In an attempt to make this blog somewhat useful or at least entertaining again, I thought I'd write a roundup of products I've tried lately and what I thought of them.
Revlon Lip Butter
I've mentioned this before as one of my favorite products and I haven't changed my mind. I am OVERJOYED that these are permanent (for now, anyway). Pink Truffle is still my favorite shade, but I've also bought Tutti Frutti, Red Velvet and Candy Apple. I love them all.
L'Oreal Colour Riche Lip Balm
Let's call this a grown-up version of plain lip balm. It's in the same vein as Revlon Lip Butter, both products are excellent though I personally feel the Revlon is longer lasting. I have Caramel Comfort and Plush Plum - the caramel is much more sheer than the plum but both provide just a little bit of tint with good hydration and shine.
Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Shampoo
Without going into a 10-paragraph dissertation about my hair and all my issues with it and all the things I've tried to overcome/subdue those issues, suffice to say it's fine and naturally curly. I wear it straight now and have for several years, but it's a fight and any BARE HINT of humidity means my hair turns into a wad of cotton candy.
There are several products I've used and loved over the years, among the best being the Kerastase Oleo-Relax serum and Aveda's Dry Remedy conditioner. Because I am at heart a cheapskate, I'm always looking for the lower-priced dupe for either of these and unfortunately I've come up empty (though I am a fan of Sally Beauty's Coloresse Smooth shampoo and conditioner). Enter this shampoo (and the conditioner, though I'm finishing up my Coloresse right now - like I said, I'm a cheapskate). Not only is my hair smooth as glass but it's incredibly shiny. WIN.
Ultra CHI Ceramic Flat Iron
I finally finally FINALLY replaced my old flat iron, which I didn't even buy but was handed down to me. I used coupons and sales to get the price down to about $70 and I'm very happy with it, it's so much better than the other flat irons I've used. It's an Ulta exclusive, whatever that means, but it works very well. (Can you tell I'm on a bit of a hair high?)
Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo
I heard some good buzz about this and bought Tough As Taupe because I am nothing if not a huge sucker for taupe eyeshadow. It's...all right. I found it very difficult to apply to my eyelid - with a brush, with my finger tip - without the results being patchy and draggy and just generally...not good. I do, however, really like it as a liner. I apply it with a little liner brush and it's great (with excellent staying power).
Showing posts with label L'Oreal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label L'Oreal. Show all posts
3/4/12
12/28/11
My 2011 Top 10
It's nearly the end of the year, so why not a best-of list?
I contemplated doing a top ten "new things" and a top ten "all-time favorites" but I settled on just ten total items. This is a mix of things that were new to me in 2011 and things I've loved for a long time.
Naturally, I could compile a top ten nail color list, and I still might, though it will probably be a top 20 because it's very hard to choose and I have...um, a lot of nail polish.
In no particular order:
1. Avene Cleanance Soapless Gel Cleanser
I've raved about this in a couple of other posts, but it's by far one of my favorite discoveries ever. Truly, my face is noticeably softer and clearer. Available online from many sites, including drugstore.com.
2. Chanel Topkapi
I wrestled with whether or not to get this and then when I bit the bullet, it was out of stock. Luckily Chanel.com restocked and I ended up with what may be one of the most perfect shimmery taupe eye shadows around. I super dig the gold, too, and I will cry a very bitter single tear when this gorgeous palette is gone. Limited edition, of course. You can try eBay but this sells for about $100.
3. Coloresse Smooth Shampoo
This is a Sally Beauty exclusive and it works as well for me as Aveda Dry Remedy conditioner, at a fraction of the price. Available at Sally Beauty in stores and online.
4. Murad Energizing Pomegranate Lip Therapy SPF 15
Like the Avene cleanser, this is one of those happy accidents where I received a sample and fell in love with the product. Somewhere between a balm and a gloss, this product has a pleasant mild fruit scent and feels light, not sticky or goopy. I usually use it before bed and then first thing in the morning, while I'm putting my makeup on. Nice and moisturizing. Available online from several sites, I bought mine at aveyou.com.
