Makeup
- LipglossandSpandex » See my profile
- Points: 116980
- Reviews: 521
Here are all my reviews:
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I love LUSH. ***WHY I LOVE THEIR COMPANY: They have great products that are unique and fun, and the company is great as well. The co-creators are quirky and cool, the products are minimally packaged to reduce waste, they are against animal testing (they use human volunteers instead), they use ethically sourced ingredients, they use only vegetarian ingredients, they genuinely are a “green” company (in terms of their energy use, recycling/composting/re-using, using wind and low-impact hydro-electric power), and they get involved in ethical campaigns. It's a company that I LIKE to buy things from and am always excited to find new things to buy there. ***WHY I LOVE THIS PRODUCT:This product was included in a LUSH "Dirty" gift set for about twenty bucks, and included hair gel, shaving cream, shower gel, fragrance vial (all in the "Dirty" scent), and Toothy Tabs. My boyfriend had been looking at it and I bought it for him to try (the box does say your girlfriend will try and steal it, and I partially bought it cuz I was excited to try it out too!) :) Like the other products in the "Dirty" line, the Dirty hair cream has a nice spearmint/tarragon scent that's manly without trying too hard. The texture of the cream is really nice and smooth and easy to apply. It looks great on his buzz cut--he makes it just a little messy looking. He usually wears gel, but this cream gives his hair a slightly more natural look. It still looks styled, but in a less obvious way than the gel. His hairstyle stays put all day too, and there's no flaking or anything. It's a little spendy, but it's a really great product. It also has rosemary, cocoa butter and acrylates to soften and condition your hair, and these ingredients really do their job.
September 1, 2011
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I love LUSH. ***WHY I LOVE THEIR COMPANY: They have great products that are unique and fun, and the company is great as well. The co-creators are quirky and cool, the products are minimally packaged to reduce waste, they are against animal testing (they use human volunteers instead), they use ethically sourced ingredients, they use only vegetarian ingredients, they genuinely are a “green” company (in terms of their energy use, recycling/composting/re-using, using wind and low-impact hydro-electric power), and they get involved in ethical campaigns. It's a company that I LIKE to buy things from and am always excited to find new things to buy there. ***WHY I LOVE THIS PRODUCT:This product was included in a LUSH "Dirty" gift set for about twenty bucks, and included hair gel, shaving cream, shower gel, fragrance vial (all in the "Dirty" scent), and Toothy Tabs. My boyfriend had been looking at it and I bought it for him to try (the box does say your girlfriend will try and steal it, and I partially bought it cuz I was excited to try it out too!) :) The shaving cream is probably the best product of the bunch, although they're all great. I didn't personally test it, but my boyfriend LOVES it. He gets fewer nicks and cuts when he uses this compared to regular shaving cream. The scent is manly and minty but not overly strong. The cream leaves his face super smooth and soft, and he gets a much closer shave than he does with any other shaving cream or gel. If it weren't so expensive, I would totally use it on my legs. Honestly, this is probably one of LUSH's best products ever. Do your man a favor, and have him try this!
September 1, 2011
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I received the Tarte emphasEYES Amazonian Clay Waterproof Liner Pot in Bronze to review for We Heart This. The color is gorgeous... nice and warm and sparkly, a true bronze. It’s an especially good shade for summer. Now I'm eying the emphasEYES liner pot in Green also, because it looks really unique! It looks like a deep, darkened mossy green, with some shimmer and sparkle to it. The pigmentation of this liner is really quite nice, and the lasting power is great. I’ve worn it all day without any problems. I haven't had any problems with flaking or smudging or fading. I love the smooth gel-like texture and how easily it's applied to my lids. Seriously, it goes on like butter. I’ve worn this to the gym and out in the heat, and in the shower, so I’d say this is definitely sweat proof and water proof. The packaging is good and seems to be keeping my eyeliner from drying out. I appreciate that the glass pot is sturdy but not overly heavy, and the plastic color coded lid makes it easier to identify the color inside. I was super excited to see that this eyeliner comes with a dual ended brush (for fine lines and bold lines). However, in my opinion, the brush is a bit scratchy, especially given Tarte's usual awesomeness in the brush category. Also, the “fine” brush doesn’t do a very good job of applying liner so that it’s thin. I love the shape of the “bold” line side--short and curved, good for smudging out your liner and making a softer line--but it was still a bit scratchy. Getting both the brush and the Tarte Amazonian clay waterproof liner pot for only $22 is quite the steal though. Overall, I’d say the value is pretty good. If you already have these shades, you probably wouldn’t go out of your way to switch over to Tarte, but they’re definitely worth giving a look.
