Makeup
- tallredamanda » See my profile
- Points: 98485
- Reviews: 434
Here are all my reviews:
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I am definitely not typically one to enjoy loose powder eye shadows (or any type of loose powder makeup), but this shadow really, really impresses me! A friend passed on a shade called "Royal" and it is a gorgeous, shimmering deep purple color. I am in love. I use them with a primer underneath and I apply just a little at a time so I can blend and build the color as needed, and I don't really have any trouble at all with it being messy or leaving any fallout to be cleaned up after doing my eyes. The color is really easy to blend and it lasts really well throughout the day. By the end of a day, I sometimes see that it has started to rub off my lids, but I put my makeup on before 5:30 am and I'm noticing this rub off at 6 or 6:30 pm, so that's still a really respectable staying power. Pressed powder shadows (and cream shadows) are still my favorite, but this particular shade is really amazing and I'm glad I have it!
May 18, 2015
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My natural red hair does not hold hair color very well, which made me really excited to try this product! My hair is also very short, so if I could reuse the leftover color, re-coloring my hair after it starts to fade would not be such a big deal. Unfortunately, a large part of the reason I like to color my hair is to cover my white hairs and this product did not deliver. I used the "pure dark brown" shade and it did come out looking really great at first - a dark reddish brown (the red tones from my natural hair color, NOT from the dye), which is exactly what I wanted. Within just 2 or 3 days, it fades off and I can see the white hairs again. Except because the rest of my hair is now much darker than my natural color, those white hairs stand out EVEN MORE. So pretty much the opposite of what I was going for. Other than not covering white hairs, it lasts just about the same as any other hair color on me. The can was relatively easy to use, though I found the texture of the dye to be significantly different from what I was used to. It seems like typically it has a thicker, gel-like consistency that makes it a bit easier to tell to tell where the product has already been applied, and this one was not like that. Of course, it's a mousse so it comes out of the can as a foam, but once it's on the hair it seemed thinner and harder to tell whether I had fully covered an area or not. It is also odd to me that the package clearly states that depending on hair length, you may get up to 3 applications from one package, yet they only include 2 pairs of gloves in the box. I have very short hair and if I liked this enough to use it a 3rd time, I know I would have had enough left and I was going to have to clean and reuse a pair of gloves. Not the end of the world, but just...didn't seem like a great way to sell a product, in my opinion. If this had worked for covering white hairs, it would have been my new go-to hair color product, because it's a brilliant idea. If you want this just for a color change and you don't have any grey or white hair to cover, then this may be worth a try for you.
May 18, 2015
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I had two sample packets of this mask and I was really excited to try it out as I've been reading so many great things about the clay masks and seeing them everywhere. It's gritty (as you would expect of a clay mask) and a dark charcoal grey color. I think it has a light, pleasant scent--maybe slightly minty? But if you have a sensitive nose, definitely give it a sniff before purchasing. It's smooth enough to be easy to apply, but I found it a bit difficult to rinse off completely. I used it 4 or 5 times, tried a different way of removing the mask each time, and never did find a method that was 100% effective. It does what it claims, though (mostly)! At least as far as I can tell. I don't have dark spots, but it definitely helped with dry spots and my skin looked very fresh and bright after using this mask. I didn't notice any reduction of visible pores. Kind of the opposite, actually, since the dark colored product was so difficult to rinse off completely, I think it made some pores appear darker and more visible until I used toner to get the last of the mask off my skin. Probably if it is used consistently over time and once I get the hang of getting it cleaned off all the way, I could see this product being great for cleaning out pores. It's definitely a nice product, effective and simple to use. The current price on Sephora is $50 for a just over two ounce jar, so I think I won't be buying the full size of this product. Not yet anyway. I'd like to test drive a few clay masks from other brands before I decide which one I'm going to commit to. Really happy I tried this one, though!
May 7, 2015
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This is one of those pencils that had been kicking around my makeup case for months and getting no attention, because who doesn't already have 5 black eye pencils, right? Yesterday I finally decided to take it for a test run and I was impressed with the results, to say the least. This is a really intense black liner. The color goes on smoothly and easily makes a perfect line and it is DARK. I wore it yesterday with primer and shadow and I couldn't believe how much of it was left at the end of the day. Today I'm wearing it alone, which is a true test of any liner for me as everything smudges and wears off on me, it seems. But this one is not budging. Maybe it has smudged a tiny bit, but by now usually halve the liner is gone. And because the color is so dark, even a bit of smudging doesn't make my lines look any less perfect than when I left the house. I'm really impressed with it and I'd love for this to be my new favorite eye pencil. The reason I have to only give it 5 stars? Every time I try to sharpen the pencil, the tip of the liner breaks off in the sharpener. I tried three times this morning before I could get anything even barely resembling a useable tip on the pencil. It is so frustrating because this is a fantastic liner, but I need it to be SHARP! And it's not my sharpener because I've never had this problem before with any other pencil, not even once. I guess maybe the softness that makes the color glide on so perfectly also makes it prone to breaking? I don't know. I'll keep using it if I can, but I won't be buying it again when mine runs out.
