Lip Gloss -L'Oreal - Colour Caresse Shine Stain / Shine Caresse
zoey 1/16/2013 11:08:00 PM
I purchased this in coral & red first, but was terribly disappointed. The texture is very watery & I found the color applied streaky & unevenly on my lips. I exchanged those 2 darker colors for lighter colors (rose & pink resistance), hoping that the lighter colors wouldn't show as much obvious streaking as the darker colors. I was right! I also have rosy pigmented lips & many times, light colored lip glosses appear as clear gloss on me. But the pink color showed up on my lips & I found that I could layer the color for darker pigmentation. It does have a slightly tacky feel when it dries, but it doesn't bother me. It has a light floral-fruity scent. The applicator is the same as YSL's. For reference, I have one of the YSL glosses & really prefer the YSL more. But of course, for the price, you can't beat the L'oreal version.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Stella McCartney - Summer Rose
zoey 11/11/2012 7:33:00 PM
I love the original Stella fragrance, but after using it for 4 years, found it to be a tad too strong for my changing tastes. I heard about Summer Rose & purchased it due to fantastic reviews I read online. I rarely ever purchase a fragrance without sampling it first, because I have finicky body chemistry that can alter the most luscious-smelling fragrance! I enjoy rose scents, as long as the rose is not obvious. I grew up smelling my mom's Rose Milk lotion, which gave me headaches because of the strong one-note rose scent. I love fragrances that blend rose with other scents so that the rose is not overpowering, even barely discernible. I purchased the 3.3 oz EdT from Sephora online. I fell in love upon first spritz and loved it even more as the day went by! I didn't know it was a EdT until I received my order & was skeptical of the staying power, but it definitely lasted all day, even in hot SoCal weather, to my surprise. This is a lighter rose version of Stella. Very sophisticated & feminine. I layered Stella & Summer Rose one day (to lighten up the scent of Stella) & it was delicious! Sadly, this is a LE fragrance. Already unavailable on Sephora's website (& cannot be found in Sephora's B&M stores). I am so sad about it. Don't know what I'm going to do when I run out! :(
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Chloe - Chloe EdP Intense
zoey 11/11/2012 7:20:00 PM
I am a huge fan of Chloe (2008) but grew up with the original Chloe because my mom went through multiples bottles of it. I really didn't enjoy the original Chloe (too overwhelmingly floral) so I was a bit skeptical when the 2008 version came out. Surprisingly, I loved it! I am on my 2nd bottle of Chloe now. I recently discovered there was a Chloe Intense released in 2009. I began a search for it but was unable to find it after looking in Sephora (both B&M store and online) & Nordstrom. I finally found it at a discount perfume store but they didn't have a tester & it sold for $120! I was shopping at Marshalls last week & to my delight, came across boxes of Chloe Intense EdP! They didn't have any testers, but priced at $39, I couldn't pass it up. Plus, they have a great return policy. The scent of the wrapping should have been a clear giveaway that this was going to be a spicy oriental-type scent. And yes, this ended up being horribly spicy on me, reminiscent of a cheap Avon "old lady" perfume. After a few hours of wear, I simply could not stand the scent anymore & ended up spritzing Chloe on top of it (to hold me over until I could shower thoroughly). I am bringing this back to Marshalls for a refund! Lovers of Chloe, beware. Chloe Intense is an entirely different fragrance! The fresh innocence that I loved about Chloe is totally lost here. Blech. It was awful.
