Polishes -Butter London - Trout Pout
xmattmac 8/8/2012 3:26:00 PM
When I saw this in Ulta, I immediately fell in love with the color. At the time, I was using a similar colored Sally Hansen one-coat type polish that was way too thick for my liking, so I was longing for something of the same color, without the thickness. Well.. I definitely got what I wanted. I brought this home very eager to apply it and see how gorgeous it was, especially since I had heard how beautifully and perfectly Butter London polishes apply. Well.. others might, but this one doesn't. When I first applied it, it was absolutely streaky after two coats. I was so disappointed at how terrible it looked! The streaks made it look like a super cheap, dollar store polish (I've actually had better luck with that as far as opacity) and I was very saddened. Butter London is not cheap ($14 is the price I had to fork over) and because of the results I had, I was very disappointed. I recently retried this and found 3 thick coats makes it workable. However, I would not buy this again and I'm also very wary to buy another Butter London polish.
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Makeup Brushes -E.L.F. - Studio Powder Brush
xmattmac 8/4/2012 10:30:00 PM
Holy moly, me oh my, I have found the best powder brush I have ever encountered. When I bought my HG foundation (Almay TLC), I wanted a brush that could blend it in flawlessly. I originally purchased this for my powder that I planned to set my foundation with. However, I decided to try this with my foundation instead, just out of curiosity. Like I said, best powder brush ever, especially for liquid foundation. This blended everything in perfectly and my skin usually ends up looking flawless. The brush is also very soft, which is surprising for a $3 brush from the drugstore. But hey, I'm not complaining! :) This is also a very efficient brush. It usually only takes me about 3 minutes at most to apply my foundation because of how effectively and easily this brush blends. I think the flat top definitely helps and also how dense the brush is, without being overly dense. So much love! I've read various reviews about how the brush broke, or the bristles fell out quite quickly. Personally, my brush feels very durable, so I'm thankful that I'm a lucky one who got one that will last. A downside is that this brush does shed. It's not an excessive amount of shedding, but every now and then, I'll find a bristle or two on my face after applying foundation or after I clean it. Usually it's not when I'm cleaning it, but it does still shed. Another thing that may set some off is the fact that, if you go without cleaning it for a bit, the bristles can get a bit.. Sticky feeling, almost? Not like honey or anything like that (ew!) but almost like foundation that hasn't been set? It's a very faint feeling and will most likely be excess foundation on the bristles (as one could probably assume) that hasn't been cleaned off. But you should definitely keep this very clean if you're using it on your face at all. Overall, this brush is amazing. There are a few minor faults (which could depend on if you get a good brush or not, based solely on other reviews I've read) but there's nothing that I personally find degrading in score. I definitely recommend anyone to pick this up if they're looking for an inexpensive, quality brush to apply foundation/powder with. :)
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Brows -Maybelline - Master Shape
xmattmac 8/4/2012 10:13:00 PM
For a while, I filled my sort of sparse, unruly eyebrows in with a neutral brown eyeshadow and then setting them with clear brow gel. That was fine, and it worked well. But I honestly didn't know what I was missing. This product was originally picked up for my mother, who was desperate for a brow product after her brows had been waxed wrong, but I tried it after seeing it had a spoolie on the end. I have this in Soft Brown and I love it! I have naturally dark eyebrows and they're sort of thick, which is a shape I love, but I never want to fill them in too dark. That's where this beautiful brow product comes in. The wax on this is quite soft and the color is very flattering. I prefer to first fill my brows in and then use the spoolie to blend the pigmented wax out so it's softer. I find that this gives me the most flattering brows possible. I also enjoy the fact that this is a faster option from my Benefit Brow-Zing (which is, in fact, my favorite brow product I've ever come across!) and is a cheaper option, so hey. I can't criticize this product too much! This product needs to be sharpened and doesn't have a twist-up option, which might be cruddy for some. I personally don't mind, but I do know that this can waste product. The soft wax may also be a downside for some, as you can easily go through it. I would recommend to not press down hard when you're filling in your brows, which I'm sure most don't do. But just a precaution. Overall, I absolutely love this. I usually switch back and forth between this & the Benefit brow product I use, depending on how much time I have to get ready. I would definitely recommend this if you want something that it is fast, but still quality. And who could complain that it's at a drugstore price? :)
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Foundations -Almay - TLC Truly Lasting Color
xmattmac 7/16/2012 6:37:00 PM
This foundation is amazing! I'm a teenager with minor redness and some acne spots that I like to cover up, just to feel a bit better about my skin. I'm also very fair which makes any kind of color change to my skin very visible (redness, pigmentation, acne marks, reactions, even itching my face can turn it red) so I've been on the hunt for a foundation that would help me cover up those kinds of things, but not make my face feel heavy and gross. I also wanted something that would last and wouldn't sweat off my face in the humidity as I can be really sweaty and gross in summer. Blech! This is it. I'm telling you, if you want something that will last and make you confident in your skin, this is it. I love the fact that this product has a pump, so it helps with cleanliness of the product inside and such. It also helps ensure that you'll get the right amount every time you apply. The coverage is light to medium I would say, but is easily buildable without caking up. I usually set it lightly in my T-zone because that's where I get the most oil and sheen. The other spots on my face, I don't even bother setting. This stuff never melts. I asked my mom on a particularly hot day if I looked oily, and her response every time was that it looked gorgeous and natural. The finish is brilliant, definitely natural looking and beautiful. And who could be mad about the price? While it may be a bit pricey for drugstore (you be the judge. I've honestly never bought a drugstore liquid foundation), I'd say the quality you get inside the bottle and how amazing the actual makeup is, it's worth every penny. Besides, it's definitely better than paying $20+ for a foundation, I would say. The only downside would be the color selection. It's very limited so you may have to mix and match if you have an in-between shade, which kind of sucks, to be frank. I was lucky to find that the lightest shade (of course -__- yay for being pale!) matched perfectly and looked brilliant on my skin. I should also mention that this foundation hasn't made me break out and that's amazing because my skin can be temperamental as far as makeup and skincare. I've always had a hate relationship with liquid foundations (too heavy, not long lasting enough, cakey-ness) and I've used powders for a while but was never satisfied with coverage. This drugstore foundation is an absolute God-send and I hope it also works for you. :)
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