Primer/ Corrector -Make Up For Ever - Corrective Make Up Base SPF 18 in 2 Mauve
verasilyn 5/4/2009 11:39:00 AM
The main purpose of this base is to correct yellowish sallowness in the skin, and while upon first application, it does illuminate the skin, the effect wears off VERY soon, leaving just a normal base. Also, it seems to have no oil-control: in fact, just the opposite! One day, I forgot to put on loose powder to set, and when I walked past a mirror, I was shocked at how oily and shiny I seemed, and it was within half an hour of walking out! However, this base is very easy to spread, and the pump is good. The shape is also great for traveling. Will not purchase, and am still in pursuit of the perfect color corrector...
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Polishes -NARS - Orgasm
verasilyn 4/25/2009 9:19:00 PM
I was so excited when this came out, because the bottle looked like a lovely blend of peachy pink with lots of golden shimmer. And when I bought it and put it on at home, it turned out to be a lot more peachy/orange based than it first appeared. However, this is not to say it's horrible or anything--once I gotten past the first wave of disappointment, I looked at it under different lights, and it looked nice. Though beware of it if you don't like orange polishes. The bottle, like all NARS products, is capped with black rubber that looks really neat but smudges like crazy. Also, the square design makes it very hard to open/close if even a tiny little amount of polish is left near the cap. Try screwing it close with newly painted nails, UGH.
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Makeup Brushes -MAC - #168 Large Angled Contour Brush
verasilyn 11/13/2008 7:30:00 PM
It's dense and soft, and is good for applying blush on delicate features (though it does take a light hand for pigmented blushes), and contouring the cheeks (the nose needs something flatter and more precise in my case). It's great, but not irreplaceable, I'd say. No shedding when washed, though there are flyaways once dried. SE 08 (Adoring Carmine) version: very rough compared to the full version, and application is a bit streaky.
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Polishes -OPI - Nail Polishes
verasilyn 11/13/2008 7:24:00 PM
It applies smoothly, without streaks or bubbles. It dries rather quickly, though it takes some time to be able to move my hands without being conscious of any hard edges around (but what polish doesn't?). The tip-wear isn't too impressive: generally around three or four days, but since my nails grow fast, I trim the tips and am good to go--and I do that because the color selection is very nice.
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Polishes -OPI - Yoga-Ta Get This Blue!
verasilyn 11/13/2008 7:02:00 PM
It's a lovely shade of dark blue (navy in dimmer lightings, and a smalt/Egyptian blue in brighter lightings/sunlight). The formula glides on smoothly, dries rather quickly--basically, it works like a dream. The wear however, is more of reality: around three days for tip-wear to show. I sometimes just clip the tip of my nails to keep the polish, which is still perfectly glossy (with a top and base coat). The new Sephora by OPI has a similar shape (Opening Night), but when I went there it was sold out (the only color that did...the blue nails trend really is going somewhere). However, the tester seemed to be nearly the same color (but the lighting in there was horrible--sort of like MAC store lighting, and the shade looked a little 'wetter'). I'll probably try that next, since the formula felt the same.
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Makeup Brushes -MAC - Adoring Carmine Face Brush Set 2008
verasilyn 11/13/2008 6:15:00 PM
The brushes in this set are the SE versions (meaning machine mass-produced, and not hand-made like the full versions), so expect it to be a little scratchier. However, for the price, it's a pretty good deal, considering that most of the brushes do what they're supposed to do. I bought this set, but then returned it and bought two full-sized brushes instead. . 187SE, the stippling brush that's such a cult fav, is slightly, slightly small than the normal, but it is almost the same in disposing blush, applying foundation, powder, etc. It sheds like crazy in the beginning, some hairs dropping out by simply moving it upside down. And the first wash is just scary: so many hairs! The shedding slows down eventually, after I'd say three or four washes, but some small bits still fall out. . 168SE: the large angled contour brush is actually what triggered me to go return the set. I have the full version, and the difference is staggering. The full version is soft and applies an even layer of powder. The SE version is very rough and leaves powder very streaky. The other three are nowhere near as different. . 194 SE: the concealer brush is pretty much the same--same density, same flexibility, with the full version being just a tad softer. Both applies concealer well. . 190 SE: I don't have this foundation brush in full, so I can't compared, but for the SE itself, it applies well enough, but it simply eat too much product for me: if you flick the brush after usage, a dusty cloud of powder comes off, and I can only imagine it's worse for liquids. Again, it WORKS fine, but... . Packaging: lovely shades of red, but the pouch looks and feels very cheap: a little rough on the hands--but hey, it is cheap! But the handles are very, very fetching: a nice blend of a brilliant red and a metallic burgundy, while the shape is short and stocky: very easy to handle, and doesn't crash into the mirror if you lean in. . Overall, for the price (US45 and CAD55, or something close), it's really worth it (the full set would cost more than a hundred). I decided to return it because it feels strange on my skin to use Shu Uemura, full versions MAC, and Dior brushes with a MAC SE.
