Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Quinoderm
xBl0cPartyx 11/4/2012 8:40:00 AM
This has saved my skin. I am extremely acne prone and had lots of cystic acne on my cheeks and jawline for 7-8 years now. In fact I couldn't even remember what it was like to have clear skin and leave the house without MU on... Until I met Quinoderm. At first I used it three times a day which I do NOT recommend! My face was dry, painful and RED. Twice a day is sufficient (I use the 5% one btw, I would never put the 10% on my skin!). Three months in to using it, my skin is clear. I used to have horrendous breakouts just before my period and they have stopped. All the pink acne scars on my cheeks are slowly fading and I leave the house without MU on my face/cheeks while my scars fade. I can't believe my skin has cleared up so much, I even went to a dermatologist who wanted to put me on Accutane! No thanks... This cream stings a little when you apply it. I give it about 10 mins to sit on my skin before applying Cetaphil. If you sweat with this on you'll be left with white beads of sweat. So beware. I would definitely buy this again and again, I actually have 5 back ups lol.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -NARS - Taj Mahal
xBl0cPartyx 4/5/2012 3:23:00 PM
This is my favourite blush. I ALWAYS get compliments on my appearance when I wear this! I like to wear this and See Sheer on my lips for a pretty coral look, looks great with my tanned skin. The colour is amazing, a burnt orange with golden flecks. I have been eyeing up Taj Mahal for a very long time but on my student budget I haven't been able to bring myself to buy it. I've bought other blushes I thought might be similar like NYX Cinnamon (almost pastel pale orange?) and Sleek Aruba (pure neon orange) but now that I can compare them to Taj Mahal in the flesh, they are rubbish in comparison. There is nothing like Taj Mahal. It's a scorched orange colour complete with very subtle golden flecks and a slight red tinge. It is so pigmented and blends effortlessly. I definitely recommend it to people with tanned skin and darker. I almost feel like removing a lippie for the level of pigment in this blush. Pigmented makeup is a great thing but seriously? This is the most pigmented blush I own, definitely more pigmented than my other NARS blushes. I tap my stipple brush SO lightly on the pan, so lightly that I barely even touch it on the powder. Then I shake the brush to get rid of the excess (believe me, there will be too much on your brush just from the slightest tap), I then dab it on the back of my hand to get rid of more colour (can't be too careful), then *lightly* dab the stipple brush on my cheeks. I don't blend with the stipple, for fear of over application. I get a fluffy blush brush (RT brush), dip in translucent powder and blend what is on my cheeks from the stipple brush. It blends like a dream. I have NC37-40 skin! I can't imagine a lighter skinned person being able to wear this sadly, only because it is very pigmented! To any PPPs, be extremely careful! The packaging is good but as with all NARS blushes, the rubberised coating is annoying. The compact has the potential to get filthy and I have got a few thumb prints on mine which are impossible to remove. I'm not too bothered though and it doesn't affect whether I'd buy it again or not. Expensive yes, but totally worth it. The glow I get from this is unlike any other! Now that its summer ill be wearing this everyday! I like to mix it with Torrid :) I totally recommend this. I would buy it again and again but I know I won't even be able to use one up before the day I die.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - Oilatum Natural Face Repair Cream
xBl0cPartyx 2/12/2012 5:40:00 PM
Lemme give you a background on my skin. I suffer from frequent acne breakouts. These are *mainly* in the form of cysts on my cheeks. I have large pores and I am very blackhead prone. I have to exfoliate twice a day because my skin is so oily. In buying this moisturiser, I was hoping for something rich but something that would not break me out. This Oilatum moisturiser is quite oily and greasy. It is thick and you really don't need much in order to cover your face with it. I only use this at night (so I don't care about the lack of SPF) because it leaves my skin looking like I slathered it with oil, especially when I first started using it because I didn't realise how little I really needed and I over-applied. Upon application and warming on the skin, the cream turns from white and thick to an oily consistency and literally feels like pure oil on the face. I don't find it very moisturising, just average. I'm happy that this is unscented because I'm not a fan of unnecessarily scented skincare. The tube is quite small and for the price, that's slightly disappointing. The packaging is good - it's in a tube and not a pot which makes it more hygienic. The tube is also easy to squeeze which is also a huge plus, I hate those tubes that are hard to squeeze. To clear this up - I am very oily skinned and this did not break me out. Not the best moisturiser I have ever used but it's okay. Although my skin is oily, I like to pump it full of moisturise and I definitely don't think that people with oily skin should stay away from thick/rich moisturisers as a lot of people reviewing this seem to think. YMMV, just because you have oily skin doesn't mean you can't use this moisturiser, I hate it when people say that. I'm going to stick with the Cetaphil moisturiser. Better value.