Blush -NYX - Red
toxicapathy 10/24/2006 11:04:00 PM
I hesitated for a moment before buying this, because the name 'Red' freaked me out a little. In the end, I figured it was so inexpensive that it wouldn't be much of a loss if I hated it. I don't!
As with all of the NYX products I have tried so far, the quality is outstanding- on par with many more expensive brands like MAC, Clinique, Chanel, etc. The black compact packaging is convienent for traveling in my makeup bag, though I do wish the pans were round and compatible with MAC palettes, but oh well. I love the quilted imprint when it's brand new; I feel like I am using something much more glamorous and expensive, like the aforementioned Chanel or Georgio Armani :) The blush applies nicely and layers well, and it lasts longer than anything else I've used, high-end or low-end.
Red is really more of a neutral, reddish clay-rose, and works well with my PPP NW20 complexion. I have to get it from Sun Gems on eBay because NYX is not available anywhere that I can find in Chicago, but I would definitely repurchase.
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Blush -MAC - Shimmer Sweet
toxicapathy 10/24/2006 10:45:00 PM
This is no longer a current color (whether it was an LE shade or simply discontinued I can't say), but I am definitely glad I took a chance on it. I bought this from a seller on eBay, and it's exactly the kind of cool-toned pink I was looking for.
Shimmersweet is a very pale, lavender-tinted pink, and as it is a Sheertone Shimmer shade, it has a bit of a glow to it. If you don't like any shimmer at all, steer clear. I don't usually go for shimmer, because most blushes overdo it and make me look ridiculous, but this one offers just enough to give me a nice glow without screaming, 'I'm wearing shiny blush, y'all!'.
For reference, I am a PPP (MAC NW20, L'Oreal N1 Soft Ivory, Avon Ivory/Bisque) with black hair and gray-green eyes, and my cheeks flush pink very easily.
While it is harder to come by now that it is discontinued, I would definitely repurchase this.
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Lip Gloss -MAC - Plushglass - Oversexed
toxicapathy 10/6/2006 3:03:00 PM
I really wanted to love this, because the color is so beautiful over my MAC Rebel lipstick, but I just can't get past the tingling sensation it creates. Oversexed is a deep plum with pink and coppery shimmer, and goes on much lighter and sheerer than it appears in the tube. Plushglass is a plumping gloss, so it's supposed to stimulate the bloodflow in the lips, and is expected to create a tingle as a result, but it's a sensation I personally find uncomfortable. I have a couple of other glosses that look close enough for the same purpose, with out the disomfort, so I think this one will have to go back.
As usual, though, it features the same great, purse-friendly packaging and very high quality I've come to expect from MAC. It retails for $17.50 USD- not the cheapest product out there, but the quality you get makes it worth it.
Unfortunately I won't be purchasing this again; I'll probably exchange it for something else.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Super Lustrous in Copperglow Berry 470
toxicapathy 10/4/2006 7:39:00 PM
In general, I have been very impressed with Revlon's reformulated Super Lustrous Lipstick, particularly the creams. I too, remember the often unpleasant smell and taste of the old formula (the reason I stopped purchasing Revlon years ago), and these are conspicuously-- and rapturously-- absent!
Copperglow Berry is a Pearl finish, and definitely one of the more unique shades in drugstoreland. It's an unusual neutral plummy-brown with a bit of copper and gold mixed in for complexity and depth. Actually, it's nearly identical MAC 'O' which I also own and love, only a touch more plum. Definitely a color that will work on many different skintones- both warm and cool- and is lovely for everyday wear. I highly recommend this color, and wear it often. I'll probably repurchase when I run out, but since I own this and the MAC version, it will likely be awhile before I'll need to.