5. Maybelline Volum' Express The Falsies Flared
Wow that is a mouthful of a name for mascara, but: recommend. I am actually a huge fan of the whole The Falsies line, including the regular stuff and the Black Drama version, but OMG do not use the waterproof unless you want to have to chisel your mascara off every night. Available pretty much everywhere, I usually buy mine at CVS.
6. MAC Viva Glam Cyndi
As much as it seems pointless to include things that are discontinued and increasingly hard to find even on eBay (and inflated to 3x the original price when you do find it there), I really do love this lipstick. It's red, but not heavy handed or overly bright - just pretty and flattering and easy to wear. Which is probably why it sold out quickly and why not many people are willing to give it up for less than $40. Limited edition; try eBay if you must have it.
7. L'Oreal Paris Project Runway Sultry Raven's Blush
Ugh, so this is also a limited edition item that was released this fall with the Colors Take Flight collection. But I have to mention it here because it's my favorite blush and I wear it nearly every single day. It's really a foolproof color and great for every day. Sadly I can't find this online anywhere (okay, I found one on eBay, tragically overpriced) but it's possible you could find one languishing at a drugstore or discount store somewhere. I got mine at Rite Aid.
8. Cover Girl Lipslicks Lip Gloss in Hipster
I've talked about this before, it's probably one of my favorite products of all time. Cheap and available just about anywhere; I've purchased at CVS, Target and lots of other places.
9. Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat
This is the top coat I reach for most often, and I'm bummed it doesn't work for me with Zoya, Chanel and certain other brands. But for most everything it works great and looks amazing. I find that it dries very quickly on me and that I can get back to my regular activities in fairly short order. Available in-store at CVS and Sally and probably several other places as well.
10. Smith's Rosebud Salve
At around $6, this is a huge beauty bargain. It's versatile, portable and suitable for both men and women. I use it primarily as a lip balm and cuticle treatment, but you can also use it on rough dry skin and for a dozen other things. I have bought this at Sephora, but you can order it online at drugstore.com and probably lots of other places.
Honorable Mention: Revlon Lip Butter in Pink Truffle
I would have included this above if there weren't already four lip products on the list! I'm not sure if these are limited edition; I sure hope they aren't because they are amazing. Pink Truffle is my favorite of the three colors I bought and I already picked up a backup. I have found these at Rite Aid and CVS. A great bargain for about $8.
I contemplated doing a top ten "new things" and a top ten "all-time favorites" but I settled on just ten total items. This is a mix of things that were new to me in 2011 and things I've loved for a long time.
Naturally, I could compile a top ten nail color list, and I still might, though it will probably be a top 20 because it's very hard to choose and I have...um, a lot of nail polish.
In no particular order:
1. Avene Cleanance Soapless Gel Cleanser
I've raved about this in a couple of other posts, but it's by far one of my favorite discoveries ever. Truly, my face is noticeably softer and clearer. Available online from many sites, including drugstore.com.
2. Chanel Topkapi
I wrestled with whether or not to get this and then when I bit the bullet, it was out of stock. Luckily Chanel.com restocked and I ended up with what may be one of the most perfect shimmery taupe eye shadows around. I super dig the gold, too, and I will cry a very bitter single tear when this gorgeous palette is gone. Limited edition, of course. You can try eBay but this sells for about $100.
3. Coloresse Smooth Shampoo
This is a Sally Beauty exclusive and it works as well for me as Aveda Dry Remedy conditioner, at a fraction of the price. Available at Sally Beauty in stores and online.
4. Murad Energizing Pomegranate Lip Therapy SPF 15
Like the Avene cleanser, this is one of those happy accidents where I received a sample and fell in love with the product. Somewhere between a balm and a gloss, this product has a pleasant mild fruit scent and feels light, not sticky or goopy. I usually use it before bed and then first thing in the morning, while I'm putting my makeup on. Nice and moisturizing. Available online from several sites, I bought mine at aveyou.com.