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -The Body Shop - Facial Buffer
xBl0cPartyx 2/2/2012 7:03:00 PM
HG product. I cannot be without this, it really has changed my skin for the better. I have no blackheads whatsoever any more! This is coming from someone with very oily, acne prone skin and blackhead ridden skin. I could easily wake up with 10+ spots on a good day. I could wake to that as well as 5 or so beautiful cystic spots in the days leading up to my period. Whilst not being a miracle product and completely eradicating my acne, it has VASTLY improved the brightness, texture and condition of my skin, as well as vastly improving my acne breakouts. I will never stop using this. I have no blackheads on my nose and none on my cheeks and this buffer is to thank for that. If any of you have the salux towel, the facial buffer is comparable in texture to that. * My method of using it and what works for me: wet face and apply face wash. Massage face wash into face with hands for about 10-15 seconds. Wet facial buffer and gently polish face wash off. Rinse facial buffer and polish again. Rinse face then apply moisturiser. I do that gently twice a day (I know I shouldn't be exfoliating that often and I wear very high SPF but I find this is the only thing that stops me from my extreme break outs). I also like using this with a hot cloth cleanser but with steaming my face over a bowl and using this or a muslin cloth. I have been using mine for about 3 months now and it's become soft. I am going to replace is asap. EDIT: Today (24/2/2012) I was in The Body Shop with my boyfriend stocking up on these and I was explaining what they do and that I can't live without them. I asked if he'd noticed any difference in my skin. He noticed! He said my skin looked more clear, and 'less... marky!' Lol I'm not imagining it!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Brows -Shu Uemura - Hard Formula H9 Eyebrow Pencil Sound Black 01
xBl0cPartyx 1/29/2012 7:34:00 PM
Absolute HG brow material. * I started off with this brow pencil in Stone Grey but later on bought Sound Black when I died my hair black. The SA recommended Grey because my hair was blondish-brown at the time. To be honest, I was afraid of going for black because I'm terrified of the drawn on/stamped on/drag queen brow look. I prefer my MU to look very natural. I really don't want sharp, crisp and obvious definition and that's why I was too scared of buying the black one. However, there was nothing to be scared about. Both Stone Grey and Sound Black provide extremely natural brows. I have sparse brows, especially towards the tail end. I find that this gives just the right amount of colour and it's impossible to over do this. It takes quite a few strokes of the pencil to build up colour so you can get the desired intensity level you want without suddenly ruining your brows by pressing too hard or whatever. My brows look SOOO natural yet fuller and I'm able to frame my face with this pencil. I manage to look 10x better with this product. I can now also fulfil my dreams of black hair, dark brows and red lips :D I was too afraid to fill in my brows before I got this pencil (even though I knew I desperately needed to) because I was just soooo afraid of them looking too out of place and obvious. This makes it a breeze, it's fool proof, even for brow novices like me. * If you have a freshly cleansed face then this might take a little while to show up on your brows because the pencil works by reacting with the oils on the hair for colour pay off - according to the SA. I find it shows up a lot if you apply moisturiser on and around your brows. So if you've just washed your face, this may not show up on you for a while. It is not waxy so if you have long eyebrow hairs, either trim them or use clear mascara to keep them in place. * I find the Japanese sharpening interesting. It is optional and I got it done at the Shu counter when I first bought the pencil in Stone Grey. It is shaped like a dagger - they cut off the point of the pencil and then shave off the sides so the pencil has flat sides and looks like a knife. You can go and get this re-done when needed at the Shu counter. When I purchased Sound Black, I asked for a pencil with standard sharpening. However, I think I prefer Japanese sharpening. It does waste product but to be honest with the length of the pencil, you can afford a little wastage. I find the Japanese sharpening more convenient when it comes to doing my brows. I can tell that this is going to last me an extremely long time. I have used my new black one about 5 times and the point is still very sharp. I am considering snapping a bit off the pencil to carry it around with me for touch ups. I can afford to do that because the pencil is very long. * If you are looking for sharp, ultra defined brows, then this is not for you.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Brows -Shu Uemura - Brow Pencil