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Treatments -Obagi - Professional-C Serum 20%
zoey 5/27/2012 11:42:00 PM
I've been using the 20% for a year now. I use it in conjunction with Obagi Blender & RAM, so I don't know how this would work alone. However, when used in combination with the above 2 items, I find my skin is more evenly colored, with discolorations fading quickly. My cystic acne has been fully under control after using Blender & RAM for over 2 years. The C Serum seems to improve my skin texture, which Blender & RAM alone couldn't do. This is well worth the price tag. I've had no issues with the dropper. Lovely citrusy scent to it too.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Crème -Revlon - ColorStay Whipped Creme Makeup
zoey 5/21/2012 1:46:00 AM
I have oily, acne prone skin that is sensitive also (due to Retin A Micro for cystic acne). I've been using mineral foundation (loose powder) for 6 years & loving it! But every once in awhile, I like to mix it up a bit, out of sheer boredom. So I heard about this foundation but was skeptical if it would work on my oily skin, which usually strips off any cream or liquid foundation within hours. Since this was from the ColorStay line, I figured I might as well give it a try. I got it on sale at Walgreen (30% off, so it was $9.49) for a great price. First of all, I found it very difficult to choose a shade. The glass jar makes the foundation color appear much lighter than it really is. I'm NC35 & chose Natural Tan, which is about a shade darker than my skintone, but since summer is approaching, it will probably be perfect once I get a little darker. First of all, a little goes a long way. Don't use too much. It is highly pigmented & concentrated. A few small dabs spread evenly over my entire face. I really put this foundation to the test by doing 30 minutes of cardio & 15 minutes of weights at the gym while wearing it. I dabbed at my sweat with a (dark) towel & found that most of it lasted through my workout. I'll report back a few weeks later, since today was my first day wearing it. So far, so good. It didn't seem to make my skin oilier either, which is good.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -E.L.F. - Studio Blush - Pink Passion
zoey 12/19/2011 1:01:00 AM
I'm Asian medium olive toned (NC35/C4) and this is my favorite go-to blush! So flattering on my skintone. It looks terribly garish in the pan but applies on beautifully & blends well. I have about 30 blushes that have been neglected because of this beauty. I reach for this so much that I see a (gasp!) actual DIP forming on this. Unheard of. There is only 1 other blush that has gotten more use than this one: Milani's (original) Luminous blush, which has since been reformulated into an entirely different shade than the original. Anyways, if I ever run out of this blush, I will definitely be repurchasing again! 5/2/12 Update: I'm still using this blush 95% of the time. I'm seriously considering swapping away my 20 other blushes. Really. This blush is *that* fantastic!
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Etude - Missing U Lip Balm
zoey 12/5/2011 5:23:00 PM
I received the pink dolphin (?) as a gift (I thought it was a pig until I read reviews LOL). The scent is a faint bubble-gum to me. It moisturizes quite well. I use it especially for exfoliating my lips with a toothbrush. I have no difficulty opening the tin. The texture is very smooth & slippery.... almost bordering on greasy but not quite.
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Lipstick -Revlon - Colorburst Lip Butter
zoey 11/12/2011 1:24:00 AM
I'm Asian medium-olive toned. NC35/C4. I veer toward more warm-tones but can pull off certain cool tones as well. I also have pigmented rosy-mauve lips. First of all, they *had me* with the word "butter!" I've owned a couple Clinique Buttershines previously but didn't like the color selection & found the texture to be too thick for my taste. These Colorburst Lip Butters are creamy, buttery & moisturizing, but not as thick as Clinique's. Living in a desert region, I get very dry & flaky lips. These lipsticks have been fantastic at moisturizing my lips while giving fabulous color! No need for lip balm underneath or on top. I only gave this "2" for packaging because (1) the top of the case, which is a clear window for you to view the actual lipstick inside, had cracks on a number of them & (2) I find these very difficult to open, as it is hard to get a good grip on them. I have to struggle more than I should to get them open! I paid $7.49 for these but found them on sale at CVS for BOGO 1/2 off, plus scored a $10 Amex gift card with $30 Revlon purchase with CVS card. These are the colors I got: Lollipop: A bright fuchsia that flatters my skintone. I reach for this one the most out of my Lip Butter collection. Definitely not