5. Maybelline Volum' Express The Falsies Flared
Wow that is a mouthful of a name for mascara, but: recommend. I am actually a huge fan of the whole The Falsies line, including the regular stuff and the Black Drama version, but OMG do not use the waterproof unless you want to have to chisel your mascara off every night. Available pretty much everywhere, I usually buy mine at CVS.
6. MAC Viva Glam Cyndi
As much as it seems pointless to include things that are discontinued and increasingly hard to find even on eBay (and inflated to 3x the original price when you do find it there), I really do love this lipstick. It's red, but not heavy handed or overly bright - just pretty and flattering and easy to wear. Which is probably why it sold out quickly and why not many people are willing to give it up for less than $40. Limited edition; try eBay if you must have it.
7. L'Oreal Paris Project Runway Sultry Raven's Blush
Ugh, so this is also a limited edition item that was released this fall with the Colors Take Flight collection. But I have to mention it here because it's my favorite blush and I wear it nearly every single day. It's really a foolproof color and great for every day. Sadly I can't find this online anywhere (okay, I found one on eBay, tragically overpriced) but it's possible you could find one languishing at a drugstore or discount store somewhere. I got mine at Rite Aid.
8. Cover Girl Lipslicks Lip Gloss in Hipster
I've talked about this before, it's probably one of my favorite products of all time. Cheap and available just about anywhere; I've purchased at CVS, Target and lots of other places.
9. Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat
This is the top coat I reach for most often, and I'm bummed it doesn't work for me with Zoya, Chanel and certain other brands. But for most everything it works great and looks amazing. I find that it dries very quickly on me and that I can get back to my regular activities in fairly short order. Available in-store at CVS and Sally and probably several other places as well.
10. Smith's Rosebud Salve
At around $6, this is a huge beauty bargain. It's versatile, portable and suitable for both men and women. I use it primarily as a lip balm and cuticle treatment, but you can also use it on rough dry skin and for a dozen other things. I have bought this at Sephora, but you can order it online at drugstore.com and probably lots of other places.
Honorable Mention: Revlon Lip Butter in Pink Truffle
I would have included this above if there weren't already four lip products on the list! I'm not sure if these are limited edition; I sure hope they aren't because they are amazing. Pink Truffle is my favorite of the three colors I bought and I already picked up a backup. I have found these at Rite Aid and CVS. A great bargain for about $8.
6/11/10
What my nails did while I moved house
Well, I moved.
All of my polishes survived intact, but to be honest it's not as if I gave them much chance of coming into harm's way. I transported them by car and now they're safely stowed away in the bathroom closet, eagerly awaiting a Helmer. We're planning a trip to IKEA in the next couple of weeks when we have a better idea of what we really need. It's easy to get out of control in that store, so we're not going without a list, lest we end up spending $100 on INGBORSTs and YOOBLIs and whatnot.
Anyway. Moving was very bad for my nails and cuticles. Before I started the heavy-duty packing I cut my nails very short and painted them a dark vampy color, L'Oreal Boogie, which I showed you in the previous post. As I was running out of my preferred Instant Artificials base coat at the time, I reverted to my original favorite, a combo of Palladio ridge filler and Palladio Fuse bonding base coat.
I don't know if it was the Palladio products or the L'Oreal polish or the the combination of the two, but here is my L'Oreal Boogie manicure after 6 (6!!!) days of packing, taping, wrapping, cleaning, washing, etc.:
IMPRESSIVE.
Because of this little experiment I don't think I'll be replacing my Instant Artificials anytime soon. It's a good product but it seems the Palladio combination works better for me.
Anyway after I took the Boogie manicure off, things got pretty real in terms of the hands-on moving work and I could only be bothered with my nails enough to slap on a sheer, very forgiving polish every couple of days. For this type of manicure I really like OPI Bubble Bath and OPI Moon Over Mumbai. Both are sheer enough to be very easy to apply, they hold up well, disguise any staining and if they chip a little or have some tip wear it's not terribly noticeable.
