Beauty Product Reviews | Page 3

Ehhhh

I received "Butternut" as my free gift in an order I placed with ELF. I found the shadows to be sheerly pigmented and they weren't long-wearing, even over a primer. I had to layer the color several times and still didn't have rich color afterwards. I found the shades to blend almost completely away, rather than just the edges sheering out. I really like ELF's Studio Eyeshadows, but this particular product was a miss for me.

Great for occasional use, but not everyday.

St. Ives' Apricot Scrub is a great exfoliator, but I believe it to be too harsh for everyday use. It's great for sloughing off dead skin and giving you that refreshed, smooth, clean feel, but it's so rough that everyday use may actually damage your skin. For everyday use I recommend a less-packed cleanser.

That being said, St. Ives Apricot Scrub is GREAT for bi-weekly or weekly exfoliating. The smell is very refreshing - not overpowering at all. The product doesn't leave behind any residue and I didn't experience any irritation from use (I have oily, acne-prone skin).

Personally, I feel those with Sensitive Skin probably shouldn't use this product at all. Because I feel it's so harsh, it may be irritating for those with sensitive skin. I'm not expert - just my opinion.

My favorite drugstore polish!

YES! Yes, yes, yes. I absolutely LOVE Sinful Color Professional Nail Enamels and have so very many. Since Sinful Colors was bought out by Revlon, it seems the formulas has changed for the better, as well as an increase in collections, which I love. Their price is extremely affordable at just $1.99 and they have a wide range of colors and finishes.

I get about 4-5 days wear on average with Sinful Colors Professional Nail Enamels - some shades last longer than others and, of course, use of a base and top coat is necessary to prolong its wear. Most shades are good with two coats, though some you can easily get away with one!

The handle is easy to grasp and the brush allows for easy control. I have small nail areas and the brush is easy to apply color without making a mess.

At just two bucks, they're well worth the try. Also, I've noticed since the buyout more reviews and swatches are popping up and 98% of the time the reviews are positive. I say again, LOVE!

Summer Fruit

I'm sure I'll be stoned for the blasphemy I'm about to speak.... but I wasn't impressed with EOS' Lip Balm Smooth Sphere in "Summer Fruit". I bought into the hype and purchased this lip balm, but found it basically only looks cute and smells good. Unfortunately, I don't find this product moisturizing and, instead, it actually dries out my lips. I feel I need to use more and more because my lips feel parched, rather than feeling moisturized (which is its purpose).

It's a real shame this product doesn't work for me because it's so darn cute and the scent is yummy! I love the concept, but it didn't deliver.

I purchased EOS' Lip Balm Smooth Sphere from Walgreens for about $3.50, which is a bit expensive for lip balm in my opinion. You can find EOS products at most drugstores, as well as online via their website (linked above).

If it helps, I've heard people who experienced the same disappointment claim the yellow, medicated Lip Balm Smooth Sphere is a much better performer.

Extremely stunning shade that could work for anyone!

"Soleil" is one of the three Baked Bronzers Milani has on the market and is the medium shade. The lightest shade is "Glow" and the darkest shade is "Golden". Though "Soleil" is the medium shade, and most definitely looks dark in the pan, I was pleasantly surprised to see it isn't too much for my fair skin! I needed to go over about four times to build up the color for a swatcg. When applied with the included brush, you could barely tell I applied anything.

When applied to my fair skin, Milani's Baked Bronzer in "Soleil" leaves a touch of golden color and sheen. The shimmer isn't terribly noticeable and I found the color was really hard to overdo. I swatched "Soleil" wet versus dry and, though when wet it is more intense, the application/finish didn't differ all that much.

Milani Cosmetics' Baked Bronzer in 05 "Soleil" is extremely stunning and I feel it's a shade that could work for anyone. I love how it isn't intense and the shimmer isn't gaudy. It's buildable, while remaining wearable. Though, given the shimmer throughout, I wouldn't recommend "Soleil" for contouring.

Charged

L'Oreal HiP Studio Secrets Professional Metallic Shadow in "Charged" is very smooth with little-to-no fallout. Each shade is very pigmented and blends easily. Both shades are shimmery, though I find the bronze-y gold shade to have a bit more than the brown, and with good reason - I believe the brown wouldn't make for as good a crease color if it were too shimmery. Both shades wore all day and night for me without creasing.

While I enjoy both shades in "Charged", I think the brown is the stand-out shade of this duo. Many a company and palette has a bronze-y gold and while you may not find an exact dupe elsewhere, you're bound to find one similar. However, the brown in "Charged" intrigues me. I find it captivating with its reddish tones and bronze/golden sheen.

I truly enjoy L'Oreal HiP duos, and their Metallic Shadow in "Charged" is no exception. The pigmentation of the HiP shadows is exceptional and I have yet to find one that performs undesirably. In my opinion, "Charged" seems like a duo better suited for Fall and Winter, though I wore these shades in the dead of summer without looking strange, so to each his/her own!

Highly Pigmented and Extremely Long-Lasting!

120 Hanky-Pinky - An opaque, vivid magenta with modest shimmer. 122 Sensual Peach - A semi-opaque orange-y peach with modest shimmer.

Wet n' Wild's Perfect Pair Lip Wands are absolutely fantastic! The lip liner's are creamy, smoothing on the lips with precision and ease. The lipsticks are equally creamy and precise and are packed with pigmentation!

