Highlighters -Jemma Kidd Makeup School - Dewy Glow All Over Radiance Creme Rose Gold
youngnjaded 7/12/2011 7:41:00 AM
Holy cow- this is the most under-rated product for that natural movie star perfect glow. It's the most lovely natural sheen: true shimmer, not glitter. I'm too old for glitter and didn't even like it when I was a teen and a lot of products, even reviews that say "shimmer" end up = glitter. But not this! The type of shimmer reminds me of my previous love, MAC Pearl Cream Base Color, but the MAC could look overly frosty- not this! The base of the Rose gold is pretty sheer and since I had to buy it on line and all the pictures made it look much darker, I was almost expecting it to be like a rosy-bronzer hightlighter cream, so. I was surprised to open it to find what looked like a beigey-rose-gold powder. It is lighter, than I expected, but far more wearable and the texture is amazing- it's not powder, but it has the velvety feel of powder. This wears better than the MAC, too. the only thing I didn't absolutely love is the compact. Since I have this in my purse, I wish it looked prettier- more like an antique silver compact or something, but this is solid,durable, utilitarian. I've dropped my purse plenty of times and the mirror is intact (and perfectly clear), so the kind of rubbery exterior of the compact does its job.
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Parfumerie Generale - Felanilla
youngnjaded 5/30/2010 8:46:00 AM
Please chock some of my review up to unfulfulled expectations: I was craving a banana scent, but not overly foody, if that seems possible. I wanting something comforting, vaguey sweet, vaguely banana, with floral notes. At no point did I want to smell like laffy-taffy. Miller Harris Couer D'ete is pretty darn close to what I want, but the floral tends to melt and the woods becomes a bit to prominant...that should have been my first clue that Felanilla was not what I was wanting as the damp SC summer approached. The image of warm kitties basking in the sun was too much for this crazy cat lady and enamored by the name and marketing, I was seduced. And like with most romances in my life, the signs that it was not meant to be were all there, but I ignored them- in this case it was the occasional remark from reviews and board messages that it was reminiscant of Shalimar. But lust is lust and cat lady lust even more so, so I got a sample of the Felanilla. The first spritz was medicinal, almost like Vicks, so much so that I checked the label. Moments later that thankfully dissipated, but a dry, smokey scent soon emerged. I defintely can see it going through a Shalimar stage, but I applied it so lightly and so this was transparent and fleeting and the vanilla in Felanilla seems so much less than Shalimar, making it more gender neutral. The scent finally settled onto my skin and I must say it is unusual. I suppose I get a little vanilla in there, but it is under a sandpapery tongue of smoke or incense and dry hay and a little musk. I can defintely see a little saffron in the hay, and a tad orris, but on me, as with Shalimar, the amber is front and center. The banana woods, supposedly responsible for the banana note, was simply a woodsy note, and slightly masculine at that. In fact, I think if I ever have a man in my life again, I will make him wear this. I'll have to lie about the name referring to cats, but on a man, this would be sexy as hell.
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Blush -mark - Just Pinched Instant Blush Tint-Sunny
youngnjaded 8/18/2009 9:50:00 PM
Holy grail bronzer! I generally like a natural look and this delivers. I have an off skintone- not cool, not warm, and bronzers either make me look dirty, orange, or are too pink. This is perfect! The wear is pretty good and it blends well on bare skin. Since shimmer can accent my pores in daylight, I like that this is non-shimmer. If I feel like adding a little extra glimmer, I put a highlighter over.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Bobbi Brown - Forest Shimmer Ink Gel Eyeliner
youngnjaded 8/4/2009 12:10:00 PM
I wasn't sure about this color, but I broke down in a PMS-driven fit of spending and I am glad I did. The color looks like muddy brown with a fine gold shimmer- you would never call it forest- BUT, there is a slight green cast to the base, which makes all the difference. This is my favorite shades of BB liners, right up there with bronze shimmer. I've had numerous shades of BB liner, including the hunter, ivy shimmer, and the black topaz color. For some reason, most of the shades look ok on me, but nothing really "pops" with my neutral skin. Hunter looked greyish, ivy was much better, but just not flattering.The forest shimmer is way less green than ivy. I was thrilled when clinique lauched the pot version of Egyptian because I had used the pencil for years, but it seemed a little different than the pencil- like less shimmer, less green. Anyway- in the pot BB forest shimmer looks like Clinique Egyptian and I briefly worried it might go on in the same blah way, but no! that slightly more green cast makes this color a trickster, for it looks way better on. It compliments my skin tone and it brings out the green in my hazely, which usually have so much brown in them that they are taken for brown. as all BB gels, the wear is fabulous and there isn't a coloring that I can see this being unflattering on.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Aveeno - Nourish + Condition Leave-In Treatment