One day I was so over everything having to do with moving that I went to work with NO POLISH ON MY NAILS...AIEEEEEEEEEE horror show. Holy stains.
So now that moving is behind me (I'd like to say FOREVER but realistically I realize I can't live in a duplex for the rest of my life...unfortunately), I've been able to nurse my destroyed cuticles along to where I am enjoying putting a bit of effort into my nails again. One nice thing is that because I wore so many sheer polishes for so long, my nails are far less stained than they had been. I suspect that this will be undone in fairly short order, but it was nice while it lasted.
In any event, here's what I've been up to, color-wise:
This was a really cute combo that I'm bummed didn't photograph too well. Here's a bottle picture so you can get a better idea of the blue:
I'd had the Ruby Kisses polish for a while but picked up the Savvy not long ago. It's part of a new collection of six (I think?) polishes that, at my quick glance, seem to be intended as sparkly top coats. I liked this combo a lot and received some compliments on it. I'd like to try Glass Slipper over some other colors.
I was very happy to find Orly Rage; I missed it when it first came out and thought it was gone for good. I really love this finish in a polish, and this manicure lasted several days with no visible wear. Would do business with again!
I really cannot say enough about Misa polishes. The formula is crazy nice, and for $3 you really can't beat it. This one was a joy to put on. Misa does have the craziest, most awkward names for their colors...Right Here Now, No More Later? If you say so. I guess it doesn't matter as long as the color payoff is there.
Next up I have an Illamasqua for you, as well as some newer finds. I don't think I'll be buying any new bottles for a while because I'm quite content with the many (many...many many) colors I have for the time being. After moving and coming face to face with how much STUFF a person can accumulate, I'm not feeling very acquisitive of late.
But no worries! I'm sure it's just a phase!
All of my polishes survived intact, but to be honest it's not as if I gave them much chance of coming into harm's way. I transported them by car and now they're safely stowed away in the bathroom closet, eagerly awaiting a Helmer. We're planning a trip to IKEA in the next couple of weeks when we have a better idea of what we really need. It's easy to get out of control in that store, so we're not going without a list, lest we end up spending $100 on INGBORSTs and YOOBLIs and whatnot.
Anyway. Moving was very bad for my nails and cuticles. Before I started the heavy-duty packing I cut my nails very short and painted them a dark vampy color, L'Oreal Boogie, which I showed you in the previous post. As I was running out of my preferred Instant Artificials base coat at the time, I reverted to my original favorite, a combo of Palladio ridge filler and Palladio Fuse bonding base coat.
I don't know if it was the Palladio products or the L'Oreal polish or the the combination of the two, but here is my L'Oreal Boogie manicure after 6 (6!!!) days of packing, taping, wrapping, cleaning, washing, etc.:
IMPRESSIVE.
Because of this little experiment I don't think I'll be replacing my Instant Artificials anytime soon. It's a good product but it seems the Palladio combination works better for me.
Anyway after I took the Boogie manicure off, things got pretty real in terms of the hands-on moving work and I could only be bothered with my nails enough to slap on a sheer, very forgiving polish every couple of days. For this type of manicure I really like OPI Bubble Bath and OPI Moon Over Mumbai. Both are sheer enough to be very easy to apply, they hold up well, disguise any staining and if they chip a little or have some tip wear it's not terribly noticeable.
One day I was so over everything having to do with moving that I went to work with NO POLISH ON MY NAILS...AIEEEEEEEEEE horror show. Holy stains.
So now that moving is behind me (I'd like to say FOREVER but realistically I realize I can't live in a duplex for the rest of my life...unfortunately), I've been able to nurse my destroyed cuticles along to where I am enjoying putting a bit of effort into my nails again. One nice thing is that because I wore so many sheer polishes for so long, my nails are far less stained than they had been. I suspect that this will be undone in fairly short order, but it was nice while it lasted.