"Sensual Peach" seemed to accentuate the lines in my lips and felt drying as the hours went by. "Hanky-Pinky" is the star of the two, as it drenched my lips in luscious color and kept my lips moisturized throughout its wear.

Both "Hanky-Pinky" and "Sensual Peach" wore for well over 6.5 hours (more like 8-10), through drinking and two meals! I was shocked to see them hold up so well through a meal, hence my exclamations. The shimmer in both shades seemed to have disappeared by around four hours, but the color still looked freshly applied and held on for many hours afterwards. Though my lips felt dry with "Sensual Peach", they didn't appear parched at the end of the night.

Wet n' Wild Perfect Pair Lip Wands are most certainly worth the buy! I am so impressed with their application and performance. Out of the two shades I have, "Hanky-Pinky" is my favorite. I am just so taken by its color and finish.

Outstanding quality! A real value!

LORAC certainly didn't skimp on product size! The shadows are about, if not exactly, the size of a U.S. Quarter. LORAC's website says the palette includes 6.4 g. of shadow, which is comparable to four individual MAC eyeshadows, or a bit more than a MAC Eyeshadow Quad. The shadows are described as a White with Gold Pearl, Golden Bronze, Olive Green with Gold Pearl and Shimmering Garnet. I couldn't agree more! Those descriptions are dead-on accurate.

Each shadow is incredibly smooth and super pigmented, both wet and dry, which isn't always the case with baked eyeshadows. Unfortunately, a lot of baked/mineralized eyeshadows need to be applied wet to really bring out the shade, but with LORAC's TANtalEYES Palette the shadows are outstanding either way! None of the shadows applied chalky and I experienced little-to-no fallout.

The highlight shade, the white with gold pearl eyeshadow, isn't your average highlight shade, as in it isn't just a run-of-the-mill white shadow. I was very surprised to see how it can be used alone for a nice sheen, but when applied on top of the other shades, you can create a totally enhanced version!

In conclusion, the LORAC TANtalEYES Palette contains some of the best quality eyeshadows I have ever tried! I am very impressed with the performance of the shadows, but I do feel the particular shades seem a bit more "Fall" than "Summer". Either way, if you're looking for superior quality shadows at an extreme value, I would definitely purchase the LORAC TANtalEYES Palette while you still can! I feel strongly you won't be disappointed.

A must-have for any eye look!

NYX Jumbo Pencils are high-quality, inexpensive cream shadow pencils that can be used alone or as an eyeshadow base. I recommend using an eyeshadow primer when using them, as they tend to crease without one. I absolutely LOVE using NYX Jumbo Pencils as a base for my eyeshadow! They provide a nice sticky base for the eyeshadow to cling to and, also, intensify the appearance of the eyeshadow.

NYX Jumbo Pencils are available in so many shades, but my personal favorite (and many others as well) is the shade Milk. This creamy white is a must-have when using bright eyeshadow shades! Each pencil is highly pigmented, creamy (they glide across the lid with little-to-no effort), easy to blend and are long-wearing. There's no tugging or pulling with NYX's Jumbo Pencils, and if you use an eyeliner brush, you can apply the color as a regular eyeliner as well!

Given the very low price (around $4.00), variety of shades (20+) and easy access (<a class='textlink' href='http://NyxCosmetics.com' rel='nofollow noopener' target='_blank'>NyxCosmetics.com</a>, <a class='textlink' href='http://CherryCulture.com' rel='nofollow noopener' target='_blank'>CherryCulture.com</a> and <a class='textlink' href='http://ULTA.com' rel='nofollow noopener' target='_blank'>ULTA.com</a>), there is no reason why you shouldn't purchase one to try - you won't be disappointed!

P.S. If you're worried about sharpening, NYX sells a sharpener that will fit the Jumbo Pencils. Most large-sized sharpeners found at drugstores will do, but I recommend refrigerating the pencils prior to sharpening - it will prevent the tip from breaking!

A must-have for oily skin-types!

If you've heard of, or even tried, Skindinavia's "No More Shine Makeup Finish", then you get the concept of this spray. Even better, Urban Decay paired up with Skindinavia to create this product. To use De-Slick, you shake it and mist your face 2-4 times before applying your makeup and repeat the process after you've completed your makeup. For me, I need four sprays to keep my face matte all day. I recommend starting with two to see if you need more or not.

De-Slick has a scent, but it doesn't smell like anything I can pinpoint. Unfortunately, I'm absolutely horrible at describing scents (so please don't expect any fragrance reviews here, LOL). All I can tell you is it is light and it doesn't linger. The pump functions perfectly; one full pump will spritz your entire face without leaving you feeling wet. De-Slick dries almost instantly, so there's no need to wait around to complete your makeup.

Most days, I can go the entire day without needing to blot. There are occasional days where my face just wants to annoy me and have a shiny spot here or there. De-Slick doesn't create a strange finish to your face or wear strangely throughout the day. Your face looks as it would if you didn't use the product, but without the shine you'd normally experience!

There really isn't much else to say about Urban Decay's De-Slick Oil Control Makeup Setting Spray besides "Go get some!" (if you have oily skin, that is). I absolutely swear by this stuff and I don't see myself ever not using it! This stuff really is a saving grace for me.