xBl0cPartyx 1/29/2012 7:33:00 PM
Absolute HG brow material. * I started off with this brow pencil in Stone Grey but later on bought Sound Black when I died my hair black. The SA recommended Grey because my hair was blondish-brown at the time. To be honest, I was afraid of going for black because I'm terrified of the drawn on/stamped on/drag queen brow look. I prefer my MU to look very natural. I really don't want sharp, crisp and obvious definition and that's why I was too scared of buying the black one. However, there was nothing to be scared about. Both Stone Grey and Sound Black provide extremely natural brows. I have sparse brows, especially towards the tail end. I find that this gives just the right amount of colour and it's impossible to over do this. It takes quite a few strokes of the pencil to build up colour so you can get the desired intensity level you want without suddenly ruining your brows by pressing too hard or whatever. My brows look SOOO natural yet fuller and I'm able to frame my face with this pencil. I manage to look 10x better with this product. I can now also fulfil my dreams of black hair, dark brows and red lips :D I was too afraid to fill in my brows before I got this pencil (even though I knew I desperately needed to) because I was just soooo afraid of them looking too out of place and obvious. This makes it a breeze, it's fool proof, even for brow novices like me. * If you have a freshly cleansed face then this might take a little while to show up on your brows because the pencil works by reacting with the oils on the hair for colour pay off - according to the SA. I find it shows up a lot if you apply moisturiser on and around your brows. So if you've just washed your face, this may not show up on you for a while. It is not waxy so if you have long eyebrow hairs, either trim them or use clear mascara to keep them in place. * I find the Japanese sharpening interesting. It is optional and I got it done at the Shu counter when I first bought the pencil in Stone Grey. It is shaped like a dagger - they cut off the point of the pencil and then shave off the sides so the pencil has flat sides and looks like a knife. You can go and get this re-done when needed at the Shu counter. When I purchased Sound Black, I asked for a pencil with standard sharpening. However, I think I prefer Japanese sharpening. It does waste product but to be honest with the length of the pencil, you can afford a little wastage. I find the Japanese sharpening more convenient when it comes to doing my brows. I can tell that this is going to last me an extremely long time. I have used my new black one about 5 times and the point is still very sharp. I am considering snapping a bit off the pencil to carry it around with me for touch ups. I can afford to do that because the pencil is very long. * If you are looking for sharp, ultra defined brows, then this is not for you.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Unlisted Brand - Salux Nylon Japanese Bath Towel
xBl0cPartyx 1/29/2012 6:59:00 PM
Can't live without this! Got a brand new one in a swap with an awesome USAer and I haven't looked back since, I will never be without it! I elipate and this is CRUCIAL in keeping away the ingrown hairs and does a fantastic job of it. Traditional body scrubs or body brushes just don't cut the cake. I don't have to mess with annoying tubs of sea salt or sugar scrubs and the hassle of exfoliating for ages to get the desired effect. I don't have to wish I was a contortionist in order to exfoliate my back. I used to dry brush my body in an attempt to get the softest skin because even the most harsh exfoliators wouldn't give me the same effect. Dry brushing was time consuming and exhausting but the salux is so quick and easy to use! I feel so soft and clean after I use it. I love how I can EASILY exfoliate my back with this because it's long enough! It cleared up acne on my back and even got rid of some of the hyper-pigmentation from old acne scars. I am softer than I've ever been in my life lol. I don't feel clean without this. It lathers beautifully, does a fantastic job of exfoliating and dries quickly. It's so cheap too, it's worth a shot!