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Makeup Brushes -MAC - Adoring Carmine Face Brush Set 2008
verasilyn 11/13/2008 6:14:00 PM
The brushes in this set are the SE versions (meaning machine mass-produced, and not hand-made like the full versions), so expect it to be a little scratchier. However, for the price, it's a pretty good deal, considering that most of the brushes do what they're supposed to do. I bought this set, but then returned it and bought two full-sized brushes instead. 187SE, the stippling brush that's such a cult fav, is slightly, slightly small than the normal, but it is almost the same in disposing blush, applying foundation, powder, etc. It sheds like crazy in the beginning, some hairs dropping out by simply moving it upside down. And the first wash is just scary: so many hairs! The shedding slows down eventually, after I'd say three or four washes, but some small bits still fall out. 168SE: the large angled contour brush is actually what triggered me to go return the set. I have the full version, and the difference is staggering. The full version is soft and applies an even layer of powder. The SE version is very rough and leaves powder very streaky. The other three are nowhere near as different. 194 SE: the concealer brush is pretty much the same--same density, same flexibility, with the full version being just a tad softer. Both applies concealer well. 190 SE: I don't have this foundation brush in full, so I can't compared, but for the SE itself, it applies well enough, but it simply eat too much product for me: if you flick the brush after usage, a dusty cloud of powder comes off, and I can only imagine it's worse for liquids. Again, it WORKS fine, but... Packaging: lovely shades of red, but the pouch looks and feels very cheap: a little rough on the hands--but hey, it is cheap! But the handles are very, very fetching: a nice blend of a brilliant red and a metallic burgundy, while the shape is short and stocky: very easy to handle, and doesn't crash into the mirror if you lean in. Overall, for the price (US45 and CAD55, or something close), it's really worth it (the full set would cost more than a hundred). I decided to return it because it feels strange on my skin to use Shu Uemura, full versions MAC, and Dior brushes with a MAC SE.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -MAC - 194 concealer brush
verasilyn 11/13/2008 5:57:00 PM
It's perfectly fine as a concealer brush, just nothing groundbreaking. It's a long, slender shape, so it's better off doing the under-eye area or small spots. The only complaint I have is that it seems to eat a lot of the concealer.
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Makeup Brushes -MAC - #187 Duo Fiber Face Brush (Stippling, Skunk Brush)
verasilyn 11/13/2008 5:30:00 PM
Regular version: It is, as said many times before this review and certainly will be many times after, a very versatile, multi-tasking brush. I personally use it as a blush brush (NARS and Shu blushes are very pigmented, so the light touch this brush gives is very appreciated). However, it's great as a pressed powder brush and as a liquid foundation brush, plus it's good for blending the contour line. Basically, it's worth the slightly high price tag. Some shedding, no bleeding. SE 08 (Adoring Carmine) version: A lot of shedding, with or without washing (if you goes through the brush with your fingers, some hairs come out). No bleeding problem so far with mine. It feels a little rougher/scratchier than the full version, but it does the job pretty much the same.
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Makeup Brushes -MAC - 189 Face Brush
verasilyn 11/13/2008 5:24:00 PM
On the website, it's described to be used mainly with the Mineralize series (it came out earlier with a collection), and it does put on mineralize skinfinish natural very nicely: it picks up powder accordingly to how firm your hand is, and it disposes all of the powder (so that when you flick the brush, no powder comes out, and the color of the bristles are unchanged). It's a brush that does what it's supposed to do and does it superbly, what more can a girl want? And though it only comes in a plastic covering (like all MAC brushes do, annoyingly), the brush itself is very well designed. No shedding so far, even with washing. Only slightly expensive.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Bobbi Brown - Bobbi Brown Eyeliner Brush
verasilyn 10/17/2008 4:50:00 PM
It works well in the beginning, but after about a week or so, it starts splaying like crazy and can't be used for eyelining anymore (you get a messy blob of eyeliner if you try to, even if you wet the brush and shape it). I sometimes use it for concealer or shadow, if I was too lazy to clean the other brushes, but usually it just sits there.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Makeup Brushes -Christian Dior - Eyeliner Brush
verasilyn 10/17/2008 4:43:00 PM
It's the best eyeliner brush I've crossed upon--because there is little hair and it's closely binded to the handle, it doesn't splay at all and gives precise lining and smudges exactly where you want to. It comes in a velvety pouch and is silver with D's all over--looks really pretty, and works really well, what else can you ask of a brush?
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Skincare - Face -Shu Uemura - Depsea water
verasilyn 10/17/2008 4:36:00 PM
It's a great facial mist for giving an extra boost when you're tired and irritable. There are two scents, and I haven't tried the soothing ones (lavender doesn't agree with me, so I tend to stay away from those scents), but the energizing ones really do energize you, and your skin feels nice and smooth after it dries. Currently using Hamamelis. It's a little expensive, but I think it's worth it.
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Blush -NARS - Mata Hari
verasilyn 10/17/2008 4:25:00 PM
This is a sparkle-free, muted bright pink. The texture is great: silky and matte, and very rich in pigment. It's more cool-toned (the BA said that I have both cool and warm tones in my skin, which is weird, and I've always thought that I'm warm-toned, being Asian and all). Great for a wash of pink on the cheeks, but for a pop of color, Desire would do better--this would work, but as the color's a little muted, the outcome wouldn't be as fresh as Desire. The essential thing here, though, is to use a brush that's appropriate for your face (a fanc shaped brush for a broad dusting, and dome shaped for more precise coloring/layering, or delicate features like mine. A contouring brush would also work).
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -NARS - Gilda
verasilyn 10/17/2008 4:21:00 PM
As all NARS blushes, they feel silky when you put them all, and are very pigmented. This color is very coral, with a hint of orange and very little pink in it. It's great for nude makeups or a year-around and all-occasion blush. I personally like a little more pink in my blush (like Orgasm, but without the sparkles), but this looks good either layered on to get a tanned cheek, or dusted on to put a little color. PS. I love the NARS packaging.
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