Beauty Product Reviews | Page 4

Affordable, high-quality facial cleansing tool!

The Olay Pro-X Cleansing Brush is the size of my hand from wrist to middle fingertip. It's a decent size, not bulky or oddly shaped and has a removable brush head that pops easily on and off. While on, it's very secure and I have never felt like it may pop out or cause me any problems. On the bottom of the Cleansing Brush there is a removable cap that houses the two double A batteries that are required for operation. When I first purchased the product, I was afraid water may get in the battery area, but I have not experienced that problem and after five months, the batteries are still going strong!

There are two buttons on the Cleansing Brush; one to turn the product on and off and one to change the speed from low to high. I prefer to use the high speed, but either will work - it's just a matter of your personal preference. For instance, sensitive skin-types may prefer the low speed.

The Cleanser comes with one brush head. The brush head itself is very soft and the entire head rotates in a circular motion. Olay recommends changing the brush head every three months, or as needed. You can find the replacement brush heads next to the Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System at your retailer. When I checked, the replacements were retailing for about $9.00.

In my experience, the Pro-X Cleansing Brush does a fantastic job of cleansing and exfoliating my face! I have been extremely happy with the results and, though I haven't tried the Clarisonic Mia (which is the product Olay compares their product to), I believe it really does perform just as well as comparable cleansing systems. I have done my fair share of research on this product and from the reviews I've read, most consumers feel the same way.

A good mascara, but doesn't completely deliver.

I received a sample of bareMinerals Flawless Definition Volumizing Mascara in my Swag Bag from Beautylish's April Mixer. The brush is a traditional brush and not the rubberized brush that has become popular. (I prefer the traditional brush.) I find the brush is easy to apply to all of my lashes, both top and bottom, without any clumping or smudging on the skin.

The formula of bareMinerals Flawless Definition Volumizing Mascara is one of my favorites - the not too wet, not too dry type. It coats each of my lashes with the perfect shade of black that's not too dramatic for my fair complexion. I prefer to use only one coat, as two coats made my lashes appear a bit spidery.

bareMinerals Flawless Definition Volumizing Mascara wore all day and night and I did not experience any flaking or smudging. It removes like a dream, unlike my beloved Neutrogena Healthy Volume Mascara, which usually takes two rounds to completely remove.

bareMinerals Flawless Definition Volumizing Mascara is formulated without parabens, sulfates, synthetic fragrances, synthetic dyes and phthalates. It's Opthamologist tested and safe for contact lens wearers.

In conclusion, my lashes are defined and slightly volumized with bareMinerals Flawless Definition Volumizing Mascara in "Black". I love the formula and how easy it is to remove, as well as how well it wears throughout the day, though I can't say I saw a 600% increase like bareMinerals states. I'll let the before and after photos speak for themselves.

Best Kabuki Brush I've Tried!

Sigma's F45 is the best kabuki-style brush I've ever tried! It's super soft and the handle is nice and long, so it's easy to grasp and move around your face. I have found it buffs mineral and powder products perfectly and blends out other products easily and beautifully. I typically use my F45 to blend my foundation on my jawline and neck (just to make sure it appears natural). I love, love, love this brush!

Applies Foundation Beautifully!

The F80 is a great brush for applying liquid foundation and provides an effortless, natural and airbrushed finish. I love how the product doesn't seep into the center of the brush, like the E.L.F. Powder Brush. Both have the same idea - stipple and swirl, but the Sigma F80 is a touch smaller, making it easier to get into the crevices of your face. Also, through many washings my brush hasn't changed in feel. It's still just as stiff, yet soft, as it was when I first received it! It doesn't take too long to dry either, but if you use it with Sigma's new Dry'n Shape, it will dry even quicker!

Holy Grail Primer!

First, let me say, I have oily eyelids. What that means is, my lids produce more oil than the average bear woman, so in addition to being prone to Styes, my eyeshadow creases no matter what I do. At least, that's what I thought until I tried Too Face Shadow Insurance.

