Beauty Product Reviews | Page 12

Gorgeous burnt copper at a price you can't beat

Milani eyeshadows are a hidden GEM! They are the exact size as MAC's pan eyeshadows so you can depot them into MAC empty palettes. Of course, the quality isn't the same as, say, a Dior shadow. But for $3 a pop, you cannot go wrong with any of these.

Flare looks really intimidating in the pan. It's a burnt copper with subtle pink undertones. It's a really good match to MAC Coppering veluxe pearl eyeshadow in shade (in texture, MAC is a tad better, but more $ obviously). However, I've experimented with different ways to wear it and it IS wearable if you just keep playing with it. My favorite look is to pair it with its complementary color...blue (in the pic) In the photo I'm not wearing Flare, but I'm wearing a shade EXACTLY like it from Fyrinnae to show I recommend wearing this shadow.

Otherwise, I would pair it with peachy neutrals, bronzes, yellows, and deep navys as well. Just have fun with it :D Love this shadow, and it's a great value for the price.

Amazing quality for the price

Milani eyeshadows are a hidden GEM! They are the exact size as MAC's pan eyeshadows so you can depot them into MAC empty palettes. Of course, the quality isn't the same as, say, a Dior shadow. But for $3 a pop, you cannot go wrong with any of these.

Illusion is a light pink with gold tones iridescent pink and gold shimmer. At first it looks like a dupe for MAC's Expensive Pink, but EP is more pigmented with a chunkier texture. Illusion is light, frostier, and smoother.

Illusion looks great when paired with a deep charcoal or maroon. I like this shade because even though it's pink, it doesn't give the “bunny eyes” look. I recommend applying this with your finger instead of a brush for maximum pigment on the lid. Apply a wash of Illusion on the lids and dab some in the inner corner. Take a deep charcoal or maroon eyeshadow (Either MAC Knight Divine, Bobbi Brown Gunmetal, or MAC Sketch) and lightly smudge onto the outer corners and blend up. Apply a thin black liner with some mascara and you have a simple yet eye catching eye look, appropriate for all eye colors.

Usually skeptical of products, but this actually works

I'm always hesitant to try products that try to promise miracles. However, I had heard rave reviews on the Fusion Beauty lipgloss, all the celebrities love it, etc...

So, of course, I had to try it.

My lips are incredibly thin, but I was just curious how the product would make them look and feel. I purchased the color "Sweet" which is a really soft and milky pale/sheer pink. When applied, it puts a very sheer milky glaze over my slightly pigmented lips. I then felt a tingling sensation and thought....“ohhhh the product must be working!” It became slightly numbing for about 30 seconds and went away, not sure if that's normal but I went with it.

After about 5 minutes, I looked in the mirror and noticed that there WAS a slight increase in volume! Nothing too dramatic, but my lips looked slightly bigger and balanced my face better. Contrary to claims, results did NOT last up to 48 hours, but they did last the better part of the day.

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with this product. It didn't make me lose 30 pounds, but it enhanced my lips subtly (no trout pout!) and increased my confidence, isn't that what a product is supposed to do?

At $38, these are NOT a cheap lip gloss. They give a lot of product at .29 oz though...and I'll consider them to be a “lip treatment” as well :)

Not suitable for everyone, but a gorgeous flush of color

Everyone always talks about how great NARS Orgasm is. And for the most part, I definitely agree. It's a beautiful and flattering blush on me. However, I don't think it's appropriate for everyone (and not just because of the name :P)

Orgasm is a flushed peachy pink with golden shimmers. I wouldn't say it's frosty, but it's a pretty shimmery blush. I think Orgasm has the right balance of peach and pink, which makes it so flattering for a lot of people. On my fair skin it looks really nice with most of my other makeup. It's a high quality, highly pigmented shade, so apply in sheer layers for your desired effect.

I keep getting back to the shimmer because that will definitely be an issue for people. For a slightly peachier and less shimmery alternative, try NARS Deep Throat. For a matte version of Orgasm (it's slightly pinker), try NARS Amour.

I definitely suggest trying this product out, even just to see what all the fuss is all about. I'm pretty sure it will look amazing on you, but if the shimmer is even a bit of a problem, there are way too many other options out there for you to keep this product (especially at $26)

I present to you, Exhibit A.

This shade is literally on fire. I swatched it on my hand and thought it was a red-orange eyeshadow. Nope, it's a blush.

It's definitely a hit or miss color. If applied wrong, you will look like Bozo the Clown. This is imminent. However, I believe that this shade would look absolutely exquisite on medium to darker tones applied with a MAC 187 brush (this particular brush picks up less pigment).

For a bold summer look, I recommend pairing Exhibit A on cheeks with a rich golden beige eyeshadow (like MAC All that glitters), a thin line of black liner, and neutral gold shimmering lips (try MAC Instant Gold Lustreglass). You have an amazing, simple yet bold summer look for darker skin tones.