Revlon has done a great job with the new lippies! Though I do seem to prefer the creams by far, all of the finishes offer superior quality to any d/s brand I've tried. They are long lasting, moisturizing but never slimy, and provide excellent pigmentation. It's very easy to build up color to the desired level of opacity, and they layer beautifully with glosses or other lipsticks. As far as packaging, I appreciate Revlon's decision to add a see-through top to the tube, allowing one to evaluate the actual shade (hopefully, they will improve on the rack swatches soon!)
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Aquavert (Veluxe Pearl)
toxicapathy 10/1/2006 7:35:00 PM
Wow! I'm soooooo glad I bought this: I got it late in the game, from a seller on eBay because this LE collection has been sold out now for a couple of months (I really need to just start trying-and-buying when I'm at the counter looking at these things). This was *just* the kind of green eye shadow I've been out trying to collect.
Aquavert comes in a special edition, shimmery aqua pot like the rest of the Lure collection. It's a light, slighty blue-based green as opposed to the legions of yellow-greens available out there. I'm a NW20 PPP with grey-green eyes and very dark ash-brown hair (I dye it brown-black). This shade makes my eyes pop something wonderful, and you will likely have to pry it out of my lifeless fingers in the end, I love it so much, lol :)
Truly one of MAC's best colors, in my opinion, as it fills an all-too-large void in the green eye shadow category. I paid a bit more than original retail for it, plus shipping, but it's turned out to be worth every penny. I'll probably get a back-up of this one (maybe even two), so yes, I'd repurchase.
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Eye Shadow -NYX - Trio 8 Spring Leaf - Lime Green - Green Tea
toxicapathy 9/30/2006 4:01:00 PM
I'm very pleased with NYX shadows; I've been reading the rave reviews for awhile here on MUA, and recently decided to finally give them a try. I purchase them on eBay because I can't find a store locally that carries this line, and the seller I buy from offers very reasonable shipping. I buy trios, because the pans fit in the MAC palettes and so far that's the best deal; it works out to about $3.00 per shadow, unheard of for quality such as this! I've seen some lament that the texture and quality of the trio pans is a bit different from the singles, and while I can't compare as I haven't purchased any singles yet, I can say that I find the quality to be consistently on par with my MAC eye shadows. They blend well, the color-payoff is excellent, and the selection is staggering! I'll definitely be purchasing more.
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Free To Be Quad
toxicapathy 9/27/2006 2:11:00 AM
I got this quad on eBay because I missed the boat while it was available; the Naturally Eccentric LE collection preceded my MAC obesssion ;)
I was so excited when I was bidding on it, because the colors looked so beautiful in the palette (the seller's photo was actually a near-perfect representation), but when I got it I was far less inpsired; this cooling of infatuation could have had something to do with the wait for it to arrive in the mail, now that I think about it. Once it arrived, it kind of sat around, and I think I actually stuck it in a drawer for a couple of weeks.
Now that I've finally got around to wearing it, my excitement has returned! Smut I expected to be fabulous because of all the raves here on MUA, but so far it's my least favorite shade in the quad, which isn't to say necessarily that I don't like it-- it's just out of the norm for my usual shade selections and I'm still working with it. For the newbies, Smut is a velvet, and described on the MAC site as 'muted black flecked with red shimmer'. The result is a blackened brown I like to call 'bittersweet' as it reminds me of semi-sweet chocolate bits you use in baking, with some shimmer to make it prettier. Crochet is a 'light neutral beige' veluxe that turned out to be a great neutral, sort of cocoa-ey, for my cool PPP coloring (I wear NW20) and in the same family as Quarry. Sensibility is a very light soft pink frost, not uncommon out there (it's VERY similar to Smashbox Baby Pink with a bit less shimmer), but a great highlighter nevertheless. My favorite shade here is Free To Be, a 'dirty grey bleu' satin that seems more greenish to me. . .just what I was looking for!
I have a thing about depotting everything lately, but wanted to keep this in the compact, so I popped them out, labeled and magnetized them, and put them right back into the palette, so at least I can switch them up for other combos.