August 30, 2011
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Olay’s new Smooth Finish Facial Hair Removal Duo has an interesting concept--you use a balm to protect your skin, and then a hair removal cream on top of it. First, you apply a little bit of the balm (it comes in a lipstick type tube) and rub it in for about 20 seconds. Then you apply a thick layer of the cream (it says about a small grape sized amount for your upper lip), wait 6-8 minutes (but not more than 10), wipe it off, and then wash the area with soap and water. I followed the directions exactly and found that it worked perfectly. I felt like it was really easy and very effective. I didn’t have any irritation at all, although my upper lip did feel a little bit numb afterwards. Other than that, my upper lip didn’t have any of the fine peach fuzz that it sometimes gets (this product is meant for use with fine to medium hair), and the skin felt nice and soft. The smell is quite strong though--it definitely smells like a hair remover! And just so you know, it’s recommended that you use ONLY on your upper lip, cheeks, and chin area (no brow area, etc.).The price is a little high (over twenty bucks), especially compared to some other facial hair removal creams you can find at the drugstore, so I’m taking off one star for that. However, I should probably mention that last time I tried a facial hair removal cream, I ended up with chemical burns on my upper lip. Those are NOT cute at all, and difficult to cover up with foundation. It seems that this is one of those times that I got what I paid for... Overall, I’d say Olay’s Smooth Finish Facial Hair Removal Duo is a great product due to its efficacy, non-irritating formula, and ease of use. I’m definitely going to use up what I have, and maybe even repurchase it.
August 30, 2011
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I've used Skintimate shave gel for many years (and some of their odd spinoffs), and have also tried eos' shave cream, and Gilette Satin Care, but one day at the store, I saw the Pure Silk Coconut and Oat Flour shaving cream and decided to give it a try, because I was a little tired of using the same scented shaving creams over and over (and let's face it, a lot of the Skintimate scents seem pretty similar). and coconut seemed like a nice change of pace. And I go through shaving cream rather quickly, since I use a generous amount when I shave, so having a bigger can that cost less was appealing. My boyfriend saw me pick it up and raised an eyebrow, saying I could get one of the nicer ones. I'll admit, the Pure Silk packaging isn't very pretty--it's a tad bit utilitarian and not very modern. But I figured the worst that would happen would be that I threw it away. The first time I used it, I looooved it. The scent is nice and smells like real coconut, but isn't overwhelming at all. I really, really like it. In terms of the quality of shave, I think it did just fine compared to other brands (the real difference is how new your razor is, in my opinion. I only get about 4-5 shaves out of each razor before I need to chuck it). It didn't irritate my skin at all. Make sure you shake the can before using--it will still foam if you don't, but it'll be a little liquidy. If you shake it, it'll give you the best foam. Overall, I'd say this is a fantastic product that really is a good value. I'm definitely repurchasing it. When I ran out, I tried one of the other varieties--it's nice also, but the coconut is definitely my favorite.
August 23, 2011
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A friend of mine receive a package of these to review for We Heart This, and gave me a sheet to test out, since she knows how much I love nail art! I was given a sheet of the "Stars" set, and was a little disappointed. I love stars, especially as nail art, but didn't think these were that cute. The Sea, Mod, and Garden sets that I looked at online were super cute though. I do like the price, twelve bucks for 86 stickers seems pretty reasonable, although some of the tattoos are rather small, and would look best paired with other tattoos (like bigRuby has examples of on their facebook page where a couple of stickers were put on EACH nail, and it looked really artsy). This kind of cuts down on how much of a bargain these are. I tried these out on my fingers and toes on top of Illamasqua base coat, OPI and Maybelline nail polish. I followed the directions--which basically tell you to apply them to your nails like you do with temporary tattoos that go on your skin (you know, the kind that you used to find in a cereal box, or in a case of Barq's rootbeer). The designs were small and the tattoo fairly delicate, but easy enough to smooth out if you happen to wrinkle it during application. I liked that these laid flat against my nails, unlike some nail stickers that have a raised texture and don't seem to adhere fully. I applied two coats of Seche Vite quick dry topcoat, which is my favorite for adding shine, drying quickly, and sealing polish onto my nails. The stickers were a little translucent, and I would prefer that they were more opaque. Also, unfortunately, within a matter of hours one of the nail stickers had come completely off--scraped off I guess? By the next day, another two had been scraped half/completely off. I picked at what was left on my nails, and they just came right off. The lasting power of these isn't good. Unless you plan on doing your nails EVERY DAY, I'd give these a pass.