a color for the faint of heart. Very pigmented. Berry Smoothie: A light to medium mauve that exactly matched my naturally pigmented lips. I returned this because it didn't show up on my lips at all. Fig Jam: A brownish red that reminds me of a pigmented Clinique Black Honey. Which is a good thing, because I found Black Honey to be too sheer for my taste. Red Velvet: I have to choose my reds carefully, because orange-reds look garish on me while blue-reds wash me out. I can only wear neutral reds & this is exactly what Red Velvet is. Very flattering on me. Nicely pigmented. Pink Truffle: A neutral pinky-brown. Great as an everyday color that goes with anything I wear. This is the color I would grab if I were running late & needed to get out of the house quickly! I thought it would match my natural lipcolor when looking at it in the tube, but it actually is less mauve than I expected, so it shows up on my lips. Sweet Tart: A bright summery pink that applies on sheerer than it appears in the tube. Flattering on me. Creme Brulee: a nude beige that I was skeptical about, because most nude colors look like clear gloss on my pigmented lips. This showed up nicely on my lips. ***Edited to add: This color ended up being too close to my skintone & washed me out. Returned it. Strawberry Shortcake: A warm baby pink. On the fence with this one. The color just seems to "sit" on my lips. I returned it because it was very unflattering on me. Brown Sugar: A nice flattering medium brown without looking muddy on me. Sugar Plum: a sheer plum with brown undertones. Reminds me of the Club Monaco lipstick that Monica Lewinsky wore during her Barbara Walters interview & every woman went crazy over! Raspberry Jam: Very pigmented raspberry dark pink. This is a LOUD color on me. Still uncertain if I'm going to keep this or not. ***Edited to add: I am LOVING this color! I just have to psyche myself up to wear it because it screams "look at me!"
17 out of 17 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Fresh - Supernova
zoey 10/29/2011 1:55:00 AM
This product was awful! It smudged under my eyes within a few hours of application. Luckily I purchased this mini in a Sugar Rose Party Favors set, so it wasn't entirely a waste. Will never purchase again. I would have given this a "zero" if I could.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Poppy by Coach
zoey 10/17/2011 12:02:00 AM
While I like the scent, the drydown on me is simply way too similar to Clinique's Happy (but a more subtle version of Happy).
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Lipstick -Revlon - Colorstay- Ripened Red
zoey 10/11/2011 1:36:00 AM
As a previous reviewer stated, this color is similar to Revlon's discontinued Matte Strawberry Suede. However, the matte texture of SS never worked on me. I have medium olive toned Asian skin & naturally pigmented rosy lips & this color appears as a dark pink/coral on me, rather than a red. It really brightens up my face & flatters. I've received compliments on this color, even from my husband, who is rather clueless & rarely ever notices details. He didn't actually comment on the color, but rather, he said, "You look really pretty!" & this lipstick was the only new thing on my face. Since this is a bold color, I basically keep my blush & eyes neutral (but really, I can get away with just a few swipes of mascara & peachy blush & this color & I'm all set!). I would definitely purchase this again. The texture goes on smoothly & the consistency is kind of satiny. After it sets in to dry, I apply a sheer matching coral-pink lipgloss on top. The packaging is a very cheap plastic & the clear cap gets cracked easily in my purse. Otherwise, that is my only complaint. I hope they never discontinue this color because it has already become a HG color after just couple of weeks! Unusual for me because I have over 100 lip colors. Update 4/1/12: It has been 5 months since writing this review & I still feel exactly the same about this lipstick. It has become a staple for me!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Avon - Supershock Liquid Lip Shine SPF 15
zoey 7/16/2011 11:55:00 PM
