Polishes -Chanel - Mimosa
velouria 4/20/2011 2:39:00 PM
Among the worst nail polishes I've ever used, and I'm FURIOUS that I was duped into buying it. $27 USD (purchased at Nordstorm's), so almost 4x the price of a regular nail polish, and for what? - sloppy application; the brush was really thin and not as easy to use as the usual suspects (Essie, OPI). I'd liken the brush to China Glaze - 3 coats required to get even coverage - chipping after 2 days, even with top coat Please tell me there's a good drugstore dupe for this because while I adored the colour for the 48 hours that it stayed on my nails, I can't justify the price for this designer brand that just doesn't meet basic standards.
10 out of 12 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -China Glaze - High Hopes
velouria 1/9/2011 4:52:00 AM
Bear in mind that I am not a fan of China Glaze polishes in general. The brush is too thin and application is streaky. I applied two coats to get even coverage and might even have applied a third but it was already feeling too thick. I finished off with Seche Vite. Three nails chipped within 8 hours. How can a $10 polish last less than one day??
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -NARS - Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Goddess
velouria 10/27/2010 7:27:00 PM
One of the worst products I've ever purchased. There is no 'glide' whatsoever. The colour, which tested nicely on the back of my hand, doesn't appear at all on my lids and I have to do drag the pencil across just to extract some product. I may as well use an eyeliner stick as a wash on my lid. Awful and a complete waste of money.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyes -Shu Uemura - False Lashes- Smoky Layers
velouria 1/20/2010 10:45:00 PM
F*ck yeah. These are the best lashes on earth. I wear some form of false eyelashes daily and these are trumps in my books, of all the brands I've ever tried. Shu Uemura makes the BEST lashes - nevermind MAC, Ardell, Sephora, MUFE etc., those are just all right - they've got a stronghold on the market, and Smoky Layers in particular are the most beautiful, full and natural lashes, while at the same time being dramatic. I get great use out of these. Pricey, but worth it! Mascara not required.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyes -Quo - Liquid Liner
velouria 1/10/2010 3:47:00 PM
This eyeliner is pretty good for proprietary drugstore (Shoppers Drug Mart) brand, but I wouldn't go out of my way to buy it unless Revlon ColourStay was sold out. The applicator picks up too much product so it needs frequent wiping, and as others have mentioned, the product migrates into the inner tear duct quite often, which is a nightmare if you go to sleep with your makeup on, as I too often do.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Revlon - ColorStay Liquid Liner
velouria 1/10/2010 3:45:00 PM
There's no need to buy high end liquid liner - for the shelf life and amount of use you get, go drugstore brand. Of the three liquid/felt tip style liners I've regularly used (Quo and Gosh being the other two), Revlon ColourStay is the best. The applicator doesn't pick up too much product, it doesn't "lint up" like some of the others do, and it's the best value. I pick these up in bulk when they're on sale for less than $10 at Shoppers Drug Mart and call it a day. Easy to grip, solid application and doesn't smudge. Signed, The Girl Whose Eyes Water Constantly Yet Still Maintains A Perfectly Lined Upper Lashline.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -Urban Decay - Show Pony Palette
velouria 1/10/2010 3:37:00 PM
There simply isn't a better value in terms of UD eyeshadows than their signature palettes! I wanted to try a few shadows and saw the swivelling bamboo/wood palette on a recent trip to ULTA, and promptly snatched it up. It has YDK, Flipside, Grifter, Uzi, Twice Baked, Midnight Cowboy Rides Again, Flash, Oil Slick, Kiddie Pool and Half Baked in it. Of those 10 shades, 7 were ones that I was dying to try. My favourite shades in here are YDK (rich brown shimmer) and Grifter (dusty rose). With the exception of Flash and Flipside, all of the shadows are very glittery.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyes -MAC - Smoke Signals Gentle Fume Quad
velouria 1/10/2010 3:32:00 PM
I only ever reach for this palette when I need to use Carbon in the crease and occasionally for Gentle Fume. I never use the other two colours. A nice to have, but by no means a necessity.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Make Up For Ever - Diamond Powder - White Gold 02
velouria 1/10/2010 3:29:00 PM
Holy crap. Only one review? OUTRAGE. If you love sparkles and glitter, this is the best in the business. Unmatched shimmer and pizazz. You'll never have to repurchase because one finger dab suffices for any look. I usually layer it over MAC Gesso or Nylon, some liner and lots of black mascara. Voilà, instant class!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Print Eyeshadow
velouria 1/10/2010 3:27:00 PM
Along with MAC Carbon, this is my crease staple. Use it along with any other shadow and instantly amp up your look. I love pairing it with MAC Sumptuous Olive, Elektra, Satin Taupe or Smoke & Diamonds. It's one of the easiest shadows to blend and never looks garish or over the top. A treat to work with!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Paradisco (Frost)
velouria 1/10/2010 3:25:00 PM
I adore this colour - this shade of peachy pink is grossly underrated as a complement to blue/grey eyes. I use MAC Gesso as a wash and then blend it out with Paradisco - the results are gorgeous! Highly, highly recommended and always in my travel makeup case.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Amazing Cosmetics - Amazing Concealer
velouria 1/10/2010 3:22:00 PM
Make sure you moisturize your undereye area sufficiently before applying, otherwise this product can be a real drag (har, har). I usually apply Kiehl's Abyssine eye cream AND Clarins eye sunscreen, let them absorb, and then apply Amazing Concealer, otherwise it's just not creamy enough to blend in properly. My second use for this is as an eyeshadow primer (UDPP dissenter here). It is GREAT - try it! Sometimes with the lighter eyeshadows (MAC Gesso, Phloof) I find it hard to get them to show up on my eyelids but this makes a wonderful base and absorbs quickly. Expensive, yes - however, a little goes a long way. I don't know if I'll ever need to buy this again as I've been using it daily and have scarcely needed to squeeze the tube!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Dove - Energy Glow Brightening Moisturizer SPF 15
velouria 1/10/2010 3:19:00 PM
I meticulously apply sunscreen already so this is not a sunscreen review - the SPF15 is a nice addition though. I use this moisturizer after I get out of the shower (at night) as my skin is normally very dry after showering (otherwise it's combo/oily). This provides a good base for makeup, especially mineral makeup that would otherwise appear too powdery on your skin. The consistency is nice and absorbs quickly without feeling too heavy. I am not a fan of the scent but it doesn't linger for long.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -MAC - Smolder eye kohl
velouria 1/10/2010 3:14:00 PM
This is an intense black kohl liner that's great for the lower lashline and waterline (if you have the patience to reapply it). It migrates into the eye a bit too easily for my tastes but it does stay on the waterline more or less throughout the day with a few touchups. It's not a perfect product but I haven't found another liner that lasts longer on the waterline, so it's the best as far as I know (so far). For some reason I am constantly losing these - I swear if you check my MAC customer purchasing history you'll see that I've purchased four in the past six months - WHERE ARE THEY?
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -H20 - Hand and Nail Cream
velouria 1/10/2010 3:11:00 PM
This is my HG hand cream - I have a travel size tube in my purse at all times and two pumps in my home. The scent is wonderfully intoxicating, yet not overpowering, and suitable for men and women both. This isn't an emergency hand cream formula but rather for everyday/general use. I had to take off two lippies for the packaging as the pump gets gunked up and clogged pretty easily towards the end of the product's life cycle, and I always have to whoop the remaining cream out manually with a few good thwacks to the bottle base.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No