Ulta Automatic Eye Liner

Decent but not Exceptional

Don't get me wrong--I love the Ulta store. The salespeople there are firendly, and I often can find great deals and discounts when I'm there. But the Ulta product brand itself? I've found it to be less than impressive. The first product I ever bought there was a cool-toned plum gel eyeliner. The packaging was decent, but the color and consistency were both terrible. The color showed as more gray than purple, and the formula was waxy and difficult to spread, dragging quite irritatingly along my eyelids. Ulta recently had a sale and I was able to get both the Starlet (silver) and Golden Eyes (gold) automatic eyeliners at more than fifty percent off. I was reluctant to try Ulta again, but the price, and well as the colors, convinced me to give the brand another shot. The eyeliners were okay. The color payoff wasn't great, and the formula was again stiffer than I found practical, but all in all, they were decent for what I paid for them. (I wouldn't buy them again, though, because my favorite eyeliners are from Jane Cosmetics. They have a very good formula for a very reasonable price). My confidence in Ulta somewhat bolstered, I decided to try the cheek stain. Several of my friends have used drugstore cheek stains and really liked them. I have never tried them, but it seemed to me like it would be a versatile product that could be used for both the lips and cheeks. I needed to spend a certain amount of money at Ulta to use a specific coupon, so when I saw the cheek stain on sale, I decided to give it a shot. I spent less than three dollars on the cheek stain, but man, do I regret it. The formula is very balmy and gives absolutely none of the rich color that appears in the tube. If you've ever used CoverGirl Lipslicks, this is basically the cheek stain product. Worse yet, the formula really highlights dry patches on lips, making this product useless for lips, too. After this latest disappointment, I think I'm done with Ulta as a brand.

April 16, 2015

Ulta Cheek Stain

Zero Color Payoff, Useless for Cheeks or Lips

Don't get me wrong--I love the Ulta store. The salespeople there are firendly, and I often can find great deals and discounts when I'm there. But the Ulta product brand itself? I've found it to be less than impressive. The first product I ever bought there was a cool-toned plum gel eyeliner. The packaging was decent, but the color and consistency were both terrible. The color showed as more gray than purple, and the formula was waxy and difficult to spread, dragging quite irritatingly along my eyelids. Ulta recently had a sale and I was able to get both the Starlet (silver) and Golden Eyes (gold) automatic eyeliners at more than fifty percent off. I was reluctant to try Ulta again, but the price, and well as the colors, convinced me to give the brand another shot. The eyeliners were okay. The color payoff wasn't great, and the formula was again stiffer than I found practical, but all in all, they were decent for what I paid for them. (I wouldn't buy them again, though, because my favorite eyeliners are from Jane Cosmetics. They have a very good formula for a very reasonable price). My confidence in Ulta somewhat bolstered, I decided to try the cheek stain. Several of my friends have used drugstore cheek stains and really liked them. I have never tried them, but it seemed to me like it would be a versatile product that could be used for both the lips and cheeks. I needed to spend a certain amount of money at Ulta to use a specific coupon, so when I saw the cheek stain on sale, I decided to give it a shot. I spent less than three dollars on the cheek stain, but man, do I regret it. The formula is very balmy and gives absolutely none of the rich color that appears in the tube. If you've ever used CoverGirl Lipslicks, this is basically the cheek stain product. Worse yet, the formula really highlights dry patches on lips, making this product useless for lips, too. After this latest disappointment, I think I'm done with Ulta as a brand.

April 16, 2015

L'Oreal Paris Double Extend Beauty Tubes

Glam

I am really loving this mascara and I have incorporated it into my daily routine. The illuminating color is fantastic, bringing in brightness to the eyes, while still not being too overt or clownish. It is more subtle, with hints of the colored mascara showing through the black mascara. I really love glitter, and I love double-ended mascaras, so this really is the perfect product for me. One flaw I have noticed, though, is that the black mascara wand begins clumping after the first couple of months, so that is something to watch out for. However, overall I am very much enjoying this product, which gives both good volume and length to the lashes. I haven't noticed much fallout at all with this mascara, and the formula is not especially wet or heavy on the lashes. I would recommend this mascara to anyone who is looking to add a little bit of glam to their look.