I don't know how soon I'll be needing more of these, as my eyeshadow collection has become more of a colony these days, but I might repurchase if I could find it for a reasonable price.
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Lip Liners -Avon - Glimmersticks Lip Liner - Mystery Mauve
toxicapathy 9/20/2006 11:01:00 PM
It's really ridiculous how many lipsticks I wear with this: I have slightly mauvy-pink lips to begin with so that may have something to with it, but this perfectly neautral mauve liner really is so versatile it would be tough to screw it up. I wear it with nearly all of my cool-tones pinks, mauves, plums, and roses with very pale shades being the only exceptions. Definitely a no with any warm tones, in which case I'd suggest Simply Spice.
I really love the mechanical self-sharpening packaging, as I think it's so wasteful to sharpen wood pencils. The texture of this is deceptive; I thought it would be terrible because it seemed almost drying at first. Once I layered my lipstick over it, however, I realized how terribly wrong I was! It really keeps lipstick in place and enhances the wear quite significantly. No feathering.
This has become such a staple for me that I keep two or three around at any given time. I think it's safe to say I'll be buying more down the road :)
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Lipstick -Revlon - Super Lustrous- Plumalicious
toxicapathy 9/19/2006 11:59:00 PM
In general, I have been very impressed with Revlon's reformulated Super Lustrous Lipstick, particularly the creams. I too, remember the often unpleasant smell and taste of the old formula (the reason I stopped purchasing Revlon years ago), and these are conspicuously-- and rapturously-- absent!
I decided to try SL again when I saw a co-worker re-applying her favorite shade, and noticed the new tube design. We bemoaned the previous shortcomings of the product, and she said the formula had been greatly improved and to try it for myself, so I went out and bought a tube, Mauvy Night if I remember correctly. I know it was cream shade, and it was love!
Plumaliscious is another great plummy shade, in the Pearl finish-- not alltogether different from Mauvy Night-- except this one is a touch more plum with a little golden champagne frost. My favorite look to wear this with is a green and plum eye. It's also beautiful with Super Lustrous gloss in Pearl Plum over it for more depth and shine. I thik I'll definitely be buying this one again!
Though I do prefer the creams by far, all of the finishes offer superior quality to any d/s brand I've tried. They are long lasting, moisturizing but never slimy, and provide excellent pigmentation. It's very easy to build up color to the desired level of opacity, and they layer beautifully with glosses or other lipsticks. As far as packaging, I appreciate Revlon's decision to add a see-through top to the tube, allowing one to evaluate the actual shade (hopefully, they will improve on the rack swatches soon!)
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Blush -NYX - Silky Rose
toxicapathy 9/19/2006 9:21:00 PM
I hotly anticipated receiving this in the mail after all the raves here on MUA: I wasn't disappointed!
I have to purchase NYX online since I can't find any stores near me that carry the line, and since the products are so inexpensive to begin with, I din't mind that paying more for postage would be required.
The packaging is compact, easy to use, and adorable! While I do find myself wishing the pans were round and the same size as Milani or Stila pans for paletting, this is most certainly easy to travel with. I also love the quilted imprint in the pan--it so easy to pretend I'm using something glamorous and expensive like Chanel or Giorgio Armani without the shopper's guilt. :)
I puchased Silky Rose for my first blush, because I have been looking for a lavender-toned pink for some time, and this is EXACTLY what I wanted! It's just the right intensity for my rosy, fair NW20 complexion, and gives me the perfect natural-looking glow. Zero shimmer, so the effect is a no-makeup, as-nature-intended flush.
A wonderful, quality product; I'm definitely impressed and am planning on purchasing more from this line. I'll be replacing this before I have a chance to run out of it.
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Blush -Avon - True Color Blush- Peony
toxicapathy 9/13/2006 10:50:00 PM
One of my absolute favorite blushes ever!
