Beauty Product Reviews

So chic

Never thought I'd be one for nude colored nails, but with my Sephora gift card burning in my wallet, I thought why not give this a go, could always exchange, right? Very happy I did. Application was smooth, and the product doesn't stain the skin around the nail. Colorwise, Basil Street is just so classy, so chic, so not "dead people's fingers". Yep, That was my weird, big hang-up about nude/beige nail colors--for some reason it just brought to mind zombie hands. Anyhoo, I normally love dark colors, really dark blues, but then some managers at the office made snidish comments about going goth at work (??). Not worth it to battle the corpo types. Now, it's all-business up top, all-me down below: neutrals on my fingers and my beloved darks and brights on my toes.

Doesn't give me milia

My goal this year is to switch to a more natural skincare routine, and so I've been checking out organic brands, such as Mychelle Dermaceuticals. This is the Mychelle item I like best and have re-purchased. I wasn't expecting miracles from Fabulous eye cream, I just needed something to keep my under eye skin from looking too parched in the cold weather and to keep little lines at bay. And the cream does the job nicely. There's a bit of depuffing effect and a little brightening too, but nothing miraculous. What keeps me coming back is the price point (I usually get it on sale at Whole Foods) and the fact that I haven't reacted to this yet--no breakouts, no milia. Fabulous =).

Stella!!

A great weekend/casual option. I love berry colors, and this is one of my favorites of all time. The lip feel is not too sticky/tacky, the look is not too "glossy"/wet. Non-drying and comfortable to wear. True, you do need to re-apply a lot, but that's to be expected w/ a gloss. A downside: at $25, it is a pricey option, so only one Nars gloss for me at a time (Next: Dolce Vita!)

I really wanted to like this...

but it just didn't happen. CARGO High Intensity Gloss in Nigeria is super pigmented for a gloss, a pretty reddish/wine-ish color. After the gloss wears off, it leaves behind a stain effect, so the color does last for quite some time. The downside is, the formula is so drying, and that lipstain can get cracked and flakey fast. A good lip balm is a must with this gloss. Not one of my favorite Cargo items.

A great everyday lip

Trust the hype (as far as Pink Truffle goes!) This is an amazing line from Revlon, good color, good lip feel, good price. My favorite is this mauvy/nude-y color, which is perfect for work. I'm now on my second Pink Truffle.

I also have Peach Parfait (somewhat glittery and "younger" than Pink Truffle), and Berry Smoothie (okay, not my favorite berry color, vs. Bobbi Brown Treatment Lip Shine in Raspberry Pink).

A good basic eyeliner

This does the job. Smooth application, no tugging. Not bad on the waterline. I smudge it (upper lash line) with a Sephora smudge brush, and I also like to top it off with some dark eyeshadow. Dry e/s for a softer look, and wet e/s for a sharper, more "liquid" eyeliner look.

Not a disappointment...

I've tried high-end and drugstore mascaras and found that nothing really works, no matter what the adverts say. However, Maybelline The Colossal in Waterproof may be a bit of a game changer for me. The pros: This mascara actually adds some length and thickness, it's not super clumpy, and it keeps the curl. Plus, it's so much cheaper than the one mascara I do like (Lancome Definicils). The key is to always curl the lashes before application, and to occasionally wipe off any built up product in the wand. The cons: Some clumping can happen when product builds up in the wand. Also, it's some work to take it off. Waterproof, for sure.

For when I want to feel like a Lady

Before coming across Stella, I liked the idea of a rose scent, but just not on me. Most rose-based perfumes just ended up being all TOO ROSE, if you will, too mature/sophisticated. Then I met Stella at Sephora, and it was like--Wow, I could get down with this rose. It's somehow clean and fresh, warm and lush, sultry and classy, light and dark, all at the same time--a perfect blend! Yes, it is a very "Lady" perfume, powerful lady at that =)

My favorite scent of all time

I like most Bulgari perfumes, but this is the best of them all. On me, Omnia Crystalline is more green than floral (must be the bamboo?), more androgynous than feminine. It's not obnoxious and nose-killing, just subtle, classy, and confidence-boosting. This is the perfume that I get the most compliments on, from both men and women. Described a lot as "sexy" by my guy friends, which is strange I think because its not overly girly/seductive at all.

This is the perfect fragrance to stash in your bag.

So clean and fresh. There's something feminine in the softness, something masculine (?) in the green notes...I don't know what to make of this scent. But I love it.

I also have it in the perfume solid for travel.