Masks -Clinique - Moisture Surge Overnight Mask
xcessa 3/15/2013 1:23:00 PM
I bought this after watching Lisa Eldridge's in-flight beauty routine video - yeah I'm a lem like that. In anticipation of my honeymoon I wanted a mask to wear on the plane that is invisible. I'm not usually a Clinique girl but I thought why not give it a shot, since I consider Clinique pretty low end I didn't have high hopes. I put it on before bed - if you sleep on your face the product will transfer onto your pillow, it's pretty thick. I forgot about it and this morning went about my business and then went into the bathroom to brush my teeth and looked into the mirror. Wow! I actually could tell my skin looked better! It was quite stocking, especially since I normally have a pretty solid skin are routine. My face looked even ( a major issue for me) and plump! Like, really hydrated. And my pores looked invisible. Huh? That's not even a claim the product makes LOL. needless to say I'm super happy, as long as this doesn't break me out, it might be the only hydrating mask I ever buy again!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Pressed Powders -NARS - Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder
xcessa 2/27/2013 12:04:00 AM
So, this is the emporer's new clothes of makeup. When you get it you think the hard powder isn't getting on your brush - don't worry, it is! You can't tell where you have put this on your face, and you can't see it. Yet when I wear it my makeup looks amazing the entire workday and I get comments on how nice it looks, which never happens! This seems too good to be true. One minus - over my loose mmu, it does absolutely nothing. But over liquids it is a must have. There is no noticeable shimmer. Don't bother comparing this to anything else. Get it!
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Josie Maran Cosmetics - Argan Cleansing Oil
xcessa 2/22/2013 3:11:00 PM
This is the fourth oil cleanser I've tried: Shu, MAC, Boscia, and now Josie. I have to say - this is my least favourite! Both nights that I have used it, my eyes have been red and irritated the next day. This is not true at all with the Shu or MAC ones - you can really get in there and break down long wearing eye makeup, lash glue, whatever with no irritation. Boscia is good but the mintyness also wasn't great for my sensitive skin. Pros of this is that it really does take all the makeup off, and leaves your skin feeling moisturized. If you use a separate eye makeup remover, give this a shot. If you want an all-in-one, try the others mentioned.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Cerave - Hydrating Cleanser
xcessa 12/16/2012 2:08:00 AM
Ok everyone raves about this but I have to dissent. I dislike this immensely. It doesn't make my skin feel clean and somehow makes it feel dryer despite being a hydrating cleanser. It feels cheap. It leaves makeup behind. It stings my eyes. Marcelle's cream cleanser is way better.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Stila - Pigalle Eyeshadow
xcessa 12/16/2012 2:06:00 AM
I have only worn this once but am already in love. I'm very fair with dark brown hair and eyes with freckles. Warm red, plum, cranberry and burgundy shades are my ultimate faves and I just had to buy this when the SA swatched it. I wore this for a Christmas party look with the toffee prime pot, Mac modelette (warm tan/beige) as a wash, pigalle blown out in the crease and concentrated in the outer V, Mac heritage rouge to deepen, and dark diversion (burgundy) fluidline. I seriously think I've found my HG party look! Blush baby blush and a warm nude lip to finish. If you love warm reddish tones buy this immediately!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Uni - Oatmeal
xcessa 5/28/2012 10:03:00 PM
So I am always skeptical about at home products, and I have very easily irritated skin which makes me doubly wary. But I may have found a truly HG product. I take food grade rose water bought at the market, mix with some dry oats I buzzed in my coffee grinder, and make a paste. Rub onto my face and keep adding warm tap water as I rub in circular motions until its almost all washed off, then I rinse with a facecloth and warm water, finish with rose water as toner. I have been doing this every AM before the rest of my routine, and the results are amazing. My rosacea bumps and redness are completely calm! Small zits are a thing of the past! It even heals flaky lips! I can't believe I didn't know about oats sooner.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Avene - Cleansing and Make-Up Remover Micellar Lotion
xcessa 3/24/2012 11:24:00 PM
I had to buy this because my HG Bioderma was sold out and the SA recommended it. It's pretty good, and doesn't irritate my eyes which is a huge plus. But it leaves a slightly sticky film, so I went over it with toner. There was still some makeup that came clean with the toner step. So it's a great mu remover, but not the one-step miracle it claims to be. It works better than the Vichy or Lise Watier micellar waters, FYI.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Living Proof - Full Thickening Cream
xcessa 2/29/2012 4:31:00 PM
So I am still trying the sample of this they gave me at sephora, but I had to write a review since today I have had so many positive comments! I have mid length fine hair but I have quite a lot of it. I use bumble and bumble prep spray and then a nickel sized dollop of this on wet hair and rub through the length of the hair. I blow dried it with a vented paddle brush and definitely noticed more body and volume. Then I used my flat iron to curl the ends - I take sections of hair, grab about half way down and start curling from there. I got to work today and all the ladies in my office crowded around and told me my hair looked awesome! It was amazing and I guess I will have to buy this product as obviously it's doing a great job!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -L'Oreal - Color Infallible Eyeshadow Endless Chocolate 12
xcessa 2/18/2012 1:28:00 PM
Another positive review for these eyeshadows! I have the brown colour which is a true brown with goldish shimmer, no hint of coppery redness, which is really hard to find! I decided to test this on a long, 12-hour workday with no primer. I applied it all over the lid and crease with a taklon brush and used some Teddy eyeliner. It was fantastic...during the regular day I was totally impressed by the lasting power. I did experience some creasing by the 12th hour but not bad enough to worry about - the glitter didn't fall out on my face throughout the day either. Need to pick up some other colours! **edit: I took this down to 4 lippies because I found it hard to blend, it sets immediately which is difficult to work with sometimes
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -MAC - Quite the thing!
