Beauty Product Reviews | Page 2
One of my fave coconut lotions!
I just reviewed the Honey Almond version of this body cream, and it was great..but the coconut one is superior. Because its super natural it doesn't have that annoying fake coconut smell. I LOVE coconut scents and this one is great. It doesn't stick around too long, but leaves your body silky and pampered. Like the last sample, I got it with an online Sephora purchase. You can stretch one of these samples out if you use another body lotion with it, but its great for a one time use. Love how natural and sort of indie this company is, but I wish I could find it in more stores. Its always a sample from Sephora and Ulta, but I'm pretty sure they don't sell it there. I would love to try more products, and even see if their makeup line is up to snuff. When I got the Honey Almond scented body cream recently, I was happy because I knew I already liked this body cream, based on my pleasant experience with the coconut one. If you love supporting under the radar brands, love thick, luxurious body creams or am obsessed with coconut scents, this is the product for you!
Love this brand, wish it was more popular/available!
I got a packet sample of this from my last Ulta purchase (LORAC PRO 2) and when I get something from Sephora or Ulta I always make sure I pick a variety of samples. Love this brand and this body cream is soooo thick and moisturizing. I wish the samples were bigger its soo good. Its almost like a mix between a butter and a cream, and leaves your skin silky smooth. The scents are nice but not artificial or cloying. I always get my skincare or body lotion at local Co-ops or Whole Foods because I really like supporting indie/natural brands, but this brand is really great. I wish I could see it in more stores. Anyway, don't hesitate to try this full size if you see it somewhere, and if you can, score a packet when you pick your samples for an online purchase! I like Honey Almond, but I prefer the Coconut one more.
Use the foundation and primer but not the powder or brush.
I've written separate reviews for the primer and foundation that comes in this kit. While I use those products together I still haven't played with the hd powder- maybe because I'm typically wary of powders because of my dry skin and maybe because I know there might be a white cast in photos. I haven't used the mini kabuki brush either, but I can assure you the bundle is thick and the bristles soft. This is a phenomenal value kit however, as you get all the products you need together, so it takes out some of the guesswork. I'm glad I got to try out and experiment with some of MUFE's most popular complexion enhancing products.
Not really sure I saw a marked difference- For fans of silicone based primers
I got this as a sample from, I believe, a Sephora brush order. As with most Sephora purchases, this was a pretty generous sample size. Lancome counters are also really generous with free samples, even without making a purchase. I didn't really see a marked difference in the performance of my foundation when using this, and for priming I typically use a super moisturizing primer or moisturizer to quell my dry skin and create a dewey finish with my foundie. I've started to wonder however if silicone type primers like this one help smooth over dry flakes, because that's an issue for me. What I know for sure is this primer is great for those who love silicone primers- like the Smashbox Photo Finish and the Sephora primer. They are soooo silky and this one might even combat shine and excess oil. So, if you like primers with this texture, I'd say go for it, or at least try to get a good sized sample.
A must have- one of the most pigmented, richest HLs!
Wow- what can I say that hasn't been said about this? I wanted this for sooooo long and I'm glad I actually have it! I used to be obsessed with powder highlighters, and now knowing that they're all the same ingredient pretty much, I'm not as obsessed..but- this is one of the THE BEST highlighters on the market- followed by the BECCA pressed Shimmering Skin Perfector and the LORAC Perfectly Lit Oil Free Luminizer. You get a ton of product in the pan and its sooooo rich and pigmented- a tiny dab will make your face glow radiantly. I found that its so rich that you need to blend sometimes- lets say you deposited some on the cheekbone, or anywhere else on the face, it will suction right there and be soo bright- so blend a little to disburse that glow! It works great as an eyeshadow in a pinch and an inner corner or brow bone highlight. The Mary Lou is a champagne gold, so it works the best for neutral to warm undertones, but I think cool undertones would still like this as its not super warm or gold. Its more of a shimmering champagne, once applied, even if it looks warmer in the pan. I still really want to try more of theBalm, but I'm glad at least I have this in my collection! I'm sure there are amazing MAC highlighters, but this is really a cut above (even if they're all Mica anyway).
Thought it was kinda meh, but its actually exceptional!
After a slightly disappointing BE haul (with a ton of samples thankfully) I wasn't super jazzed about this gloss and wore it rarely. Partly because I opt for lipsticks or liquid lip stains/color but when I'm doing a natural look its a balm/stain or gloss and this works great for that. I really like the NYX High Shine glosses for a natural look because they are really pigmented and creamy- but because of the cheaper ingredients- soak into your skin or evaporate. This gloss won't. It lasts for at least 2 plus hours, and when the glossiness subsides there is a little shimmer left behind. Its made with botanical oils so its moisturizing, slick, not super sticky or gummy, and will last much longer than a petroleum/mineral oil based gloss like the NYX ones. On the doefoot applicator it looks really pigmented but when spread on the lips thins out. It has more color payoff than most glosses, but not as much as a lippie, obvi. I really like to wear this over a lipliner or lippie and its SO glossy. Love the minty scent and feel, and Maverick is the perfect, brown-pink shade. It adds a lovely glow to my lips and looks great with a luminous complexion. I'd like to try more, but I'm not certain I would get one full size. I'm interested to know if the formula is the same as the Buxom ones, as they are part of the same company.