I purchased this in the color Popsicle, which I can best describe as a sheer coral-reddish-pink. I was very skeptical of this product, simply because most Avon color/cosmetics products end up looking entirely different in person vs. printed in the catalog. The SPF 15 caught my eye, so I thought I'd give it a try. First of all, I have naturally rosy pigmented lips. I wasn't sure exactly how pigmented this gloss was going to be, as I've used glosses before that looked dark in the tube but looked like clear gloss on my lips. This gloss is translucent but gives enough of a *pop* of color that it actually shows up on me! I was very pleased by that. But I can tell by looking at the color selection that the medium to lighter colors will end up looking like clear gloss on me. There is a light floral scent that dissipates quickly for me. It has a super big sponge applicator wand that makes a *POP* sound as you pull the wand out. Be careful though.... the wand doesn't control the amount quite well. If you pull the wand out too quickly, you'll end up getting a string of gloss flying on yourself (as I did). I do like the large sponge applicator because I can get my entire lip in one swipe vs. multiple swipes with standard applicators. However, they need better control with picking up excessive gloss that shoots out upon use. I took off 1 lippie under "packaging quality" due to this reason. The gloss itself feels like a thick lip balm. Definitely not very sticky (like the MAC lipglasses I'm used to wearing). Lasting power is average. The color is very shiny.... almost a glass-like gloss. Popsicle had not glitter or shimmer to it, which I like a lot! Don't get me wrong, I do love a good glittery or shimmery gloss, but I have plenty of those already. These glosses are on sale now for $4.99 so I'll be picking up a few more of their darker colors. So glad there is SPF 15.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Revlon - Colorstay Ultimate Liquid Lipstick in #1 NUDE
zoey 6/20/2011 1:25:00 PM
I am a lipstick/lipgloss maven. I have over 100 lipsticks & glosses. So I would consider myself rather picky when it comes to lip products. I was a bit skeptical about this Colorstay product, as I tend to have dry lips & need to constantly slather balm or moisturizing gloss on my lips. First of all, the color selection is rather dismal, IMO. I could only find this 1 color to work with my Asian medium olive skintone. That said, I really do love this color. I have naturally rosy pigmented lips, so whenever I see a color with the word "nude" in it, it usually means it won't show up on my lips at all. This is a nice browned neutral color that covers up my pigmented lips very well. A complaint is that too much of the product comes out at once. You really only need a very thin layer. So I end up with the excess scraped off & collecting at the top of the gloss. Ick! I apply a thin layer to my bottom lip, then smack my lips together to get coverage on my top lips, & that is really all I need. I let it dry for a good 2 minutes before applying my much-needed gloss on top. I wouldn't pay full price for this. Got it on sale for 40% off plus I had a $1 off coupon, so it was a good deal. Would definitely repurchase with a sale and/or coupon. When I'm gone for a weekend, I usually end up packing 12-15 lipsticks & glosses with me. My last weekend away, all I packed with me was this liquid lipstick plus a coordinating lipgloss. That's saying a lot!!!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Physicians Formula - Healthy Wear SPF 50 Powder Foundation
zoey 5/21/2011 1:05:00 AM
I'm Asian NC35/C4 with olive & slight peachy undertones. I am very difficult to color match as a result. I have very oily skin that needs to be blotted every 2-3 hours. I tried Natural Beige & Creamy Beige, both of which were way too neutral toned & made me look ill. I then tried their HW Bronzer in Fair but it ended up being too dark & muddy-looking. I was a bit skeptical of their Translucent colors, as I've had negative experiences with translucents in other cosmetics lines. But I gave this line a last ditch effort, as I really wanted a pressed powder with the high SPF. I ended up trying Translucent Medium & it is PERFECT! It blends into my skin & definitely evens out my skintone. I have even used this in place of traditional liquid facial sunscreen.... at the beach for the entire day.... and did not sunburn! I must say that I was vigilant in reapplying it every couple of hours though. I do find this product pricey for a drugstore item, but then, it is offering SPF 50 protection. I do wait for sales & use coupons so I end up getting these for a good price. This product does mattify my skin. However, it doesn't really control oil. But I still love it! My Translucent Medium compact stays in my purse all the time. I have already repurchased & am using my 3rd compact (with another back-up in my vanity). I hope PF never discontinues this item! This is a staple & HG product for me.
10 out of 10 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lips -Tarte - Natural Lip Stain (New Jumbo Pens)
zoey 12/4/2010 1:21:00 AM
I purchased the Matte Lipstain in the color "Hope" at Sephora. It swatched so beautifully on my lips in the store (nicely pigmented & smooth texture). However, when I brought the product home & used it on my lips, it barely even showed up. On my lips, it feels like a jumbo lip pencil and definitely NOT what I would consider a stain. This will be going back to Sephora immediately!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No