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -NARS - Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita
xBl0cPartyx 1/29/2012 5:36:00 PM
I am a complete MLBB girl and this is perfect. The result is perfectly polished lips and a completed, natural MU look. Perfect for everyday use. I would describe the colour as a very natural, muted rosy brown. I also love matte lips because mine are full and I hate shiny lips because it just draws attention to them. If I wear a gloss, I usually end up blotting it. The Velvet Matte Lip Pencil really does feel like smooth velvet once applied, feels very light on the lips. * Application: I always wear balm underneath this pencil. Firstly - it's matte. 9/10 times, matte = drying. So I haven't even bothered using this without balm. If you choose to use balm, I recommend a waxy one, not a glossy one because that would ruin the matte effect. I mentioned my usage of balm because I think it will affect the next part of my review, which is about pigment. I find the pencil not very pigmented and this could be because I use a balm underneath it. I really do have to swipe it on a good few times for any colour pay off but that doesn't bother me at all because this is a HG pencil and HG colour. I've been hesitant to try NARS lippies because I've heard they tend to turn quite quickly. So I'm happy to keep using this pencil. It's just annoying that when you sharpen it you lose a lot of product, the packaging would be so much better if it was a twist up pen. * Not a huge fan of the lid on this pencil. I don't find that it closes tight enough for me. Not that it's ever fallen off but I like the satisfaction of hearing a click. I would repurchase but I do think it's expensive. I'm very interested in other colours in the line.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Soap and Glory - The Righteous Butter
xBl0cPartyx 1/29/2012 5:14:00 PM
This is a beautiful, thick cream (but not too thick that it doesn't absorb for ages) and really moisturises. A little goes a long way. I'm not too happy about the tub packaging but I apply it after I've had a shower so my hands aren't exactly filthy when I go to use it. This is way better than the hyped up The Body Shop butters, this smells delicious and doesn't leave a film on the skin. I also prefer the packaging, it looks so much nicer compared to The Body Shop butters! The smell is absolutely gorgeous. Delicious. I will definitely be buying this again. The smell lasts for ages and my boyfriend loves it! I will be buying the body wash too so I can layer the scents, I already layer it with the perfume and Girligo and it lasts a very long time.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Biotin (All brands)
xBl0cPartyx 1/29/2012 5:02:00 PM
My goals were stronger nails (mine peel and break a lot) and faster hair growth. I was on biotin for a total of 6 months. * I started off on a very low dose of this, taking three tablets a day for 3 months. I didn't notice any difference at all, apart from a horrible acne break out that lasted about a week (when I first started taking them). I endured the acne, got over it and continued with the biotin. Still nothing. I then started taking a much higher dose of biotin and had to put up with another breakout from the increased dose, which I think it was 7.5mg. I took these ones for about another 3 months. Still nothing worth writing home about. I didn't see any difference in my hair growth at all. There was a *slight* difference in my nails. Less peeling and they were stronger but I don't think it was worth it. Honestly, I don't see why I even bothered. Nothing amazing happened at all but I'm happy that it works for some people. I've been on a very healthy diet since October (I was very unhealthy during my biotin taking months) and I'm going to see if my new diet does anything for my hair, skin and nails. Good luck everyone :).
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Mascara -Prestige - My Longest Lashes
xBl0cPartyx 1/29/2012 4:31:00 PM
Got this really cheap and I'm so happy about that because I'm not a fan of this. Stupidly, I bought the brown one by mistake which was totally my fault but that's not why I gave the product a low rating. I bought this mascara based on MUA reviews and thought it'd be amazing because of the high ratings and I'm honestly disappointed. The brush is good for combing out clumps and I do find that I get nice separation with this mascara. The only thing that gets to me is the effect. Once applied, I look like I have natural lashes. My lashes don't look lengthened or any different at all. Not even with 3 coats do I get any decent length. I only use this for my bottom lashes now because the brush is nice and small. I don't find that it lengthens my lashes much AT ALL! I don't really like the packaging. Whilst it's sturdy and durable it's more the colour and design that I don't like.
