Makeup
- oceanbubbles » See my profile
- Points: 25200
- Reviews: 112
Here are all my reviews:
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I have always been drawn to ELF products because of the simple black packaging and low price tag, but friends of mine have always warned me about the quality. But when I was at the store and saw a 10 piece set of mini ELF nail polishes for $10, I bought it because the colors were all on-trend fall colors, such as dark, cherry red, glittery gold, a mauve-ish nude, a shimmery rose gold, a dark purple, a black with navy shimmer, and others. For the price, I was pleasantly surprised! The colors were gorgeous and true to what I saw in the bottle. The brush was a little short, but of course what I had were mini bottles. The brush quality was okay, though. This polish was a little tricky to get to my standard of nail polish perfection. The first coat is incredibly streaky, but the second coat is usually better. I used a base and top coat to seal in my manicure and make it last. But after I got it right, the polish looked glossy and vibrant on my nails. I got a good 5 days of wear out of each of these mini polishes, which was pretty impressive considering they cost $1 each. Overall, I think this is a decent nail polish with gorgeous colors. It does require a bit of technique tweaking to get just right, but I think I'll buy this in the future if something catches my eye.
November 16, 2013
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I got this from a friend when she was cleaning out her makeup stash. It's a bright pink hue called Infatuation. When I first tried this brush, I really didn't like it. It looked blotchy and overdone, so I put it away and forgot about it for a while. But in hindsight, when I tried it, I was using a cheap drugstore contouring brush. So I whipped out my MAC blush brush, and tried dabbing the blush on my cheeks in layers, and I absolutely loved it. I now use it everyday. Now with new technique and a better brush, the blush feels very silky and both cheeks look even. The color is sheer, so if I want more I build it up in layers. It's this beautiful light pink flush that makes me look like I'm blushing. It looks very dewy, fresh, and innocent. I can now see why it's called Infatuation, like the blowy blush you get when you see your first love. I have gotten so many compliments on my cheeks when I am wearing this! And the best part besides the gorgeous color and good formula is how long it lasts. I put a little pinch of it on in the morning at around 7:00, and it lasts through classes and sweating at the gym, which is until about 7:30. For the price, performance, and color, this blush is worth every penny. Just get a good brush, and dab it on with the brush instead of the usual sweeping moment.
November 16, 2013
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My first impression of this was a really, really dark plum purple color. I wasn't sure if I really wanted to put it on my lips from the fear of having it look goth, but after swatching it on my hand and finally trying it on my lips, I was sold. It's now my go-to lip balm/sheer color. I use it all year round because the color is suitable for all the seasons and situations. It's incredibly flattering to my skin tone (what I heard from others is that it is flattering to everyone's skin tone), and it gives my lips this pinkish flush that really wakes my face up and makes me look more alive. Which is really useful on dreary Monday mornings or after an all-nighter when I look like the walking dead. This is also very moisturizing, and the sheer color and moisture last for about 4 hours, so I only have to reapply about twice a day. I know the tube doesn't really look like anything special, and the price point is rather expensive ($16) but after trying it, this is one of the most versatile everyday lip products.
November 16, 2013
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I used Neutrogena's Deep Clean Invigorating Foaming Scrub for a long time and I really loved it. It stuck in my mind as one of those items I would buy over and over and over again. However, I saw this and it reminded me of Neutrogena's scrub, so I bought it for about $6.29, $0.70 less than Neutrogena's. The packaging is cute, modern, and clean, and the scent is minty and fresh. However, the scrub itself is rather disappointing. Even though it looks like there are a lot of scrubbing beads in the tube, when I actually put it on my face and scrubbed, there were very, very few beads actually on my face. Also, this thing does not lather at all unlike Neutrogena's. In fact, it's tedious to use. I also feel that Neutrogena's scrub cleans better. This scrub does give my face a cool, tingly feeling like Neutrogena's scrub (which makes both absolutely wonderful for hot summer mornings or nights). Overall, this scrub is okay, but I will choose Neutrogena's version over this one.
November 9, 2013
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This is the very first Clean and Clear cleanser I've ever bought, and it was the catalyst behind my going out to buy even more. For the $5.47 price tag, this cleanser is pretty great. The first thing that caught my eye was the label, the bottle, and the scent. According to the label, this cleanser has caffeine, lemon, and papaya to help you wake up. I was a little apprehensive about having caffeine on my face. I wasn't sure if that was an effective way to wake me up. However, what heavenly scent was inside of the cute, sturdy, yellow bottle definitely woke up my senses. It's this sweet, fresh, and citrusy scent. It's really hard to describe, but it's amazing. The cleanser itself is really nice as well. It's thick, but it means that one little dab is enough to create a thick, rich, foamy lather that will cover my entire face. My pore pad creates the best lather with this in my opinion. This cleanser makes my face feel fresh and clean, but without over drying it, which is good. It does leave a little residue if I don't rinse it off really well, but that doesn't really matter because I use toner right afterwards. The cleanser also has little bursting beads in it, which pop after they come in contact with my face. I'm not sure how well this thing brightens my skin, but it sure makes my skin (and nose) feel good.
