Beauty Product Reviews | Page 3

I've never been fussy about mascara. Considering the life-span of the product, I don't buy expensive mascaras, and considering the daily-wear aspect of it I don't buy anything you need to fuss with either. I don't want to have to use a comb to separate my lashes, I don't want to have to apply coat after coat to get results.

I bought this product because I had run out of my previous mascaras and wanted a cruelty-free option. I've tried MAC mascaras, which I liked, but they aren't my HG. Plus, I was intrigued by the little comb applicator. I figured with bristles so small, there's no way my lashes could get spidery on days when I'm less-than-meticulously-careful.

This product delivered everything I hoped it would. The formula applies smoothly and evenly, and the brush makes it incredibly easy to get all the way down to the lash roots and coat every last millimeter. I have horribly sensitive eyes and have never been able to get all the way down without burning or scratching or otherwise blinding myself temporarily--but this DOES NOT BURN, and the applicator is smooth on all sides except the toothed comb so you don't scratch yourself.

This mascara is pure love in a bottle. If you're looking to get wide-open, dramatic eyes, this is the mascara for you. It doesn't flake, doesn't run, and with just one coat gives an instant false-lash look. It's a little trickier to remove than other mascaras I've used, but with a little extra attention (and a fresh swab soaked in jojoba oil) it does wash off nicely.

I'll admit it, I'm a hair-colour junkie. Right now, my hair is bright blue, and before that it's been lavender, platinum, pink, purple, red, and everything in between. On top of the fact that I have naturally fine, dry, brittle hair, it's safe to say my hair was pretty far from healthy. I'm also severely allergic to sulfates--even things like L'Oreal's Ever Pure line triggers a reaction.

I picked up this product in Sweet Almond Mint online and figured it was worth a shot. The directions instruct you to use 20-30 pumps of product to work into your hair, but really? That's about half the 6oz bottle. For my slightly-longer-than-pixie cut hair, I needed about 5 pumps. It works best if you massage into your scalp, comb through your ends, and then splash with a little water to fully disperse. I'll put a shower cap on while I finish my shower so nothing slips off. It rinses easily and leaves hair feeling silky--none of that sticky, squeaky feeling of stripped hair! It's clean, not even remotely oily, and very shiny after washing. I'll add a pump or two to my towel-dried hair as a leave-in conditioner as well.

Even so, my hair still feels a little dry. They do make a variety of different formulae, so I'll try out another variety until I find my Holy Grail, so to speak. Still, very glad I gave this product a shot--it was just what my over-processed hair needed!

I gave up on liquid liner for a long time. I hate the felt-tip applicators in most, pen tips are dodgy at best, and typically, brush-tips are difficult to control. However, I've always had good luck with Sephora liquid liners (including the Kat von D autograph liners, which are also produced by Sephora).

I got this in one of their Beauty in a Box sets for Halloween. I was a little wary at first because there appeared to be a lot of liquid on the brush, but the bottle makes it very easy to control the amount on the brush itself. It applies smoothly, without any damaging stretching or pulling to the lid, and dries quickly enough (though it dries best if blended out with an angled brush). I've previously had problems with liquid liner "cracking" on the lid, but I have not yet experienced that with this formula.

All in all, very nice basic black liquid liner, great for everyday use.

Great...depending on what you use it for.

I bought this in the Deep End (described by Sephora as a "matte cobalt blue") for a very specific purpose: I recently dyed my hair bright violet-blue and needed a new, long-lasting product to fill in my brows. I apply with an angled brush, and with just a few swipes it creates smooth, vibrant lines. It dries quickly, but still leaves time to clean up any smudges or accidents that may have occurred during application.

I did, however, attempt to use it as an eyeliner and was not impressed. Using the same angled brush, I had a difficult time creating even, bold lines, instead left with lines of varied weight with significant "gaps" in colour. I also felt as if it smudged by the end of the day, which is a little strange considering I never touch my eyes, and I have particularly dry eyes and normal lids.

But as I said above, it's great for my brows. If you need a brow filler and happen to need any of these colours, it's a great deal.

I use this as part of my Yes to Blueberries line, which I find to be an excellent way of combating the cystic acne I have struggled since my teens. In addition to repairing age damage (at my age, I don't have much), it is amazing at kick-starting cell production that erases scaring and hyper-pigmentation.

I use this moisturizer in the morning, after washing my face and applying the Intensive Repair Serum. It's fairly thick, and takes only a small amount to cover my entire face. It feels amazingly fresh and hydrating, and is actually a perfect primer for my mineral powder makeup: I apply while this is still fresh on my face, before it has fully absorbed, and my makeup stays in place perfectly. Using this moisturizer, I do not experience any excess oil throughout the day--I do have dry skin, but certain moisturizers have left my T-zone a bit oily, which is not something natural for my skin. The Yes to blueberries line seems to work with my natural skin chemistry while still delivering on its promises.