youngnjaded 5/19/2009 9:54:00 PM
Holy grail! I have baby fine hair, but a lot of it, which has been highlighted and deals with sun, sweat, wind and constant washing. Naturally it feels pretty good, but with what I put it through, it looses some of its softness, frequently tangles, and I'm in a constant battle between smoothing the dry ends and weigh it down. Added to that battle is my frustration with silicones. I don't like using the shampoos that are strong enough to remove the build up, but nothing seemed to smooth the ends. So even though I keep reading how sulfates are bad for fragile hair, I felt like I needed them. Enter this product! Makes my hair feel like silk, even the straw like ends, without weighing it down. I spray a little on wet hair, from the ears down, and comb. Done! I don't even blow dry. Swingy, bouncy hair. Smells ok, too. this product, along with sexy hair concepts pumpkin masque and aphogee, are truly quality products beyond hype.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Laura Mercier - Satinee' creme eye color cocoa velour
youngnjaded 5/19/2009 9:41:00 PM
I swapped for this and I am so glad I did. The texture is so light I don't feel like I'm wearing anything, even when I layered the product. It wears like iron on bare skin, though with some primers, putting it on too thickly can result in beading. The color is gorgeous- a rich brown that isn't too red or too grey. The real payoff for these is in the finish, though. Quite frankly, I'm over 30 and need a conservative, natural look- I don't do glitter, frosts can look old lady or tacky, but I find mattes to be rather unflattering. This just looks luminous- for the first time in my life, I really see the point of using eyeshadow. I also really want to try the ecru and stone, because I find the texture, wear, and finish to be worth the $22, If you haven't tried these, at least stop by the LM counter and play a little.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Sephora - sephora by OPI brightener
youngnjaded 4/5/2009 8:50:00 AM
I am always looking for ways to make my nails look better against my skin tone. I'm not very dark, but I have a slight yellow, but not olive, skin tone on my hands (my face is a little more cool toned). Lots of nail colors clash with my skin, and even my natural nail bed color looks kind of muddy or blah. I adore Color Club's french manicure basecoat because it brightens the nails and makes everything look crisp, clear and more flattering....but CC doesn't wear as well, or seem to harden/strengthen my nails as much. So I was thrilled when I saw this product. The bottle and packaging is great, easy to use. The product itself looks slightly beige and milky, with very, very fine blueish microshimmer. You have to be millimeters from the bottle or your hands to see if. Even though it is very subtle, the shimmer is pretty and does have a very slight brightening effect, but not like I had hoped. Honestly, it reminds me of Essie's sophisticated lady. On the upside, it wears really well. I'm very hard on my nails and most stuff peels and chips in 2 days. I'm on day 4 and it still looks great and I think my nails are stronger. so I'm torn. I prefer the look of the CC, but the wear of the OPI. I'm not sure I would buy it again, but I might keep using it.
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Eyeliner -Coastal Scents - gel eyeliner
youngnjaded 1/30/2009 6:21:00 AM
I got this in Indigo and I love it. I had been searching for this type of color in a gel liner for a few years- not too purple, not just navy blue. I tried BB sapphire ink but it just looked blah on my light, neutral-ish/slightly yellow skin. While I do have a like BB Violet ink, I was hoping a slighly more blue color would whiten & brighten my hazely brown eyes. so after trying almost every shade of blue & purple gel liners, I ordered this. The texture is a little softer and creamier than BB, even a bit more than most of my MAC fluidlines. Once I got used to the consistantly, I was quite happy with this. I guess due to the texture, it can be a little more smeary and doesn't last quite as long as BB, but then, BB stays on me for 18hours and still is a PITA to remove, so I'm kinda happy about the indigo wearing off faster. I'm never going back to BB and I hope coastal gets more colors.