May 7, 2015
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I snagged a small sample of this from Sephora on a promotion. I admit I have never been a big fan of liquid foundation, but I was curious about this and decided it wouldn't hurt to experiment with liquid again. I'm so glad I gave it a try! I usually go for a powder foundation with just the lightest of coverage, and this is definitely more of a medium coverage. I thought it would be too much for me, but I'm actually really liking it! Like almost any foundation, the amount of coverage is buildable. It has taken some practice for me to get a handle on how much I need for days I want light coverage and how much for medium coverage, but this is because of the sample bottle design (full-size is a pump bottle) and regardless I love having that option without having to layer or really work at getting more coverage. This looks best with a primer, but it doesn't NEED one--I learned when I gave it a test run after I ran out of primer, but before I had a chance to purchase a new one. It's always nice to have the option to skip a step if I'm pressed for time! With or without primer this foundation covers well and really lasts. All. Day. Now here's the crazy part. I was in a rush when I picked out my sample shade online, and accidentally chose the wrong one! I selected "I'm Plush and Precious Petal" when I think "I'm Pure 4 Sure Ivory" would be perfect on me. The Petal shade has just a bit too much yellow it in for my skin tone...but the foundation is so great that I've worn it a few times anyway!! I believe I will stop into the store to request a sample in the the Ivory and if it really is a match, I will have to seriously reconsider my "powder only" foundation policy and consider buying a full-size of this.
April 28, 2015
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I recently ran out of my usual primer and decided maybe it was time to try out something new. After a bit of research I decided to give this one a try, since I've been such a fan of most Tarte products I've used in the past. It has not disappointed me! For a product you find at Sephora, I'd say the price is about mid-range...but then I got home and realized it's a pretty generously sized tube of primer! That alone made me feel better about the cost. The tube is also pretty--dark purple with a faux bamboo looking cap--which doesn't actually matter, but I admit I enjoy having nice packaging to look at in my makeup case. The primer itself is light (think similar to Smashbox Photo Finish Light), but durable and it doesn't make my hands feel gross or sticky after applying. It really smooths out the surface of my skin, helping my foundation glide on and blend easily and improving the overall look (compared to no primer at all). I've used it under powder and liquid foundations (not at the same time!) and it always keeps my face in place and looking great for the full day. And my days can be pretty long sometimes! I don't need a lot of this to get a great result, so that generously sized tube should last long enough to really feel like it was worth my money. I also don't need as much foundation, especially when I use powder, to get the amount of coverage I like--so it saves me there, too! I'm pretty excited about how well this works and I would definitely purchase it again when I run out.
April 28, 2015
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I really did want to love this. I had it a soft beige-ish gold shade that would really go with anything, and I normally love all of Tarte's Amazonian Clay line. But it seemed that no matter how tight I closed the lid, I couldn't prevent the product from drying up. And a clumpy cream shadow doesn't look good on anyone! Prior to it drying out, though, it was a decent shadow. It went on smoothly and lasted just fine as long as I remembered to use a shadow primer first.
April 28, 2015
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I checked recently and I don't think Urban Decay even makes this primer anymore...but I'm going to review it anyway because it looks like you can still get it from Amazon. I used this several times with several different lip products, trying to give it the best chance to impress me...but it just didn't. The tube is slim which I like for ease of keeping on hand for reapplication, and the product has a slight scent of vanilla which I found pleasant. Those are almost the only compliments I can give this product. It is kind of hard and I felt like I had to run the stick over my lips 3 or 4 times to even feel like any product was going on. It felt soft enough, similar to a half-decent balm, but it did nothing for any lipstick. It doesn't make any lip product last longer, nor did it increase the color payoff. Aren't those the things you expect from a primer? It certainly didn't make my lipstick experience any worse, aside from adding a step, but it didn't make it better either. Definitely not impressed, but that makes me curious about the NEW lip primer Urban Decay has out. I wonder if it's any better? I'll be hesitant to try it, to be honest.
April 28, 2015
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There are a lot of Clinique products I like, and I got a sample of this around the same time that I was in the market for a primer so I tried it out for a few days optimistically. Unfortunately, it just wasn't great. It goes on smoothly enough, but I thought the texture felt more like a moisturizer than a primer--more like it was sinking into my skin than prepping skin for foundation. I tried it with my usual powder foundation and with a liquid foundation I was trying out and it just didn't impress me. Both products looked the same as if I put them on without primer at all. It may have helped my foundation last longer than without primer...but not much. Unfortunately this is not a product I will be buying in a full size.
April 19, 2015
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A couple years ago I suddenly noticed I was extremely low on lip products. I have no idea how this happened, but I remedied the problem by hopping onto the Eyes Lips Face website and ordering several glosses, balms, and lipsticks, including this $1 Essential Lipstick in the shade called "Posh." For some reason I've been using all the other products (in rotation with others from other brands that I eventually picked up as well), but this one sat in my makeup case practically untouched until just the other day. I wondered whether it was ignored because I didn't care for it when it arrived and I first tried it on (I couldn't even remember!), but I threw it into my rotation last week and now it's a regular. The shade is a little bright, but not too bright for daytime wear at the office (at least not at my office, obviously use your best judgment). It's highly pigmented so on quick swipe (with a mirror, mind the edges!) is all that's needed for color that lasts really well all day. I really only need to reapply in the center of my lips from drinking water or when I wipe it off after eating. Sometimes I have trouble with highly pigmented lipsticks feathering around the edges but that doesn't happen with this lipstick at all. It goes on silky smooth with a finish that is kind of halfway between satin and matte, which I really like for during the day. It has a soft but noticeable kind of fruity smell, but it's not to sweet or overwhelming. There's really a lot of product in the tube, especially for a lipstick that doesn't wear off quickly so I'm not constantly reapplying. I think this is a really fantastic lipstick and I seriously can't believe I got it for a dollar! I say give it a try--for such a low price, what do you have to lose??
April 14, 2015
