fragrances. That said, I find this fragrance more on the feminine side anyhow. My husband who adores and knows fragrances well said that he couldn't really see himself wearing this one, and to me that says a lot. Fragrance notes have been described well below, so I won't repeat. I will say, however, that there is a distinct difference between this one and the concentree version, so concentree is not just a stronger version of this - it is definitely more masculine. Why wouldn't I necessarily dish out $115 of my own for this fragrance? Potentially because of its longevity. I feel like I have to bathe in this in order to have it stay on me longer (and especially "soak" my hair in it as my hair keeps the fragrance the longest). The good thing is that it is not super expensive, the bad that you will use up a bottle very quickly. All in all, nice, non-offensive notes (maybe not very original either), a bit more fleeting than I would like, but a perfect fresh summer fragrance.
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Polishes -OPI - My Chihuahua Bites
tijanarm 4/18/2010 9:27:00 AM
If you are into corals, you will love this colour. Gorgeous pinky and not too orangey coral. I tend to prefer slightly redder corals (e.g. OPI's Red My Fortune Cookie or Tasmanian Devil), but since I love corals in general, I just had to have this one in my collection. It seems to me that the quality is somewhat lower than some of the other OPI colours I have (comes off faster than other colours), but that could be just my bottle. BTW, this is definitely a 2-coat colour. Matches nicely with Chanel's RA lipstick in Vertige (#60).
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Passion
tijanarm 4/5/2010 10:04:00 AM
I am normally a red polish person, but wanting to change it up a bit in a season where I tend to wear wardrobe in all kinds of colours, plus lipsticks in many shades of red and fuschia, I decided to downplay my nails a bit. In a crazy nude polish shopping spree, I purchased this one along with 4 other nude-y polishes. While I haven't tried them all, and cannot compare relatively to other colours, I do like Passion enough that I could see myself wearing it on a relatively regular basis. Since I am somewhat of a nude-polish-virgin, I cannot comment in comparison to other colours, but here is what I noticed about this one: 1) Definitely in the pink nude family, which is supposedly the most flattering nude for yellow-based skin (according to my research on internet). 2) Not very opaque, which in my case is a good thing. I find that I can always add the 3rd layer if I want to make it more opaque, yet even then it does not become chalky. I hate polishes that are so opaque they turn chalky with more than 1 coat. I disagree with the reviewers who say that you can't see it on your nails even with 2 or more coats. However, when I was buying this polish, I noticed two piles of Passion - one seemed to be slightly more pink (the one I got) and the other pile was more white-ish (a difference of at least 1-2 shades). It seems there are some variations in colour, probably depending on the batch the store has, so you may want to keep that in mind. Not sure if the difference shows up on nails, but in the bottle it was definitely visible. 3) Definitely looks very classy and nails look well-groomed. I got lots of compliments on how polished my hands look with this. 4) Lots of shine - wow, very impressive! I am careful not to give it 5 lippies until I try some other nudes and see if I like them better, but so far, I really like Passion.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Yves Saint Laurent - Rouge Pur #128 Tyrian Purple
tijanarm 4/1/2010 9:10:00 AM
Yes, I would repurchase, although, as I do not use this hot pink colour on a regular basis, it will last me a while :-) As the previous reviewer pointed out, this is more of a hot pink/fuschia colour vs. purple. I bought the classical #19 lippy from YSL first and although it is a nice colour, found it to be a bit dark and too blue for my skin tone (but I still love it). I wanted a more wearable bright pink so on my next trip to YSL counter I discovered #128 and fell in love with it. Ladies who tend to be on the warmer side of the spectrum will be able to pull this off no problem, I am sure the ladies on the cooler side as well. As the reviewer below pointed out it does have a slight shimmer and my version seems to have a few (albeit very small and sophisticated) glitter particles. Please do not be alarmed if you don't like glitter, these are tiny and can only be seen very close up and they really give your lips a sexy look. I disagree with the statement that this one lasts long on lips, on me it doesn't, but as this is my 3rd YSL lippy I am kind of used to that by now. I have better performance in terms of longevity on my lips with Chanel or Dior, but then, no one has hot pink colours like YSL :-) It does not bleed and can be worn without a lip liner (which I tend to do). If you want to match nail polish with it, I recommend OPI's It's all Greek to me (with shimmer) or OPI's Pink Flamenco (without any shimmer). Highly recommended, but 1 lippy off for the staying power.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Yves Saint Laurent - Faux cils - noir radical
tijanarm 3/31/2010 11:40:00 AM
Like the previous reviewer, I am a big fan of the original faux cils and some of the review for noir radical may be a bit of a repeat of my review for the 01 black. I am extremely happy that YSL came out with the super black version of this mascara as that was really the only wish that I had to improve upon the regular black version - I just wanted it to be even more black given I got used to some of the kohl black mascaras out there like Diorshow (well that and the price, LOL!). I am one of those people whose eye makeup consists only of mascara, so my mascara has to be PERFECT and I don't care how much I have to pay (well, I would like to pay less, but I am more concerned about the performance). Well, I know by now after trying pretty much every single mascara out there on the market that there is no such thing as a perfect mascara (especially not "one size fits all"), but YSL's Faux Cils comes VERY close to being perfect. I started using the regular black version of this mascara about 10-12 years ago, then during a financially difficult time I switched to other brands that performed a decent job, but I must admit nothing ever compared to this one so I finally came back to it. And now that it is launched in super black version, I am especially happy! Diorshow Blackout was is a noteworthy competitor to this one, but it is only slightly cheaper so I prefer to use YSL, plus I prefer the YSL's brush. It is a mascara that you need to know how to work in order to get the best out of it. I would describe it as a "layerable" mascara. One coat is decent, but if you want truly false lashes, be prepared to go up to 3 or 4 coats. The good news is that it won't clump on you as you do that, and will still look nice, not gaudy, but since I do like to use combs with all mascaras, I comb in between layers (that said, I don't think it is really neccessary to do that especially if you put on fewer layers). The mascara is a bit "watery" at first, especially in the first week, but I don't mind that (actually I like it). Again, the consistency lends itself well to layering and achieving that truly false eyelash look. When I wear this, I get tons of compliments. With this particular colour I have actually not seen any flaking whatsoever (so far), which I saw happen a tiny bit with the regular black version. Also, so far I cannot speak to how long one tube will last, as I haven't gotten that far - I just bought it a couple of days ago. It will be interesting to see if it lasts the same amount of time (2 months max) as the regular black version, or if I will be able to squeeze out at least another month (according to some people you should replace your mascara every 2-3 months anyhow). However, given its price tag, it is an expensive repurchase. With this particular colour, you will need a good eye makeup remover. It does come off relatively easy compared to some other mascaras out there, however, as the pigment is super dark it will take a bit more work to remove. Not an issue for me. If you have not used faux cils before, I highly recommend it, but do understand that you may need to learn how to work it to get the best out of it.
11 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No