This is an LE color from the 2004 Spring Collection- Peony is a light oh-so-slightly peachy pink dressed up with fine shimmer. The effect reminds me of MAC Mineralized Skinfinishes. I often use this on top of another blush to get that glowy highlighted finish, as it's so sheer it doesn't change the color underneath very much. To wear it alone, I can build up color slowly to get a nice flush.
Although pretty, Avon's new packaging really isn't practical for blush; I would have preferred a round pan like the ones used for the pressed powders to the wierd oblong pan, so that it would be easier to swirl my brush in it. The brush that comes in the compact, as with so many blushes, is useless. All the same, for the price, I can't complain too much: Regular price Avon blush sells for $8, but it can frequently be had for as little as $4.99.
As this was LE, it will probably be pretty difficult to re-purchase, but if I can find it I will do so gladly.
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Blush -Revlon - Powder Blush - Blushed
toxicapathy 9/13/2006 10:37:00 PM
This my favorite neutral blush at the moment; it's a soft, light, slightly rosy beige with the tiniest hint of shimmer for a healthy glowy look.
I've been very happy in general with Revlon's powder blush, as they build up color well, and seem to last through the day with little need for touch ups. My biggest gripe is that for the price there is too little product; these are actually a hair smaller than the I-Mark blushes from Mark., and those are only $6 compared to Revlon's $10- what gives!
I'm not keen on the packaging either; it's bulky, the brush is useless, and the pop-out mirror is just plain gimmicky. All the same, it's a great product, a great color, and I'll be buying more when the pan I have runs out. At least there are frequent BOGO 50% off/Free promtions to make this worthwhile.
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Blush -Milani - Powder Blush - Pink Craze [DISCONTINUED]
toxicapathy 9/13/2006 10:29:00 PM
I ♥ this blush!
I went into the four drugstores around my apartment everyday for almost two weeks to get this, because it always sells out in like, a second! It's the perfect cotton candy pink, not unlike my BD Strawberry Tart, except with out shimmer. I love to use this when my eyes are very frosty, and I want color but without looking overdone. Perfect.
I will definitely be re-purchasing, probably before I actually run out so that I don't have to live a moment without it!
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Blush -Milani - Powder Blush - Temptation [DISCONTINUED]
toxicapathy 9/13/2006 10:16:00 PM
When I saw a pic of this on MUA, I had to have it. Since all the drugstores immediately surrounding me suck a** and do not carry it, I got purchased it online.
When I received it, I got worried: Photographed, the color appeared a much richer plum, and in the pan it just looked like slightly purple mud with some fine glitter in it. But after the trouble I went through just to find the darn thing, I wasn't going to give in to defeat just yet. Once I tried it on, wow! Very pigmented, and very rich! Almost too much . . . so I thought.
I'm pretty fair, usually around NW20, so I had to work with this a bit to get it right; now I use a fluffy blush brush (the Perfection travel version from Walgreen's) and this way I get the perfect amount of color. I get a beautiful sheer plum wash that compliments my cooler toned looks pefectly.
Since the price and quality are so fabulous, I think it'll be worth the trouble to repurchase when I run out. I definitely recommend trying this color!
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Blush -L'Oreal - Blush Delice in Strawberry Tart [DISCONTINUED]
toxicapathy 9/13/2006 3:31:00 PM
One of my absolute favorite blushes! I love the slightly irridescent quality it leaves on the cheeks; not so much shimmery as glowy.
Strawberry Tart is a very light cotton candy pink. It's ideal for very fair skintones for a flush of color, but likey won't be very useful on darker skintones other than as a highlighter, perhaps.
It comes packaged in the cutest little compact with a mirror and a color-matched lid. has a light, slightly fruity scent that reminds me a little of the Strawberry Shortcake dolls I played with as a little girl :)
My only gripes are the reather useless brush inside the case, and the fact that the compact is a tad too deep to accomodate it.
It's a discontinued product at this point, so I had to get it on eBay to begin with, but I will definitely repurchase when the need arises.
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