Beauty Product Reviews

PIGMENTATION.. WOW!

When I first heard about these on a couple beauty blogs, I knew I had to give these a try! I tend to stay away from lipstick because no matter what formula or finish they are, they dry out my lips. And I also have ultra sensitive skin! When I finally got a hold of these (Berry Smoothie, Sugar Plum, and Candy Apple), I was amazed by the moisture they provided. They still aren't as great as my regular lip balms, but are quite wearable considering how easily my lips chap. What surprised me even more is the pigmentation! Berry Smoothie and Sugar Plum both give me a decent amount of color-- they make me look alive! haha. But with Candy Apple, WOW! It really IS a candy apple red! I love it! For Candy Apple especially, I like to layer it on top of lip liner so that it really pops and lasts longer. I recommend these for the anti-lipstick folks like me! :)

Gentle

I looove this astringent because it's so gentle on my eczematic, acne-prone skin. Each astringent I've tried up until this one has been much too strong for my sensitive skin, causing irritation (burning, inflammation, etc.) and further break-out. This one is gentle AND effective; it does a great job of drying up existing blemishes without drying out my skin. My skin is soft and even glows after applying. I highly recommend it for sensitive skin!

Great & affordable!

My favorite drugstore brow pencil. Works great and is extremely affordable compared to Anastasia's brow products. I've been using this product for about 5 years now and have noticed that the formula has changed about a year ago. The new formula is more waxy, which I do like, as the color isn't as harsh. My only gripe is that there is no longer the shade "black". I now have to use the new shade "brown black", which is okay, but I'd still prefer black. Another thing I noticed is that the previous brush was much softer, and better for softening the color. Although the new brush is hard and tends to scratch my skin, it's not something that will keep me from re-purchasing. Love it!

SO soft + amazing coverage!

I've been wearing mineral make-up for about 5 years and have tried all kinds of kabuki and powder brushes. None of them compare to the performance of this brush! My first impression of this brush was that it's soooo soft! It made my skin so happy! =) (Bare Escentual's kabuki was too rough.) The denseness of the bristles allows for great coverage and saves product! When I swirl my brush into the minerals, the product doesn't sink into the brush. Instead, it sits right into the top portion of the bristles. This lets me use all the product that I loaded onto my brush. Awesome! I have yet to try the ever-so-popular Sigma F80 brush, so I can't say this brush is better, but it sure is DANG good! At $11 each, this brush isn't the cheapest, but I think it's pretty fair for such a great brush!

Good Coverage

I've tried Bare Minerals in both the original and matte formula and they cannot compare to EM's intensive base. Although Bare Minerals is a much more finely milled than EM, it doesn't provide as much coverage. The intensive formula provides the most coverage of EM's formulas. What I also noticed is that EM's intensive formula tends to be darker than their original glo, semi-matte, and matte. My face tends to get pretty oily 3-4 hours after applying, whereas with BM, my face gets oily within an hour or two. Another thing I love about EM is that I get my money's worth. There is about the same amount of product in each full sized foundation for both brands, but EM costs $12 and BM costs $25-28 (depending on the formula - original or matte). Another difference that may make or break one's decision to choose EM is that it doesn't contain SPF, whereas BM contains SPF 15. This isn't a big deal for me because I put on a moisturizer with SPF before applying my foundation. Overall, I love EM's foundation. I have been using it for 4-5 years now and it hasn't failed me!