November 9, 2013
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I have always liked Clean and Clear products because they all usually work pretty well on me, and this cleanser is no exception. The cleanser comes in a very sturdy, convenient pump bottle that's really cute, in my opinion, and the scent really wakes me up. It's this very soapy, fresh scent. The cleanser also has little bursting beads in it, which usually pop when it touches my face. This cleanser lathers really nicely, especially when I use my pore pad to lather it. A pea-sized amount turns into a thick, foamy lather, and covers my entire face. I don't quite know how well this cleanser actually will "detoxify" my face, but I feel that this cleanser leaves my skin supple and clean, but without over drying it, which is always a plus since I have dry/combination skin. It does leave a bit of residue if I don't rinse it off well. For this bottle, I paid about $5.27 for it, and it's a really good value considering its performance, and how long it lasts. I use it almost every morning, and one bottle has lasted me over a year. Overall, I really like this cleanser, and I will probably buy this again.
November 9, 2013
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I'm so glad this was under $5 when I bought it because I'd hate to have wasted more money on this. Ambi's Fade Cream doesn't do anything, even after I consistently used it twice a day with SPF 30 or higher sunscreen for about four months. That is a huge fail in my book. Also, the smell is unpleasant, the formula is extremely greasy and takes forever (an hour) to sink in, and the tube is very messy. Without even squeezing it, the cream will just come out rapidly, which gets everywhere. I had to get about halfway through the tube before that oozing action stopped. I will never be buying this again, nor recommending it to anyone.
November 9, 2013
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This is my very first Merle Norman product, so I don't really have anything besides concealers from other brands to compare it to. However, I'm not that impressed. For the price, I got this teeny-tiny tube, which was a bit off-putting at first, but seeing how I use less than a dab everyday, it will probably last me at least a year. The tube is just like any other concealer, and the applicator is a doe-foot applicator, just smaller to fit the tiny tube. The scent of this product is awful. It smells like a miserable attempt at a subtle, floral scent. It comes off more as a slightly floral scent mixed with nauseating public bathroom smell. Not attractive. The coverage is okay, the formula is thin enough to spread to cover everything I needed to cover, but I usually needed at least two layers to even begin to see the blemishes vanish. Overall, not impressed and won't be repurchasing.
November 8, 2013
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I got this for free from a friend who was purging her cosmetics, and knowing my obsession, gave this to me to use. I have to say, though the packaging (a sleek, dark gray, metal) packaging was cool and modern, Ulta's Amped Lashes Mascara isn't anything special. It's just average, like Great Lash. The black color is rich, and the brush separates nicely and coats every lash pretty evenly. The formula is on the thicker side, but I feel that it's drier than other mascara after it's on my lashes. However, this formula can clump like no one's business. It takes a steady hand and lots of patience and technique to apply this sans clumps. Also, this mascara doesn't really do anything in terms of volume or length. It does make my lashes look thicker and blacker, but not by much. I looked this up on Ulta's website after I got it, and for the $10 price tag, I was shocked. This, for $10? Way overpriced. For $10, I could get a mini tube of Benefit's They're Real! mascara, a Maybelline Volume Express mascara, or a Revlon 3D Photoready mascara, all of which make this mascara look like roadkill. Overall, I will finish using this because I don't want to waste anything, but I won't consider purchasing this in the future.
November 8, 2013
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I picked this up for about $7.99 on a whim because the clear packaging with the gold cap and writing on it looked so tempting, and the colors were gorgeous from what I could see. And after trying it, I'm not disappointed, but I do think that this is a bit overpriced for the performance. If I were to price it performance-wise, I'd give it a $6.99 price tag. I really like the color selection, and the packaging. The packaging is some of the prettiest and most chic I've seen for lip gloss in a long time, and the color selection has everything from clear gloss to fun glosses to work or school appropriate shades. After opening the tube, I got a whiff of the scent, which smelled like caramels. Not a bad thing unless you don't like that scent. The gloss itself is very nice. It's very moisturizing, shiny, creamy, and smooth. The colors don't look like what they did in the tube, however. They are incredibly sheer, like red and pink will only have a slight difference in tint. I have the very purple-looking plum color, but when I put it on, it looks more like a very slight pinkish lilac than a deep plum. So if you were looking for more pigmentation, this gloss will not fit the bill. But for barely noticeable, sheer color, this gloss is perfect. The formula is a bit sticky, so I have to be careful with it when my hair's down, but no complaints other than that. The application is average, it's just like any other squeeze-tube applicator: smooth, with a hole in the middle. However L'Oreal's seems to be smaller than others. This is good for precision, but for me, it made it hard to put on without a mirror. The lasting power of this gloss is okay, but it's not exceptional. It's gone as soon as you eat or sip water a few times, and without touching it, it "disappears" in about an hour. Overall, I like this gloss and I can see myself buying it again on sale for when I want barely-there color with tons of moisture, but for color, I'll look for something else.
November 8, 2013