In any event, here's what I've been up to, color-wise:
This was a really cute combo that I'm bummed didn't photograph too well. Here's a bottle picture so you can get a better idea of the blue:
I'd had the Ruby Kisses polish for a while but picked up the Savvy not long ago. It's part of a new collection of six (I think?) polishes that, at my quick glance, seem to be intended as sparkly top coats. I liked this combo a lot and received some compliments on it. I'd like to try Glass Slipper over some other colors.
I was very happy to find Orly Rage; I missed it when it first came out and thought it was gone for good. I really love this finish in a polish, and this manicure lasted several days with no visible wear. Would do business with again!
I really cannot say enough about Misa polishes. The formula is crazy nice, and for $3 you really can't beat it. This one was a joy to put on. Misa does have the craziest, most awkward names for their colors...Right Here Now, No More Later? If you say so. I guess it doesn't matter as long as the color payoff is there.
Next up I have an Illamasqua for you, as well as some newer finds. I don't think I'll be buying any new bottles for a while because I'm quite content with the many (many...many many) colors I have for the time being. After moving and coming face to face with how much STUFF a person can accumulate, I'm not feeling very acquisitive of late.
But no worries! I'm sure it's just a phase!
5/19/10
10/21/09
Question of the week/Review of the week
The issue at hand today: Why are mass market brand mineral makeup dispensers so incredibly jank?
A bit of background: I switched to mineral makeup several years ago because liquid foundation is the devil. No, sorry, that's not totally accurate. It's just that liquid foundation was a terrible, terrible thing for me. How many did I try over the years? A dozen? Probably more. And they were all terrible, they would just sit there on my skin and slide around all day, and then they would give me zits. To be perfectly frank, I find liquid foundation disgusting. But I understand this puts me in a minority. I switched to powder foundation and tried both NARS and MAC (WTF, CAPS LOCK LOL), both terrible and NARS being the worst. Eventually I realized that I don't like or need that much maquillage slathered over my face and I tried Jane Iredale makeup at the recommendation of a salon owner. Later I switched to Bare Escentuals on the advice of a friend.
Not long ago I ran out of Bare Escentuals foundation and Mineral Veil. (Let's not even talk about Mineral Veil...there is literally no replacement for it and I miss it so much I could cry. Really, don't talk about it.) To replace the two of these things costs $44, American, plus tax. Due to I am unemployed, this is not feasible. And seeing as how you can practically buy mineral makeup at the corner gas station anymore, I decided to give cheaper brands a try.
Now I understand "cheaper" is relative. No one has to pay $44 for makeup, but I like to, and I used to have a job that afforded me that pleasure. The two mass market brand mineral foundations I tried cost $11.99 and $12.49, which is also not really "cheap," depending on your perspective, your budget, and the importance of makeup to you personally. But for the purposes of this post let's consider it cheap enough.
The first one I tried was Revlon ColorStay Mineral Foundation, which I purchased at Target for $11.99. It comes in eight shades and has an SPF factor of 10 (Bare Escentuals is SPF 15). It is also sold in the worst dispenser in the world. I won't try to tell you that the Bare Escentuals sifter is foolproof, because I've dropped plenty of them and also they are terrifically inconvenient for travel. But I can fit a makeup brush in there, which is more than I can say for Revlon's crappy dispenser.
Where to begin? The shape of the sifter is odd, practically ensuring you'll leave a third of the product unused because you can't get at it; the brush is stubby and painfully scratchy; the powder reservoir is too narrow to get a real brush into; the brush apparatus is clumsy and droppable. The makeup itself? Fine, if not spectacular. The coverage was decent, although it didn't seem to last as long as Bare Escentuals. (That may just be the Mineral Veil difference...but then again we're not talking about you-know-what.)
I hated the Revlon container so much that I decided to try L'Oreal Bare Naturale Mineral Foundation for my next purchase. I picked up a coupon circular in my apartment building mailroom and, sure enough, there was a coupon for L'Oreal cosmetics, making it only $10.49 at Target. The L'Oreal mineral foundation comes in 10 shades with an SPF of 19.