On par with my fave Jordana easyliners for lips! Review on Bloom and Pinky
These are definitely one of NYX's best products! I realllllly love my Jordana easyliner for lips, but these are similar in color payoff and creaminess. I prefer the NYX and Jordana to MAC pencils anyday. But like MAC, these liners are incredible as far as shade range goes. I can't wait to eventually grab all the shades I "need"- at this point PURPLES! I have Pinky and Bloom, which are a must when doing any pink/red/coral/berry lip look! I love the creaminess and high pigmentation, plus you get a decent amount of product. I would probably have more of these If didn't already have so many from brands I love to start with!
Bloom: A really nice berry/deep fuchsia- perfect for adding dimension to any medium/bright pink lip look. Can be worn on its own, with gloss to top, or as a lipstick base/liner. I really need to play with it more, but its great!
Pinky: I knew I needed Pinky when I kept seeing IG gurus using it for their hot pink lip looks. Its the perfect liner for pink lips that are BRIGHT. Can use it with cool toned baby pinks, or bright, neon fuchsias. Looks beautiful on its own. Just a great, no fuss liner!
High Quality Lipsticks for Cheap, Great Color Range! Review for Butter and Shocking Pink
I'm definitely late on the NYX bandwagon and now that NYX is at CVS I can travel 10 minutes for a NYX fix as opposed to the typical 25 minutes I used to have to trek to Target. The only downside is that both of the those retailers only have a limited selection of products so I can't get the HD concealer wand- grr!! Anyway, I was doing a specific makeup look that required a beige/brown lip and once I found out about Butter, I had to have it! I also picked up Shocking Pink a little later when I saw one of my fave Beautylishers/Gurus wearing it, and since I've been in a pink lippie mood, this shade fit the bill! Its not as intense as Candy Yum Yum, but I wanted something similar. I love how creamy these lippies are, not drying, and still have a slight sheen. Really worth having a few in your collection!
Butter is a beige/brown with an almost grey tint- I love it because its similar to the bizarre colors that the indie brands put out but its available at the drugstore! Its perfect for any 90s or even Mod look!
Shocking Pink is a blue based bright/hot pink that doubles really well with NYX's Pinky Lip liner. I paired it with an ultramarine/cobalt liner on the eyes that really made the blue undertones in the lippie stand out!
Fantastic Product!
As soon as I saw these in Target I knew they needed to join my collection. I didn't focus on their shiny laquer counterparts because I feel like If I want a shiny lip, just use a satin-y lipstick or throw on a gloss. I would have tried the Laquer Balms but I didn't want to go on a spending spree! Anyway, please don't confuse them with the mediocre Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains- they are nothing alike! THESE ARE NOT TINTED LIP BALMS. These are REALLY PIGMENTED LIPSTICKS in a crayon format. They are extremely creamy and leave a beautiful, natural stain on the lips. You get a lot of product as these are twist up (like the Just Bitten ones) and I find them really easy to use. I like to line my lips first to create a base for these to stick to and define the lip shape I want, as they are really creamy and might migrate without a liner. Then I just slap this on and they look great! Only caveat is exfoliate and moisturize before wearing these, especially the LIGHTER shades, like the bright cream/coral shade because it will settle into lip lines and dry patches. The darker shades don't seem to do that, but that's also because the colors are darker, thus not showing off your lip issues. The only other con would be that the color of the tubes doesn't match the product to a T. I thought the bright red shade would be a brick red, based on the tube color, and the rose mauve shade to be a little different. But all in all that is really minor. I got three shades to play with: Sultry, Standout, and Shameless-my favorite!
Sultry- beautiful mauve/rose, great for everyday, darker than a medium pink or rose. Would pair well with neutral or smokey eyes and rose toned cheeks. Beautiful, everyday shade and I'm glad I picked this one up! In a sea of nudes and nude pinks this is something special and would work with a lot of skin tones. Standout- True red shade, great for pin-up and retro looks because of its creaminess, long wear and amazing opacity. I thought the color would be more of a brick red (reddish brown) based on the tube color, but that's OK that I ended up with such a vibrant red! Shameless- Must have shade, especially if you're into PURPLE. I am so happy there are more purple lip colors at the drugstore because not everyone can online shop the indie and funky brands that sell purple and funky lip colors! This is one of the best purple shades in the drugstore. There are a few really nice purples I have in my collection from the drugstore but this one is the BEST. If you only snag one of these products, just get Shameless!
Barely noticeable! Too subtle.
My last BIG makeup haul (thanks to my BF) included some first trys from Bare Escentuals (BM). I got the Well Rested powder, a sample of this, a mini Moxie lipgloss and a sample of the Lash Domination mascara. I still have yet to figure out how to use the powder, but the first few trys were terrible in that the click top broke and I didn't get any noticeable results. The gloss is pretty good, the mascara is meh, and this is a dud. When I want to look well rested, I want my face to look brighter, or dewey. If I'm adding a liquid highlighter to my foundation or using a creamy, brightening concealer I expect results. I am intentionally going for a shimmery, dewey look, I want the product to be somewhat noticeable...this is so subtle even when swatched on my hand. I barely noticed a difference in the undereye area with this on, and I'm not sure the powder on top, equally as non noticeable, would help the situation out further. Luckily I got a sample in a little plastic jar. But I've found some amazing highlighting concealers etc since getting the sample that this little guys been left in the dust. Its getting a little thick in the jar, and seeing as how I rarely use it, soon it will be trash. Afterall the sample was free. So, my BE haul was lacklustre, and if I can't figure out the WR powder soon, it too will receive a slightly scathing review.