I have tried NYX's eyeshadow primer, concealer, setting with powders, MAC Paint Pots and Smashbox Photo Finish Lid Primer and, at best, I got an extra hour or two before creasing. I just assumed I was always going to get creasing, but I had heard that Too Faced Shadow Insurance was great for those with oily eyelids, so I figured I would take the leap... and I am so glad I did!

Too Faced Shadow Insurance's formula is thin, spreads very easily (so please remember a little goes a long way) and dries almost instantly. The product is a flesh-toned color and, though it claims to provide full-coverage, I don't find it conceals the veining on my lid at all. That being said, I haven't found it has been a problem. My eyeshadows still show up as nicely as they would before, but I wouldn't say they've been "intensified", as Too Faced claimed.

What I can say, is that Too Faced Shadow Insurance does a superb job of keeping my eyeshadow in place and I am thrilled to report I haven't had any creasing since using this product - even after 10+ hours! Being able to make this claim is momentous for me as I really did think I would be doomed to creased eyeshadow for the rest of the my life. Now, I don't have to worry about that!

My eyeshadows apply and blend just as easily as before, but they stay true throughout the day and don't crease. Considering how little you need to use, the tube should last you quite a long time, making this Primer an incredible value! I highly, highly recommend this eye primer to anyone who has oily eyelids and especially to those who have found other primers have fell short!

Fair

Hard Candy "Just Face It" One Step Foundation is a new liquid foundation that claims to function as a primer, concealer, foundation and will dry to a powder finish.

The packaging of Hard Candy's "Just Face It" is spectacular for a drugstore foundation in the sense it offers a handy pump that operates beautifully! The sturdy cap snaps securely on and is easy to remove. I find one pump of "Just Face It" is plenty and, in some cases, is more than enough to cover my face. Another fact worth noting is "Just Face It" has 1.19 fl. oz. of product, where most liquid foundations contain just 1 fl. oz. We're not talking a substantial increase in foundation, but a little more is always nice, isn't it?

I picked up "Just Face It" in fair, which is the lightest shade Hard Candy offers. It appears a bit dark in the package and I was afraid it may not work for me. It turned out it is a touch too dark for me, but with the right amount of blending, it's doable. Hard Candy, unfortunately, only offers six shades of "Just Face It", but perhaps they'll expand and offer a few in-betweens (and preferably a lighter shade from "Fair" for little ole' me) after the product has been on the market a while.

Aside from the minor shade dilemma, "Just Face It" has a light mousse-like texture that blends easily, provides medium coverage and leaves your skin feeling as if you don't have anything on at all. This foundation does dry super quickly, so I recommend working on one area of your face at a time so that you aren't working extra hard to blend later. "Just Face It" did a great job of masking my facial redness and some of the unfavorable areas on my face, but I honestly don't think it can replace a concealer. I will give it props for its fantastic job of covering about 90% of my large acne scar, but I still needed concealer for my under-eye area and for an acne spot here or there it didn't cover. "Just Face It" does, indeed, dry to a powder finish and hides my large pores rather well, but it didn't reduce the appearance of my fine lines. Lastly, I noticed, without use of my primer, I had a bit more shine than I normally would about 4-5 hours into wear. The next day I used my primer before applying the foundation and didn't have this problem.

Hard Candy's "Just Face It" One Step Foundation totally delivers on being long-wearing, smooth, blendable, buildable and minimizing pores, but lacks a bit on oil control and reducing fine lines and I can't honestly say it's a one-step-solve-all. If you look at all it performs well on versus the few it doesn't, I'd say this foundation is still a winner!

Milan

NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams come in gloss-style packaging complete with doe-foot applicator. The cap has a soft texture, while the bottom has a smooth plastic texture. If you've ever seen a MAC Lipglass, the cap reminds me of the texture and appearance of those. I wish I could tell you how much product you're getting with these Lip Creams, but it's not listed on their website and mine seems to have a sticker covering where that information would be and I can't get it off. The best I can do is say that the gloss, from top to bottom, measures from my wrist to where my fingers begin (when placed in the palm of my hand).

