Beauty Product Reviews | Page 3

Great medium-full coverage for well-moisturized dry skin

I waited with bated breath for this to come to the U.S. because I loved (and still love) CT's Light Wonder but wanted medium-full coverage in her makeup line. I have been using Magic Foundation regularly since it came out, and I love it so much I bought a backup recently. For me it provides medium coverage with one application, and can build up to full coverage with a 2nd application.

I use my Chikuhodo GSN-5 foundation brush to apply and buff, and it does a splendid, beautiful, flawless job. I also used my fingers once or twice and rubbed it in well, and that also worked, but I like the finish better using the Chikohodo GSN-5 brush.

I have an in-depth nightly skin routine that always ends with a deep moisturizer, since I have very dry, patchy skin that will flake and scale around my mouth and chin. In the mornings before applying any foundation I will cleanse with an oil, moisturize with a light facial oil, apply SPF 50, drink my coffee while it all sinks in, then begin my makeup. The Magic Foundation applies beautifully to well-moisturized skin.

I check in with my skin throughout the day to see how things are going... you know how it is! The Magic Foundation holds up beautifully while I'm running around the hospital taking care of my patients. At the end of a long, stressful day, my makeup still looks fabulous, and I still get stares and compliments on my way home. If only I had the same energy and staying power as CT Magic Foundation!

I'm 44, almost 45, and have my share of wrinkles. I buff in my products thoroughly, and have not had an issue of this foundation showing my wrinkles. I find that when I have a problem with wrinkles showing, it's almost always because I applied too much setting powder in the morning. Lisa Eldridge in her videos demonstrates how to apply just a touch of setting powder just where you need it using a small brush, almost like an eyeshadow crease brush - and that's how I've been doing it, and have not had an issue with sinking into wrinkles.

An added benefit of Magic Foundation is its brightening power. I didn't expect this, even though I think it's one of the claims, but make up lines claim things all the time and I'm like, 'yeah, right.' On me, this foundation brightens my skin. When I apply a blusher and/or bronzer over it, the areas that are not blushed/bronzed appear more luminous and make the blushed/bronzed areas pop more. It's really an amazing effect on me, and I get a lot of stares and compliments from both men and women when I use this foundation.

I usually use sheerer foundations, like CT's Light Wonder or MAC face and body. Magic Foundation is the thickest foundation I own and use. It's a keeper.

Fantastic brush

I absolutely love this brush. For years I used my fingers to apply foundation, then experimented with Armani's Blender Brush in sable hair. That brush is ok, but I found myself longing for a denser brush that wasn't as flat, and that I could use not only to apply makeup but buff and blend as well. I bought the Tom Ford liquid foundation brush but something about it didn't appeal to me, and I returned it unused. I did a lot of research before deciding on Chikuhodo's GSN-5 liquid foundation brush. I use it every morning and I absolutely love it. It applies liquid and cream foundations gorgeously. The thinnest foundation I use is Charlotte Tilbury's Light Wonder foundation. The GSN-5 handles it beautifully. The brush is so dense that the foundation does not run up into the fibers or the ferrule, and does not streak when I apply this thin foundation. It also works beautifully with slightly thicker Armani Lumnous Silk foundation, which I also love. And it works great with my thickest foundation CT Magic Foundation, which I also love.

The brush applies makeup smoothly without streaks, and moments after applying it, I use the same brush to work the foundation into my skin and buff it. The brush is soft enough that it doesn't micro-exfoliate my skin (I have sensitive red skin) but it has just the right amount of stiffness that it does its job. I really, really enjoy putting my make up on with this brush.

I've washed it twice and had absolutely no issues with shedding (maybe one or two loose hairs). I'm planning to buy a second one soon.

One last thing - I don't understand the comments that say the hair on this brush is ugly! In my opinion, it's gorgeous. The hair is blonde, and theres so much of it that the brush is dense. The brush hair color is a good match for foundation skin tones. My foundation looks great on the brush, and great on my face.

Beautiful pearlized polish

I have RMS nail polish in three colors: Luminizer, Solar, and Myth. I'm a sucker for neutral polishes, and the gentle pearl shimmers of these shades wow me every time I wear them. I'm also attracted to their safer ingredients, since I put so much time and money protecting my skin, why wouldn't I want the safest ingredients! I'll review each shade:

LUMINIZER: A beautiful, pearly soft white. Looks gorgeous next to my pale skin with cool pink undertone. Works really nicely with a pale skin tone, and would also look stunning on brown skin. Of course there are no rules as to what season one should wear a certain color nail polish, but that said, this is a four-season color, particularly winter and summer. It's bright and luminous for summertime, and a perfect pearly-icy white for the depths of snowy winter. I love this shade so much I bought a back-up immediately.