xcessa 9/18/2011 1:33:00 AM
Wow, I can't believe I'm the first person to review this product! According to MAC, the sheen supreme lipstick formula has strong, saturated color but comes with a modern glossed sheen, and these are moisturizing (but without tackiness). This lipstick is the most moisturizing MAC lipstick I own. I'd say it's similar to the dc'ed Slimshine, but not as slimy as those were. I absolutely LOVE the texture. Quite the thing! (from Temptalia) is a "brightened plum with fuchsia shimmer and a glossy finish." I can't really say it better than that. It matches China Glaze Traffic Jam nailpolish, which is why I first looked at it (I'm a geek, yeah)...but it looks delicious on. I have very pale skin and dark hair and eyes and these jewel toned glosses are perfect for my complexion. It looks dangerous in the tube, but is actually very wearable and also it fades into this gorgeous plummy stain. Love it!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Lise Watier - Eye Shine Waterproof eyeliner
xcessa 8/15/2011 1:12:00 AM
This review is for the colour Brun Noir. It is a true dark brown without any reddish undertones. It has shimmer running through it that is also a goldey-brown colour, giving the pencil a real depth. The formula is fantastic, really creamy to apply and then sets very well. I'd say it's on the sheerer side compared to most pencils. However I find you can really build up by adding a few layers, if you want the colour to be opaque. I bought this after getting the colour Fauve and truly feeling it was the best eye pencil I'd ever used! If you bought MAC Teddy but don't like the reddish cast, and the fact that pencil only lasts 0.2 second, try this one! I bought this at full price, $18 Canadian. I don't think that's very expensive considering the quality. I might have to get these pencils in every colour!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Physicians Formula - Mineral Wear Cream Concealer in soft yellow
xcessa 6/19/2011 4:21:00 PM
I won't comment on everything since there are other reviews covering that :) Here are my comments: 1. I can't apply this to my undereye area with my finger. It will crease and cake - I have to use a synthetic brush to get an even finish 2. The colour is perfect for my pale, beige undertone skin 3. If you eye waters even a tiny bit, the makeup runs off and leaves a weird streaky finish 4. Sometimes no matter how much I click the pen, more product won't come out 5. All that said, it's a pretty decent concealer for redness. However it doesn't help my purple undereye bags at all. For that I'm going to get a salmon concealer that has more pigment.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Maybelline - Color Sensational-Coral Crush
xcessa 4/23/2011 3:17:00 AM
I was looking for a warm bright watermelon pink that didn't turn cool on my lips, which have an almost mauvey-pink undertone that pulls very cool. I'm NC20 and love anything bright on my lips (hate anything dark) so I saw this and was immediately wowed! I've used it twice, and it's been awesome both times: first I piled it on and then blotted it down to a stain, really gorgeous; second I put on a sheer layer and then topped with Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Rivage, which is a peachy pink. SO lovely. I think I will use this as my go-to lipstick this summer, because I feel like I could add a cool pink lipgloss on top to make it more neutral, or use an orange gloss over to give it a pop. Very, very versatile. If you are scared of colour though, I'd stay away. :)
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Boscia - MakeUp-BreakUp Cool Cleansing Oil
xcessa 3/13/2011 9:59:00 PM
I recently bought a mini size of this product after being sucked into the little minis in line at the Sephora checkout. I just finished my big bottle of MAC Cleanse Off Oil and so it seemed like a good coincidence. Turns out I was right! Actually, I prefer this product to the MAC one. This oil cleanser is somehow less greasy than the MAC oil, emulsifies more quickly and easily, and leaves less residue behind. I have sensitive skin, and eyes, and wear contacts. I've had no problems with reactions to this at all, and used it all over my face and eyes quite a few times. Honestly I can't even tell there is menthol in it. I only use this when I've had a full face of makeup on. I always follow up with my beloved Pevonia RS lotion and moisturizer. I highly recommend trying this, especially since you can get mini sizes!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Sally Hansen - Natural Beauty Inspired by Carmindy Your Skin Foundation
xcessa 1/29/2011 4:44:00 PM
This is the first liquid foundation I've used for myself in five years. Normally I'm a devout everydayminerals girl. I have been wanting a liquid because now that I work in a warm environment, EDM just isn't lasting on my face. I have *very* reactive, rosacean fair skin. Anything with silicones in it makes me break out hard core. I have now worn this foundation for two days with no problems - this amazes me as I had high expectations of this foundation making me look zitty and horrible. I apply this with a non-latex damp sponge just like Carmindy does on WNTW. It's easy to apply and dries to a powdery finish. You can go over redder areas with second layers and it doesn't cake up. I'm amazed at how perfectly the Ecru Beige matches my skintone. You really can't tell I'm wearing foundation! I would say this is somewhere around medium coverage, but leaning toward full. It definitely minimizes my freckles. A few more things: I love the pump packaging, I love that it's fragrance free. I love that it doesn't make my face itch. Excellent product. Now I need to try the other things in this line!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No