Like all the Yes to Blueberries products, this is geared towards older skin. I have relatively young skin, but very dry, rather damaged skin that needs all the help it can get.

As directed, I use this product at night over the Intense Repair Serum and under the eye gel (though I use the Yes to Cucumbers gel instead). Like the day moisturizer, this is a relatively thick lotion with an interesting fresh, almost floral smell. Think fresh-cut flowers or produce stand. It really only takes a pearl-sized amount to cover my entire face. At first, I was afraid this would be too heavy and not sink into my skin during the night. It does not feel "oily," per se, but is very thick and heavy and sinks in very slowly. Happily, it does absorb overnight, leaving me with smooth, soft, hydrated skin in the morning. Actually, when I feel particularly dry, I skip this in favour of straight-up jojoba oil--so if you're afraid of being left too oily, you have nothing to fear from this product!

As far as price goes, this is well worth it. Most anti-aging regimens cost considerably more than the Yes to Blueberries line, and while I can't judge the results or your needs, this is a great value in my opinion.

Of all the Yes to products I've tried, this is my favourite. I'll admit I was hesitant to start the Yes to Blueberries regimen because I am young and it's geared towards older skin. However, I've decide to launch my attack on age early, since the first lines are cropping up and I am not giving in without a fight!

This is an almost-clear gel that applies perfectly clear to the face. It's non-sticky and dries almost instantly. I follow immediately with a moisturizer, whether it's day or night. The product claims to repair age-damage within 7 days--I feel like it might have been 14 days or so, but perhaps because my age-damage isn't remarkably noticeable. I do, however, have many scars left over from bad cystic acne--this works wonders on hyper-pigmentation and I'm proud to report my scars are almost gone! I started using this product in January, and it is now nearing the end of February: I think it will take more than a month to reverse 5+ years of scarring, and I am optimistic.

For the price, this is a wonderful product. I debating shelling out $100+ for similar products and am very glad that I found a product that suited my needs for a fifth of what I anticipated.

Beautiful colours, mixed quality

I fell in love with this palette mainly because of the red cream shadow. The colours really are stunning, including bright silvers, blue-toned pewters, and deep gem-like blacks with stunning colour reflect.

Like all Kat von D palettes, the darker shadows appear to be very delicate--if you drop this palette, or even just jostle it around too much, expect the darkest two shadows to break. I cannot tell you how much broken Lucifer shadow is floating around my makeup bins, and more recently, how much chipped Tijuana is ground into my bedroom carpets. So really, be careful.

The cream shadows are nice, especially as bases for the powder shades. In this palette, there are three: a bright metallic silver, a carbon black, and a sort of wine-red pearl. The metallic silver does clump a little, so it really is better as a highlight than a base, but the other two go on smooth and pigmented.

As far as the powder shadows go, they're all quite lovely. "Albino," the palest silver shadow (almost a metallic white) is a bit chunky, but otherwise everything is very velvety and blends nicely. I suggest applying the darkest two wet and patting them on instead of swiping, simply because the coloured reflects WILL fall out if you try too hard to blend them.

All in all, a really pretty palette. Great for an interesting smoky eye, or a bright, festive silver look. (the attached picture was done using only shadows from the Adora palette, including the darkest two--photos really don't do the blue and red reflects justice!)

This is a really great deep moisturizer, especially if you dry out after showering. It smells amazing (most LUSH products do), and is easy to store, being a solid lotion bar. However, this is very oily. It melts into a lotion on skin but does not absorb very quickly, even on my very dry skin. Not bad if you're going to sleep or just hanging around, but a little too intense for getting dressed and heading out for the day, at least in my opinion. (For a less-sticky option, you might want to try the Vanilla Dusting Powder also sold by LUSH--same scent, but provides a matte finish to the skin.)

I kind of can't believe this hasn't been reviewed yet. I was hesitant to pick this up, simply because I don't wear a lot of pink glosses and I'm not a Smashbox enthusiast (all of my experiences with their products have been kind of underwhelming). But a friend of mine purchased this and I was pretty amazed.

Right out of the tube, this gloss is entirely clear. Just a simple, clear, high-shine gloss. But as I watched her put it on, it began to turn a bright, clear bubble-gum pink. I used it next to find that, on me, it turns a sort of mauvy-berry pink. Two very distinctly different colours, subtle but distinct. (She is a natural red-head with pinky-pale complexion while I am naturally black-haired and more neutrally pale.)

So I bought it. It's a really great gloss for the days you don't want to bother with any really bright colours or heavy lipsticks. It's completely non-sticky, though I'm not sure I'd call it too long-lasting. Like most glosses, it won't survive eating, but after a few hours (4-5) it seems to be gone anyway.