SOLAR: This is a deep, rich, warm gold shade. This color is slightly too deep and rich gold for my cool, pale skin tone, but I still love it. It looks like what I imagine a thick solid chunk of 14-karat gold looks like. Solar would look AMAZING on tan or brown skin, the tanner or darker the better. To all ladies who tan deeply in the summer, or who have deep brown chocolate skin, this will look AMAZING on you!!! This is a beautiful summer color for good tanners (I'm a burner, not a tanner), and I can just picture this shade on a hand with brown skin and gold bangle bracelets...on the beach at sunset...Gorgeous. I can also imagine wearing this around the TG-Xmas-NY holiday season.

MYTH: This is a lighter gold shade that works better with paler skin. It's also a straight-up gold, as opposed to a rose-gold, like Guerlain's La Petit Robe Noire, for example. It's leans toward the warm side, and not brassy at all. It's really beautiful and suits my paler skin tone better than Solar. It's a great summer color, and I can see myself wearing this four seasons as well.

All in all, I love these shades. If RMS puts out a pearly powder pink, I'm first in line.

I also have Toffee Cream and Bloom Berry shades, as well as the original Baume de Rose. They are all 5 stars - no, 10 stars - amazing. Manadrina Pulp in the pot looks bright orange, but on the lips it sheers out to a beautiful spring peach-light coral shade. I have big, full lips and I generally prefer to play them down a little, especially at work. Mandarina Pulp gives a beautiful color/tint and shine that looks like I have color on my lips but not overwhelmingly so. I wear this shade with warm-colored clothes and when I want a lighter lip.

Toffee Cream is warm darker nude. It's not so dark that I look like I'm wearing a dark brown lipstick. Nude lip colors are usually a huge fail for me because my lips are so pigmented naturally. Toffee Cream gives a sophisticated nude tint just enough to tone down the lips when you want to play up something else.

Berry Bloom is a color I've worn the least, only because my lips are naturally red. Berry Bloom gives a dark berry stain, but not over-the-top dark red berry color.

But THE BEST PART about these colors is they are SUPER-MOISTURIZING, and they leave my lips feeling hydrated and healthy after they've worn off. My lips are so sensitive and get dried out by products that advertise themselves as moisturizing, so I've learnt to be very careful. I adore these baumes because they're A-number-one in terms of color, moisture, and quality. They are a tad scented, but it doesn't bother me. Especially the original - smells like luscious rose. Similar to YSL Creme de Rose. I love them all.

I love it. Large quantity, too.

I have been using this night cream for the past two months. I have very dry skin, especially in winter, and if I don't moisturize well day and night, I develop patches of scaly, dry skin around my face. First I use a moisturizing oil (Tatcha or ProGenius Rescue), then I use a pea size amount of this cream to cover my entire face and neck. I have not had any scaliness or dry patches on my face at all since I started using this cream, and CT's entire skin care line (in combination with Tatcha). It has done wonders for my skin. I went back to another cream line I used to use (Chanel Le Lift and Sublimage) but after one night the dry, scaly patches came back. I returned all my Chanel skin products. I'm sticking to what works! Thank you, and love you, CT.

Overnight results

The first time I used this product about two months ago, I was amazed to wake up to see the fine lines under and around my eyes greatly diminished overnight. I continued to use the product for a few nights with even greater improvement, then rotated back to my other high-end eye creams. The eye wrinkles returned quickly. I always get at least 7.5 hours sleep, and nothing else changed in my routine. When I rotated back to this eye cream, again the wrinkles diminished after one night, and the skin surrounding my eyes was soft, supple, radiant, and brightened. Generally I love CT products, but some of her products can be hit or miss. She nailed this one. I hope she doesn't change the formula, because whatever she did, it's amazing. The amount for the price is generous. Very happy with this eye cream.

Soft, natural-looking powder bronzer and highlight.

I love this bronzer/highlighter set. I have fair skin with pink undertones, and medium brown hair with red undertones. I used to never use bronzer but started getting into it last year when I discovered Armani's Sun Fabric. The lightest Sun Fabric (100) was too dark for me unless I used the lightest possible touch. It did not leave much room for error. Then I found CT's Bronze and Glow. I find it very easy and fun to use. The bronzer blends beautifully into my foundation (Light Wonder, or Touche Eclat, or Luminous Silk). There is no orange in the bronzer. It looks beautiful and natural. The highlighter is a beautiful, natural, soft, subtle glow, without glitter, and no outlandish shimmer or shine. Just soft and natural-looking. I use this with my Chikuhodo brushes, which pick up just the right amount of product. Lately I've been skipping blusher and using this bronzer/highlighter only. I ended up returning the Sun Fabric. This is the only bronzer I need. I love it, and hope Charlotte Tilbury never changes it!

Works really well for me

I've been using the Magic Night Cream every night for about two weeks so far, and I love it. The texture of the cream is very thick, and it's easy to use too much. Only a pea-sized amount is enough for the whole face and neck, otherwise it will feel too thick and greasy. I have dry skin, and if I don't moisturize with a thick cream, I can develop small scaly patches near the corners of my mouth, or my chin. This cream keeps my skin beautifully hydrated and moisturized. I apply at night only, and by morning my skin looks and feels great. I also use the other Charlotte Tilbury skin products, and I enjoy them all. The secret to the night cream, though, is to use a very small amount and massage in thoroughly.