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Eyeliner -Wet 'n' Wild - Mega Eyes Creme Eyeliner - Black
youngnjaded 7/24/2008 10:14:00 PM
picked this up for about $4 and it bets out BB and MAC. The black is the blackest black I've used, with the possible exception of MAC's liquid(not the gel) liner in black. it is a little softer than BB, like butter but it lasts just as long. I came home from the store & wanted to play with it so I put it on before bed. I didn't bother to wash it off and when I woke up the next morning, it was still perfect. my store only had black and eggplant but I wonder if there are more shades. for that price, I want them in every color. perfect for tightlining
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Untitled #4 Sarah barton king
youngnjaded 4/26/2008 10:11:00 PM
I like Pink-room UK but sometimes the violet-y sharpness gets to me. And Pour Toi was lovely but not really my type of scent so I was hoping Sarah Barton King & I would finally hit the perfect combo. I like her "style" of scents so I was anxiously awaiting my samples of Untitled. the notes are: Lemon, bergamot, peach, tiare, lily of the valley, orris, woods, vanilla, amber, soft musk" its a lovely, snuggly skin scent and the lemon is very well-behaved- think lemon curd, not pledge. Its mellow and sweet, but I was expecting a little more breezy number. As pretty as it is, it is still not quite me. I think the florals could have made more of an appearence & given this scent more complexity. SBK and I just can seem to get it right
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - The Pink Room UK Pour Toi
youngnjaded 4/11/2008 10:27:00 AM
I have the original pink room and like it so I thought I might give this a go. What's funny is I asked for a sample from Lucky scent and didn't realize I got it- I thought they just gave me a sample of Pink room. So I throw this in my purse....a week later, I accidently leave the house without perfume and so as I'm driving, I apply this quickly at a stop light. About 2 seconds later, I was terribly confused. This is not Pink Room original, even from the start. Pour toi is very fruity- the notes say blackberries and I'll buy that but I could have sworn I got a whiff of peach, too. I was afraid it would smell like pledge because some lemon turns to furniture polish on me but the lemon remained well behaved. By dry down, it takes on the more foody/cakey with some depth from the sandlewood but the berries hold on for longer than many top notes. I can see this being too sweet for some people but I like it. I need to wear it a few more times to get a handle on lasting power. With the vanilla, musk and light lily of the valley notes, it reminds me of a far superior, less candied version of Philosphy's falling in love. To be sure, this is more complex, more grown-up- I like this where as Falling in love seems pretty linear. I wouldn't commit to a full bottle since I don't really like fruity that much but I crave more decants. And I can see men being all over this.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Royal Rajah Ruby
youngnjaded 2/9/2008 9:15:00 PM
so I have't been really into polish lately but I stopped into Ulta and saw this from across the room. I can understand why some ladies here were impressed since it does seem generic-another vampy wine red with slight shimmer. It has the depth and shimmer of midnight in moscow but with a slightly browned Red base. The shimmer isn't in your face but it gives the color a gorgeous plush look, like velvet. I suppose if you have a less finickey skin tone- this is meh, since colors like wine & dine me work for you. I struggle with this type of color looking too bright,muddy or purple so this was really pleasant. (for reference, I am pale, slightly yellow, but fairly neutral)
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Shampoo -Sexy Hair Concepts - Color Me Sexy Color Shampoo in Violet Mood
youngnjaded 1/23/2008 9:01:00 AM
I really like this shampoo. It doesn't have SLS and is very gentle, which makes so much more sense when you think about it- why use a color shampoo that is going to strip your color that much faster? And especially for bottle blondes whose hair is already fragile from lightening. The amount of deposit is less than shimmerlights but more than aveda, about the same as artec. I've experimented with leaving it on longer for more deposit, too.
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Polishes -OPI - An Affair in Red Square
youngnjaded 10/3/2007 8:51:00 PM
other people have described this pretty well- in the bottle it is a gorgeous medium red with warmth and shimmer......but on my pale yellow skin- it looked like deep rose or pink. I know its because my hands are tan but none of the copper glints came through- it looked almost Barbie-ish on me. I'm not blaming the color but very yellow girls, beware
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Hair Color -Redken - Shades EQ
youngnjaded 8/10/2007 9:18:00 AM
this is my favorite color ever! Its true that it does not last too long but you have to touch up the roots every month anyway so that doesn't bother me. the color selection is gorgeous and varried- unlike many drugstore colors who have (ash, neutral, golden) Redken uses lots of different bases. For example, 90% of drugstore ash brown turned green on me b/c it was a blue base. My hair has tons of yellow, yellow +blue= green. but shades has different shades of ash, making it much easier to get the color you want IF you know your hair. I grew especially dependent on these when I went blonde because it kepts the brassy tones away without really damaging your hair. here is the color chart http://www.rdastores.com/11850/UserFiles/modules/file_upload_library/shadeseq_shadechart.pdf you can find this stuff on ebay or professional beauty supply stores. One last tip- try to use a sulfate free shampoo to keep the color longer. These do wash out fairly quickly, though processing time and heat can help.
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No