January 20, 2015

Almay Intense i-Color Shimmer-i kit

Love It!

I have this eye shadow trio in Bold Nudes, and I recommend it as a staple in every gal's makeup set. Even if you're not into makeup, these shades are great because they're so versatile. The colors can be subtle in a professional setting, glammed up for an evening out, or used for a sexy, smoky look for partying or clubbing. The color payoff is good, and pretty much matches the color in the pan. My one compliant is that the gold is very pale and not very noticeable, but that can be fixed by dampening your eye shadow brush before applying to bring out the full pigmentation.

January 20, 2015

St. Ives Naturally Clear Green Tea Scrub

Works Very Well

I really enjoyed this scrub. The texture and the scent were both great. The texture was gritty without being harsh, and I thought it worked well as an exfoliant. The smell was fresh and sooth and didn't reek of chemicals, as some other facial cleansers. The performance of the scrub was also very nice. I'm lucky enough to have skin typically resistant to acne, but I do get stress breakouts every once in a while. This scrub washed those breakouts right away. I would recommend this cleanser to anyone who wanted a facial wash that feels very natural and soothing on the skin.

January 20, 2015

Rimmel London Stay Matte Pressed Powder

Does a Great Job

I've been using this powder for years, and it gives a great performance. I have always used the transluscent shade of powder, and I've never noticed any cakey-ness or grainy-ness, even though I typically wear it over my foundation. Every four hours or so, you will need to re-apply this powder to reduce this shine creeping in, but I think that's typical for the T-zone. Overall, very satisfied with this product.

January 20, 2015

Rimmel London Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation

Works Well

I'm very impressed by this foundation. It's decently priced and gives a good coverage. However, I have always used it with the Rimmel Stay Matte Primer, so I can't testify to how well it works at mattifying on its own. Using it with the primer, while effective, can also sometimes make the face look strangely flat, so sometimes I just add a tad bit of shimmer cream to give a little dimension. I also mix this product with another foundation because the shade I have is a touch too pale for me. I blend Rimmel Stay Matte Mouse Porcelain 010 with Cover Girl Nature Luxe Liquid Silk Foundation in 335. Sadly, Cover Girl no longer makes Nature Luxe products, but sometimes they can still be found at Big Lots and other discount retailers.

January 20, 2015

L’Oréal Paris Infallible Silkissime Eyeliner

Melts and Smears

I have the Silkissime Illuminator/Highlighter, which is an eye pencil in a very pale, pearly pink. I wore this on my water line to brighten up my eyes, but it smeared right off of my water line to smudge onto my contact lenses, leaving opaque stains. WTF, you'd think they would have tested that scenario when this eyeliner was still in development. I can only imagine what would have happened if my eyeliner have been black. Even when I just use this eyeliner on the inner corners of my outer eye, it still fades very quickly.

January 20, 2015

NP Set Eye Primer

Ineffective

Eye primers are supposed to enhance the eye shadow color and longevity. Set's eye primer, however, does neither. I think this eye base actually leeches some of the pigment/sparkle from the eye shadow, and within a few hours of use, noticeably creases. I would not recommend this product; honestly, any cream eye shadow out there would work better as a primer because this product has set the bar so low.

January 20, 2015

Maybelline New York Great Lash Waterproof Mascara

Not worth the hassle

I was not pleased with the performance of this mascara. It's texture is very wet and heavy, weighing down my lashes. It actually smudged onto my lower lash line when I blinked. Applying this mascara is also troublesome; the formula is so wet that very easily smears onto the browbone, and then you have to deal with wiping it off. I would not advise buying this mascara.

January 20, 2015