Beauty Product Reviews
This brush is fantastic quality for only being, what, nine dollars? And it's kind of a monster. But a very high-quality monster. I don't like to use a brush to apply my powder, I don't like the way it looks (I don't like to use powder, period. Too much junk on my face and it breaks me out more often than not) so I don't find myself reaching for this puppy often. That saddens me because I love the feel of it so dang much. I want to try it out with a blush or bronzer though, just to see if I can get that well-blended effect without much work with it
I've owned several shades of this lipstick and the formula is consistently creamy, pigmented, and all-around amazing for the price! (It's like 3.99 at Ulta) The only issue is that it doesn't have the best staying power and when it starts to fade away without a lipliner it can look patchy and awkward on the lips. That can be fixed with frequent reapplication and use of a lipliner. These are some of my favorite lipsticks and absolute go-tos when I want a certain color because the selection is so vast and I know I'm getting a good product when I pick this!
This stippling brush does exactly what it says and it's good at it. I use it to stipple my foundation on and give it a really airbrushed and flawless look, and it delivers for a fraction of the price of a MAC or Sigma stippling brush. I only wish the bristles were a bit longer. Would repurchase, it's a good staple. I want to experiment with the Expert Face Brush by RT to compare, becasue the bristles do seem a bit sparse here compared to that one.
I don't think there's a shade of MAC blush I would dislike. The blushes are pigmented enough to show up on most skintones (I'm blessed enough to have medium skin that can wear anything from a baby pink to a dark raisin) but not so pigmented that they're hard to apply (I'm looking at you, BareMinerals loose powder blush. Seriously my bathroom floor will never recover from your mess)
MAC blush was my first blush ever and no other has compared. The formulation is perfect. I just wish I had the money to repurchase regularly.
I got a mini version of this in the Sizzlin' Six gift set. I use small (very very sparing) amounts on my nose and cheeks every day under foundation or BB cream and I can really tell the difference. I have a rather large snozz and the pores on it are my least favorite part of my face. Using this stuff under my regular foundation, I never, ever see pores under and my face looks smooth like a magazine model, which I never thought possible! I'm kind of raving and raving, but the really the only downside for me is the price.
Another reviewer mentioned "amazeballs..."
...It really is amazeballs! After plowing through a bunch of other drugstore dry shampoos, I purchased a travel size of Batiste in Cherry for like $2.99 at Ulta. I used it once on a super greasy day and literally went "...ohhhh...wow..." when I had rubbed it in! I don't wash my hair super often (I almost typed "I don't shower often..." oops) and when it gets greasy and shiny and annoying, I go crazy with this bad boy and leave it in for a couple minutes, then rub it through like a madwoman and am always amazed at the results. Holy grail. Never going back. Muahahahaha.
Uh-oh. Someone gave UDPP a review that wasn't five stars. *hides from pitchforks*
I picked up the UDPP in Greed when it went on sale for 50% off after the holidays. I probably would like it ten times more if I had gotten it in Original or at least Eden. The gold shimmer doesn't work as a primer especially if you're working with matte shadows. The glitter kind of warps the colors in a not-so-nice way. I can only work with this product if I apply it just right, and it's difficult to do that. That's all just the color, though. That's what I get for being a cheapo.
On the side of the primer, it IS a really EXCELLENT primer. it keeps your shadows on all day, and looks every time like you just applied them. The thing is, my elf eyelid primer does exactly the same thing, for literally a ninety-five percent discount. Won't be repurchasing because elf primer has stolen my heart.
So I'm one of those people with ten million (read: seven) of these things and I have to say the packaging is adorable. Toss it in your purse, because it's hecka easy to find! Carry it around with you, because it's an adorable freaking ball of lip balm! Just don't put it in your pocket because it creates this...awkward bulge.
All the colors and scents really are different, no two formulas are the same. Sweet Mint to me is my favorite because the scent is amazing, actually sweet mint, and never feels like too much on the lips. Others like Honeysuckle Honeydew and Summer Fruit are a bit tacky and waxy but still moisturizing. They don't make your lips look shiny or plumpy like other lip balms; you can wear these and your lips will look moisturized and not dry. That's basically it. My favorites are sweet mint and lemon drop because the flavors are amazing.
They're not an amazing moisturizing holy grail lip balm, honestly. They're worth the hype only in that the packaging is cute and the range of scents and colors is wide and nice, but if you want a nice lip balm that makes your lips plush and soft, I wouldn't go here.
I'd been coveting a new perfume for the springy season, and when I smelled Happy in Ulta after Christmas I couldn't pass it up. The scent's first impression is so clean and fresh, a real post-shower smell, with floral and citrus notes afterwards that really do make it happy! It's not a very strong scent, which means that it doesn't hit you like a cloud of middle school dudes wearing Axe, and is usually only detectable when you first walk into a room or hug someone. It also means that it doesn't last very long and needs to be reapplied every few hours or so, so I want to go back and pick up the rollerball for on-the-go application.
TLDR; This scent is fresh and the name Happy is perfect for it, but it doesn't last very long on the skin. It'd make a great "signature scent!"