At $26, this is a very expensive blush. However, it contains .16 oz of product which is a fair amount. Even if I used this everyday, I don't think I could ever finish it.

A nice, slightly peachier alternative to Orgasm

I really like NARS Orgasm. It's a great and flattering shade. However, sometimes the shimmer content is too much for everyday. In comes Deep Throat, another, ahem *uniquely* named product from the NARS camp.

It's a soft peach with pink undertones, think if NARS Orgasm took away some shimmer and splashed in some peach. I think this shade is incredibly flattering on a lot of people, probably more on skin tones that lean slightly warmer. As always, NARS blushes are of the highest quality and are incredibly pigmented so be cautious in how much you apply at once. I apply this on the apples of my cheeks with a MAC 187 Duo Fibre Brush. Look at yourself in the mirror, smile like a chipmunk, and apply on the rounded protrusion that your cheeks make (“apples”).

This is priced at $26, which I believe is slightly overpriced for a blush. However, it's high quality, has a fair amount of product (.16 oz), and you will probably never finish it.

Excellent duo for medium-dark skintones

I might be a little biased on this review because I am very fair skinned. However, Sin/Casino duo COULD work with a light hand, even on pale fair skin.

Sin is a gorgeous mauvey-plum with fine fine gold shimmers. Applied with a MAC 187 brush, I can definitely pull this one off for a Fall/Winter look. The Casino bronzer is a golden brown with fine shimmer, so it didn't look quite right on my skin. That's not to say that it wouldn't look amazing on medium- darker skintones. The shade did not oxidize on my skin and stayed golden brown and beautiful. I've used this on friends who are darker and the combination of plum with golden brown is unique and surprisingly flattering on skin. Do not hesitate to try this product out! At $39, it may seem expensive, but when an individual NARS blush is $26 and a bronzer is $32, you are getting substantial saving for a little less in product (and these products will LAST you).

Excellent value, lots of product, great together!

I am a minimalist when it comes to makeup, so I love having palettes that are 2 in 1 to save space in my makeup bag. NARS Orgasm/Laguna duo pairs two of NARS' bestsellers into one convenient mirrored palette.

Orgasm is their most famous product. It's a shimmery flushed peachy pink, a very flattering tone on most, if not all skintones. Beware as it is pigmented! For a sheerer look, apply with a Duo Fibre Brush like the MAC 187 (Sephora has a dupe as well). On my fair skin with peach undertones this is incredibly flattering with anything I wear.

This product IS shimmery, so for those that want the Orgasm color without the shimmer, try NARS Amour blush for a similar tone.

Laguna is their bronzer. It's a warm tan/brown that DOES NOT TURN ORANGE! Countless times, products always turn orange and oxidize on my skin...this does not! it leaves a healthy glow when applied under cheekbones, on temples, around the bridge of the nose, and any other place where sunlight naturally hits the face.

The price rose to $39 from when I purchased it (at $35). I still say this is a great investment for your makeup bag, very universally flattering.

Rated R is not for kids.

This shadow duo is BRIGHT. When you pair a cornflower blue with a chartreuse, you gotta show restraint otherwise you'll look like a parrot (even if that's not your intended look...)

That said, I LOVE this duo. The texture is creamy and smooth, and the colors are vibrant and make a statement, even on their own. I love using the cornflower blue packed on my lids and blended VERY well with a MAC 217. Then, I take a little of the chartreuse shade with my finger and blend it from my inner corner to my inner lids. Don't blend too much otherwise it will get very muddy. Puts lots and lots of mascara on for a fun look.

Another way to use this shadow is by utilizing it as a liner. With a wet damp eyeliner brush (like MAC 263 or 266), coat your brush with eyeshadow and line eyes with the cornflower blue on the upper lash line. Then, line your lower lash line with the chartreuse. It's a fun and unique way to wear bright colors without overloading your eyes with color

Classic Black & White Duo

Pandora is a matte deep black combined with a frosty white shimmer. Together, their polar opposite textures and colors create drama, intensity, and a statement on the eyes. I use this two different ways.

1) Apply the shimmery white all over lids and browbone. Then, use the matte deep black as eyeliner (with a damp eyeliner brush like MAC 266), draw a thin line on the upper lash line and lightly flick out to create a mod inspired wing.

2) Apply a neutral matte base (like MAC Bisque) all over the lids to provide a nice base for eyeshadow to stick to (use Urban Decay Primer Potion if you like that product instead). With a densely packed eyeshadow brush (like the MAC 239), pack on the matte black shade of pandora ONTO the lid and a bit lighter on the crease. Then, take the MAC 217 brush and begin smoking the black up and re-applying the black to get your desired smokey intensity. Pat the white shimmery shadow intensely on the inner corners and browbone for a shimmery sheen. Top off with mascara, a peachy nude blush and blush pink gloss :) (See attached photo for eye look)