To be honest, it's a much nicer mass market mineral foundation. The L'Oreal shade works better for me and seems to provide better coverage for a longer time. Also, the container is less stupid, but only slightly. You have to pop the brush out of its dumb little bell jar, leaving you with a clumsy "handle" that's covered with powder, since the bottom of the brush is the lid of the powder reservoir. At least the bottom of the jar resembles a traditional sifter, although somewhat dinkier in size. Though L'Oreal's brush is softer than Revlon's (by a lot), I am still using a regular old Sephora brush with this. It's just not worth it to fool around with the too-cute-by-half arrangement that L'Oreal has chosen.
Anyone use mineral makeup? Have you found anything you like at mass market prices?
A bit of background: I switched to mineral makeup several years ago because liquid foundation is the devil. No, sorry, that's not totally accurate. It's just that liquid foundation was a terrible, terrible thing for me. How many did I try over the years? A dozen? Probably more. And they were all terrible, they would just sit there on my skin and slide around all day, and then they would give me zits. To be perfectly frank, I find liquid foundation disgusting. But I understand this puts me in a minority. I switched to powder foundation and tried both NARS and MAC (WTF, CAPS LOCK LOL), both terrible and NARS being the worst. Eventually I realized that I don't like or need that much maquillage slathered over my face and I tried Jane Iredale makeup at the recommendation of a salon owner. Later I switched to Bare Escentuals on the advice of a friend.
Not long ago I ran out of Bare Escentuals foundation and Mineral Veil. (Let's not even talk about Mineral Veil...there is literally no replacement for it and I miss it so much I could cry. Really, don't talk about it.) To replace the two of these things costs $44, American, plus tax. Due to I am unemployed, this is not feasible. And seeing as how you can practically buy mineral makeup at the corner gas station anymore, I decided to give cheaper brands a try.
Now I understand "cheaper" is relative. No one has to pay $44 for makeup, but I like to, and I used to have a job that afforded me that pleasure. The two mass market brand mineral foundations I tried cost $11.99 and $12.49, which is also not really "cheap," depending on your perspective, your budget, and the importance of makeup to you personally. But for the purposes of this post let's consider it cheap enough.
The first one I tried was Revlon ColorStay Mineral Foundation, which I purchased at Target for $11.99. It comes in eight shades and has an SPF factor of 10 (Bare Escentuals is SPF 15). It is also sold in the worst dispenser in the world. I won't try to tell you that the Bare Escentuals sifter is foolproof, because I've dropped plenty of them and also they are terrifically inconvenient for travel. But I can fit a makeup brush in there, which is more than I can say for Revlon's crappy dispenser.
Where to begin? The shape of the sifter is odd, practically ensuring you'll leave a third of the product unused because you can't get at it; the brush is stubby and painfully scratchy; the powder reservoir is too narrow to get a real brush into; the brush apparatus is clumsy and droppable. The makeup itself? Fine, if not spectacular. The coverage was decent, although it didn't seem to last as long as Bare Escentuals. (That may just be the Mineral Veil difference...but then again we're not talking about you-know-what.)
I hated the Revlon container so much that I decided to try L'Oreal Bare Naturale Mineral Foundation for my next purchase. I picked up a coupon circular in my apartment building mailroom and, sure enough, there was a coupon for L'Oreal cosmetics, making it only $10.49 at Target. The L'Oreal mineral foundation comes in 10 shades with an SPF of 19.
To be honest, it's a much nicer mass market mineral foundation. The L'Oreal shade works better for me and seems to provide better coverage for a longer time. Also, the container is less stupid, but only slightly. You have to pop the brush out of its dumb little bell jar, leaving you with a clumsy "handle" that's covered with powder, since the bottom of the brush is the lid of the powder reservoir. At least the bottom of the jar resembles a traditional sifter, although somewhat dinkier in size. Though L'Oreal's brush is softer than Revlon's (by a lot), I am still using a regular old Sephora brush with this. It's just not worth it to fool around with the too-cute-by-half arrangement that L'Oreal has chosen.
Anyone use mineral makeup? Have you found anything you like at mass market prices?
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