August 20, 2011
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My skin is ridiculously oily, and I've searched and searched and SEARCHED for the perfect primer that controls oil, conceals my huge pores, and doesn't break me out. I haven't found anything that comes even close to do all of those things. Heck, I'd be pleased if I could find a primer that JUST controls oil! My skin doesn't do well with silicone based primers--they tend to make it even more oily, and break me out. The silicone-based primers that I've tried, Clarin's Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch primer and Smashbox PhotoFinish primer, looked great for an hour, but then my skin looked even more oily than it does without primer! And non-silicone primers like Korres' face primer and LORAC's aquaPRIME don't really seem to do that much. They feel alright, but don't control oil or hide my pores at all. I had heard huge raves about this product on MakeupAlley, and so I swapped for a little container of it. It has only four ingredients, and a little bit of preservative, and is 50-60% micro silica spheres. It claims to give your face a smooth finish, AND help foundation go on evenly, AND doesn't make acne worse, AND helps control oil! Furthermore, the price tag is reasonable--seven bucks for an ounce. And only a little bit is needed to cover your whole face. PROS: It's very inexpensive. Nice gel feel--kind of like a silicone primer feels. A little goes a long way! CONS: If you don't blend carefully, you'll end up with white streaks on your face. Only controlled oil VERY VERY slightly. Doesn't do anything for my pores. I don't care for the packaging--samples come in a jar, and full size products come in a bottle with a flip top cap. Unfortunately, this MakeupAlley fave did not work for me.
August 6, 2011
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I love LUSH. They have great products that are unique and fun, and the company is great as well. The co-creators are quirky and cool, the products are minimally packaged to reduce waste, they are against animal testing (they use human volunteers instead), they use ethically sourced ingredients, they use only vegetarian ingredients, they genuinely are a “green” company (in terms of their energy use, recycling/composting/re-using, using wind and low-impact hydro-electric power), and they get involved in ethical campaigns. It's a company that I LIKE to buy things from and am always excited to find new things to buy there. This product was included in a LUSH "Dirty" gift set for about twenty bucks, and included hair gel, shaving cream, shower gel, fragrance vial (all in the "Dirty" scent), and Toothy Tabs. My boyfriend had been looking at it and I bought it for him to try (the box does say your girlfriend will try and steal it, and I partially bought it cuz I was excited to try it out too!) :) The only thing my BF didn't want to try at all were the Toothy Tabs. The idea of Toothy Tabs is really cool—you crunch up one tablet with your teeth, wet your toothbrush, and start brushing! So I tried it out. Put a tablet in, crunched it up... and it tasted gross. A little minty, but mostly like baking soda. I resisted the urge to spit it out, and started brushing. This does foam nicely while brushing, and after I was done and had spit and rinsed, my teeth felt so clean! When I looked at the ingredients, I saw that the main three were baking soda, cream of tartar and glycerin—all things that I already have at home! These are usually about four bucks for forty tabs (if you brush twice a day, this won't even last you a month). Because of the price and taste, and because I can make a similar product myself, I'll probably stick with regular toothpaste, and occasionally throw some baking soda on it for extra scrubbing action.
July 22, 2011
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I tried a sample of this product and LOVED it. It smells wonderful--it is slightly floral and sweet smelling, like a nice shampoo. The lather on this was AMAZING. I know lather doesn't necessarily mean a product is good, but it's something that I like in my products. It does volumize nicely too. I used less shampoo than I use with Garnier Fructis, but had much cleaner hair, and ten times the lather. I am seriously considering purchasing the full size product, even at $14 a bottle.
July 21, 2011
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I find this to be quite cloying--too cloying. It smells of gardenia and honeysuckle, and some fresh clean notes as well. It's overwhelming in my opinion.
July 21, 2011
