Blush -E.L.F. - Contouring Blush & Bronzing Powder
twilight_aura 9/1/2010 11:42:00 PM
I really wanted to like this duo after all of the rave reviews here on MUA, since I'd been looking for a good matte bronzer for contouring, and was just beginning my ventures into the realm of blush (I've always been more of an eye-makeup girl). I've been using the duo for over 1.5 months over either mineral or liquid foundation. I'm fairly pleased with the bronzer half of this duo; it applies fairly well, with a decent amount of pigmentation. I have to use a lot more than the Everyday Minerals blush I was using before (in Snooze Bar) , but the actual hue was more desirable. It doesn't look dirty on my semi-tanned, olive skin (I'm Asian). I feel like I shouldn't have to dip my brush in so many times to get the desired effect, though, so I'm going to continue my search. The blush, on the other hand, was a huge disappointment. It looks gorgeous in the pan, peachy-pink coral with tiny golden shimmers. Unfortunately, none of it shows up on application unless I layer...and layer...and layer, after which it just looks horribly cakey, and my cheeks will look just slightly tinted. Maybe my skintone just neutralizes the color or something. The formulation definitely feels more chalky than the bronzer. I love the cheap price, but I will not be repurchasing.
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Eyeliner -Milani - Liquif'eye Metallic Eyeliner Pencil - brown
twilight_aura 9/1/2010 1:07:00 AM
I went on a hunt for these pencils soon after seeing some great reviews online for waterline staying-power. I've been on a long search to find an eyeliner that would stay on my waterline/tightline without fading or smudging, and this is seriously my HG. I don't think I have particularly watery or oily eyes/lids, but I've tried MAC kohl in Smolder, Urban Decay 24/7 in Zero and Bourbon, Prestige, ULTA and none of them have been able to stay on my waterline and lower lashline like this eyeliner has (without smudging, either!). I was only able to snag a brown one from my CVS (which carries only black, silver, and brown), but after trying it twice, I've placed an order on Walgreens.com for the black and aqua! I love the dark-brown shade of this pencil; not really metallic at all when applied. It's just as creamy (if not creamier?) than the UD 24/7 pencils, which is great for waterlining/tightlining. It's definitely darker than the UD 24/7 in Bourbon, and it doesn't have those glitter chunks so it's much safer for being so close to my eye. I haven't had any problems with sharpening since I use the UD Grindhouse sharpener. Wonderful quality for a wonderful price!
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Polishes -China Glaze - Tempest
twilight_aura 3/29/2010 3:59:00 PM
I agree with previous reviewers that this isn't the most opaque polish, but I always put on at least 2 coats of any polish to get the most even color distribution and application. The first coat tended to be streaky and uneven...leaving some spots really sheer and others darker. After the second coat it was opaque enough, and I definitely reached bottle color at the third coat. I figured out that the problem with the sheerness/streakiness that other reviewers have mentioned is due to the uneven consistency of the polish. Mine was practically gloopy, so to get a thin/even single coat, I had to apply a REALLY thin coat that just didn't look that great. To solve this, I ended up mixing in 4-5 drops of Seche Restore which really helped with application without ruining opacity much at all. The color after one coat was more of a soft magenta-purple than the dark purple-blue sheen of the bottle though, but applying two coats should get it closer to bottle color. I love layering polishes and wanted to have the duochrome effect of Tempest underneath/on top of other colors (this stuff looks gorgeous over OPI Ink). I haven't had any problems with drying time or lasting power with any ChG polish, including this one...maybe because I always use Seche Vite on top.
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Mascara -Christian Dior - Diorshow Mascara
twilight_aura 8/20/2008 12:15:00 PM
Not pleased with this mascara... performance is very average and I always end up with flakes on my face. I'm using the non-waterproof version. The part of the container that takes excess product off the brush got stuck in the lid so now when I take the brush out it's a huge mess and impossible to handle without getting mascara on my eyelids. I've read about other people having this problem. The brush is also too large and I'm not sure what the purpose of the size is. My lashes are straight and this doesn't seem to hold curl very well or provide much curl at all upon application. Definitely too expensive (especially since the container didn't even work properly). You'd be much happier going to the drug store. Overrated product, in my experience.
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Hair Styling Tools -Remington - Wet 2 Straight
twilight_aura 8/19/2008 3:03:00 AM
Gosh I've had this straightener for years now, and it's absolutely fantastic! My hair is naturally thick and has a slight wave to it. I love that I don't have to wait for my hair to dry before using the straightener since it always ends up so frizzy that way. I tend to use it on damp hair, rather than dripping wet hair so that it goes faster. I've never had a problem with it straightening my hair, and I like that I can curl my ends inwards with it easily. I also love that I can get it to straighten my hair without it being absolutely stick straight, since I like to have at least some volume. I've never had a problem with it damaging my hair, unlike other reviewers, since I also use Tresemme's heat protectant spray. I use this straightener after every time I shower, and have never had split ends from it :). I'm just starting on my second straightener cuz the coating on my first one started to come off (this didn't affect the straightening quality, but it's cheap enough for me to just buy another straightener). Overall, I can't live without this straightener and can rely on it to give me consistent results every time.
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Hair -L'Oreal - Colour rays
twilight_aura 1/25/2008 12:32:00 AM
I purchased this product in the "Fuschia Flash" after seeing successful results with it on my friend, who has dark hair (I'm Asian and have naturally dark brown-black hair...it was dyed dark red before that had faded to dark brown. Before using this dye, I dyed it a back to a natural black so as to have more "dramatic" results). The dying process itself was easy, and the developer didn't smell as bad as others I've used in the past. The dye stains EVERYTHING it touches though, even if you wipe it right afterwards. I recommend putting newspapers down on your counters and on your sink. I was hoping for bright red-pink streaks, as stated would happen on the side of the box, and by my friend. But alas, I followed the recommended 30 minutes and had a muted dark reddish color on the strands I had dyed first, and almost nothing visible on the top layers that I had applied last. There is a distinct red sheen in some places in the light, which is nice, but I could've gotten that sheen with cheaper dyes. Maybe the developer wasn't strong enough since my hair is far from virgin hair... All in all, it's convenient that they give you everything in the one box from the drugstore, but I've gotten better red results with L'Oreal's "Excellence HiColor" for dark hair from Sally Beauty Supply stores, and it's cheaper since I already have my own supplies and a stronger developer at home, so I wouldn't buy this again. I know I'd get better results by bleaching first, but I vowed to never bleach again after finding billions of split ends after the first time I did so :(. Maybe if I DO try it again, I'll leave the stuff on for an hour, instead.
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Highlighters -True Colors - Loose shimmer powder/various colors
twilight_aura 3/5/2006 1:29:00 AM
I lovelovelove these. I saw them in the mall, and they were WAY out of my budget at the time, so I went to good old eBay! I found a dealer near my house and I had a private showing and WOW I totally fell in love with the colors and versatility. I bought two stacks. They're totally amazing, but the ONLY complaint I have with True Colors is staying power. After about 30min-1hr, most of it falls off onto my cheeks! So I use UD's primer potion and everything's wonderful. I don't even mind the packaging!
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