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Lipstick -MAC - Lustre in Lady Bug
xBl0cPartyx 1/29/2012 4:22:00 PM
One of my favourite lipsticks from MAC! I adore red lips and now that my hair is black, I've really gotten into the whole black hair, red lips thing. However, I'm more of a natural makeup, MLBB girl and I'm afraid of walking around with over the top lip colour as my lips are quite full. So I like to work into it slowly and this is a *perfect* beginner's red, with yellow undertones, it's not loud at all. * One swipe across the lips leaves a beautiful sheer wash of red. Two swipes is decent coverage. but not full coverage. I love that it's buildable. It's very wearable for day time as it really doesn't stand much, it's not as intense as Russian Red or Ruby Woo AT ALL for example, although it does look very pigmented in the tube. It has a beautiful sheen to it, not too much (I'm not a fan of shiny lips) but not matte either. I find that it looks fun and brightens up my face * I *always* apply MAC lipsticks with balm underneath them and I recommend this to everyone because then there wouldn't be as many complaints about dryness and you could just enjoy beautiful colour. Just a simple step people! I would find this drying without balm but then again I always apply balm because I'm always smiling and laughing and I find that my lips get dried out easily because of that. * I have no idea which lipstick that is in the picture for the product, but it is definitely NOT lady bug. I would definitely purchase again. Looking at Dubonnet next! :D (for reference I'm roughly NC37-NC40).
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -La Roche Posay - Anthelios Xl SPF 50+ Fluide Extreme (for face)
xBl0cPartyx 10/9/2011 11:20:00 AM
I used this for about... 5 seconds. Yes, I am going to write a review already. I applied it to the bottom half of my face and as soon as I did that, I washed it off because it left an almost comical white cast on my face, even without the flash photography. This sunscreen is a milky kind of sunscreen, as in it is a thin fluid and white. However, if you have any kind of tanned skin that will go against you because it is so pale. It's thicker than my HG Biore Perfect Face Milk and that has something to do with the cast it left on my face. I wanted to try this because it's better value and readily available in my country compared to the Biore one but it didn't work out, this would be better for people with pale skin, NOT tanned girls.
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Eyes -MAC - Paint Pot in Rubenesque
xBl0cPartyx 9/7/2011 10:59:00 AM
Ok so I was lemming Rubenesque for a really long time. I did a CP with a lady in the US and seeing as MAC is cheaper there, I figured I'd ask her to swap me for it. So here I was really excited to get it and I was over the moon when it came to my door but I'm so disappointed with this product. I think I actually dislike/don't use most of my MAC products because they can be sooo hit and miss, the only thing I KNOW I like are the lipsticks. * I read the reviews here and saw people complaining that it applied patchy and stuff, well I didn't take it that seriously because I was so in love with the pretty Rubenesque I had swatched in store. I just had to have it. I'm so disappointed because It applies so patchily and uneven! I can't get an even wash of colour on my eyelids at all. I've tried applying with my fingers, with a dense concealer brush, with primer, without primer, with moisturiser and without, you name it, I have really tried to make this work because it is very pretty. Such a disappointment. Although I don't like it, I will give it one point - it doesn't crease when used over primer. I know people like to use this as an eyeshadow base but I can't vouch for its effectiveness as one, I just intended to use it as a cream eyeshadow. The patchy and uneven application actually makes my eyelids look horrendously dry, flaky and crusty. Lol. What a disappointment. * Packaging's good, this is just a little glass jar with the black lid, pretty typical of MAC, nothing special or OTT about it. * Would I buy this again? LOL wut, never in my life. When I finish 6 of my other MAC products I'll gouge this crap out of the pot with a smile on my face and take my containers back for a pretty lipstick. BACK TO MAC YOU GO.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Colorburst in Soft Rose [DISCONTINUED]
xBl0cPartyx 8/30/2011 1:51:00 PM
I don't find this to be the most pigmented lipstick on the planet but that's fine my me. I like that it is a little sheer and also a little glossy which reminds me of my favourite lippies - MAC Lustres. I really do think it's a MLBB kind of shade. It's natural looking enough to not scream 'look at me!' but also visible enough so that you can look alive and put together but not overdone. I really like the packaging, it looks expensive and NICE - I like that it looks sleek and elegant, not tacky or cheap. I like that it has the pressed waffle shapes on the tube and that it has the colour on the top of it. Also, it's a retangular shape which is great - it doesn't roll on my table! Dupe: Yes this is a dupe for Chanel's Rouge Coco Madmoiselle. I swatched both and they look identical apart from the fact that Soft Rose is a tinge more red, whilst Madmoiselle is a bit pinker. They are very close though. Madmoiselle is also more creamy and pigmented but Soft Rose is a very good dupe for the price. Not sure about the NARS Dolce Vita dupe but I want Dolce Vita... If this really is a dupe for that (which it doesn't look like from pics) then that's great!
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