Milan has a very strong vanilla frosting scent, and from what I've read from other reviews, all of the Soft Matte Lip Creams have this fragrance. I really like it, but it is strong, so those sensitive to scents/fragrances, and/or those who don't care for vanilla frosting, may want to steer clear.

I would describe Milan as a peachy, Carnation-ish-pink. The color payoff of this Lip Cream is fantastic! As soon as you touch the applicator to your lips the color is delivered as-true-as-it-gets and the product seems to float across your lips depositing color as it goes. There was no tugging or pulling - just effortless gliding and rich color! Now, you may be concerned with whether or not this product is drying with it being "matte". I know most matte lip products are known to be drying, but not the Soft Matte Lip Creams! Surprisingly, I did not experience any drying during, or after, my 3-4 hours of wear. I have read a review where they said they felt "a touch drying", but said using a lip balm fixed this, so that's something to note if you experience the same. However, I didn't have a problem, so you may not either.

All in all, I'd say NYX's new Soft Matte Lip Creams are a total win! This is the only product of its kind (that I've seen) and I'm totally loving the cross between lipstick and lip gloss!

I wear this daily!

Angel came in the "Flirty Kitten" bundle that was available around Valentine's Day, but is a permanent product available year-round. This is the first and only blush I've tried from NYX and I'm incredibly impressed! This blush is my most reached-for blush.

The packaging is sleek, which is typical of NYX. It comes in a black compact with a clear lid. The lid closes securely and isn't difficult to open. The pan size is generous (0.2 oz./6.4 g.) and the texture of the blush is buttery-soft, similar to the texture of their eyeshadows.

Angel is such a complimentary shade that pairs with almost anything. I would describe it as a cool, delicate pink. With a light application, it appears very natural and is a perfect flush for my fair skin. However, Angel is buildable to a more pigmented pink and, in my opinion, building would be a better route for warmer/darker skin tones. Unfortunately, and I don't know for certain, I think it's safe to say this shade may not show up well for women of color. I do find Angel to be long-wearing and didn't notice any fading throughout the day.

From my experience with this one blush, I'm definitely interested in trying more shades and I certainly recommend the shade Angel!

Superb!

The packaging is very tastefully done; simple, chic and slim and reminds me of NARS (black and white). It's a nice hard plastic that's smooth to the touch. The lid closes magnetically and the pan sizes of the shadows are generous (4.6g total weight). I do find fingerprints/smudges are noticeable, but that doesn't bother me personally. Even the sponge-tip applicator included is nice quality. Most people won't use it, but I used it to pack on the off-white shade on the inner third of my lid and it performed beautifully.

I'm extremely pleased with this trio! Having never tried a NYX eyeshadow before, I didn't have any expectations. I found the shadows to be buttery-soft, but with little-to-no fallout. The pigmentation was superb and lasted well into eight hours before I started to see creasing (that's solely due to having oily eyelids). Each shade blended with ease and I found the collaboration of colors to be beautifully feminine, flirty and perfect for Spring/Summer!

As you may know, I'm all about my neutrals.That being said, I found the shades in TS25 to be extremely wearable and friendly. I wasn't intimidated and I didn't feel uncomfortable while wearing them, even with the hot pink! I see myself coming back to this trio time and time again.

Clear

NYX's Studio Perfect Primer does a good job of keeping my makeup in tact throughout the day, but I feel as if I have to use more than I would with any other product. I feel like a little does not go a long way here, which is a disappointment. The product does help my foundation apply easier, as most primers do, but I really don't feel like this primer is anything special. The packaging is nice being a squeeze-tube style and the fact that it's clear is nice because you can see how much product is left.

I really wish this primer applied a bit better, or did anything special, so I could give it a higher rating. I love NYX products, but this one isn't a star.