Beauty Product Reviews | Page 5

Surprisingly pigmented shadows, surprisingly sheer glosses

I was pleasantly surprised by this palette: when I saw the bubbly plastic compact, I thought it had to be the Sephora equivalent of children's dress-up makeup. But the eyeshadow pans are quite large, and filled with beautifully pigmented violet and gray shadows--smokey eyes and romantic plum looks are effortless with these smooth-blending shadows.

On the other hand, I was pretty disappointed by the glosses. They have a very sweet, almost cloying strawberry-candy scent and really all look the same: absolutely sheer, with iridescent sparkle.

Attached is my swatch of the shadows--one swipe, very pigmented! I reviewed this compact in full on my blog, complete with lipgloss swatches. <a class='textlink' href='http://queencicada.com/2010/12/metamorphosis-21-0/' rel='nofollow noopener' target='_blank'>http://queencicada.com/2010/12/meta...</a>

Beautiful scent, but that's about it.

I bought this about a year ago, when Fresh's Lychee Sugar was one of my favourite scents of all time. I still think it's a beautiful light, sweet fruit fragrance, and this lotion is very true to the perfume. It's not terribly strong, very subtle, and lasts almost all day on the skin. If I apply it in the morning, I still get whiffs of it when I change at night. So very good staying power!

My reason for the 3.5 rating is mostly the texture. It's a very loose cream, a little drippy, and it takes some time to work into the skin. Even then, it can be a little bit streaky and white on the surface. It absorbs after a few hours or so, but who wants to wait that long? --I don't know if I had a bad batch, or if they've reformulated, but this also leaves me with a distinctly sticky feeling. Its a little like fruit juice or soda on your skin--tacky and damp and just sort of icky. Again, it goes away after a few hours, but it's gross in the mean time.

Basically, this smells really nice, and lasts a while, but I don't think I'll purchase it again because of the stickiness it leaves on my skin. I'll just stick with the perfume.

Okay, okay, I'll admit I'm ridiculous. At my age, there's probably not much reason to worry about signs of aging, except that my super-dry skin is more prone to wrinkling than most skin-types, and my family tends to develop certain distinct creases before our time. And I refuse to allow that to happen.

But being ridiculously allergic to SLS and mindful of parabens and natural ingredients, I decided to give this a shot. The scent is almost like fresh honeysuckle flowers, or maybe delicate fruit skins, but not overly fruity. I kind of expected this to be bright purple or blue or some fruit colour, but it's perfectly while, and kind of a milky-creme texture. It's very smooth and kind of disappears into the skin after application, but you can tell where its been applied thanks to the somewhat slippery texture. It rinses clean and leaves skin feeling super-soft.

In the few weeks I've been using this, I have noticed somewhat diminished pore appearance and all-around improved skin texture, but I'm not sure it's all entirely due to this cleanser since I've also started using the Clarisonic MIA twice a day. But I will continue to use this cleanser and track the results, and will be going back for the corresponding moisturizers and the aforementioned "intensive repair serum"...

A little bit goes a long way!

I bought this kind of on a whim when I saw it at my local drug store. Winter always does a number on my skin, and I have perpetual "lizard skin" on my elbows. Definitely not glamorous! But I love the Yes To products I've tried and for $12 I couldn't resist.

Literally, dipping your fingertip into the product is enough for my entire forearm. It is a super-thick formula, though I was surprised at how creamy it was. Unlike most "rich" formulas I've tried, this is much softer and smoother. I wouldn't even call this "cake frosting" texture--almost more like super thick cake batter.

I can't say much for the scent--even though "fragrance" is listed as an ingredient, it smells unscented. Like raw shea/cocoa butter, but less nutty. Sort of like unscented cold creme. But it's not offensive, and it fades a few minutes after application.

I apply this every morning and evening on my elbows and I'm pleased to say, my "lizard skin" is almost gone. It's been about a week. I also apply this to my legs after shaving, and to my arms/shoulders after showering (I tend to dry out from the hot water). There's really no reason to have itchy, flaky dry skin again!

Smells amazing, but not mascara-friendly

I bought these after finishing my usual Neutrogena towelettes and trying to buy only cruelty-free/vegan products. I was also thrilled to see they were being carried at my local drug store for about $5.

These smell exactly like freshly peeled cucumber, which is absolutely delicious and super-soothing at the end of the day. They're very soft, so I'm not sure about the exfoliating bit, but they take off my foundation and lipgloss beautifully. They will take off my shadow, but leave my liner/mascara smeared and virtually untouched. To get them off completely, I need to first remove my eye makeup completely, then use the cucumber wipes--at that point, they remove ALL residue left on my face from the cold creme/makeup remover, and get all those pesky mascara flakes off my lower lids.

I do usually wash my face afterward, but I don't feel horrible about myself if I fall asleep and forget. Just one of my OCD bedtime routines that I wash my face--but if I was traveling, a package of these and a makeup remover would do just fine.

Convenient, smooth colour

I really do like this product, and often go to it more often than my MAC or NARS blushes (which are the only other brands I own--I haven't been into blush until recently). It's very simple to use and great for travel, since the pan magnetically fits into the Mary Kay palette and can easily be paired with their highlighter, which I have snapped in right next to it.

I typically use Cherry Blossom underneath my cheekbones , and if I'm feeling adventurous will use Strawberry Cream on the apples. The colours all seem universally flattering since they apply more or less sheer and can be built up for additional colour.

Nice, convenient colour

I'll admit it: I own a lot of Mary Kay. This is because my mother sells it, and a lot of it is very good, but the eyeshadows are not my favourite. For anyone else, they're probably great: pretty, shimmering washes of colour that create very natural looks. I am not a natural girl. My palette consists of Mineral Eye Colors in White Lily, Silver Satin, Black Pearl, and Coal, which are fairly every-day colours for me. They're convenient for traveling since they fit into the magnetic Mary Kay palette and great for work-friendly looks. But I have tons of much more highly-pigmented smoky shadows to do the same thing, amped up times ten.

Like I said, most people will probably love these. I'm just not a neutral glad, you know?

My boyfriend purchased this moisturizer as part of a "new leaf" he was turning over, but gave it to me when he realized daily moisturizing was more than he bargained for (I know, what?!). But! I'm glad he did! The sales girl recommended this for his oily, blemish-prone skin as a light, barely-there moisturizer, but it works miracles for my dry, irritated face as well. It goes on rich and smooth and absorbs quickly enough for me to apply my makeup almost immediately. I need only a fingertip's worth for each cheek and my forehead (three fingers in all), but use a little more at night so it seeps in while I sleep.

This will probably be a little too heavy during the summer, but for winter it is absolutely perfect--and can I just add, is smells amazing? Just like almond milk, or unsweetened almond paste!

Gentle, moisturizing cleanser

I really don't know what I'll do after the holiday season since this is a limited item!

Despite the "citrus scrub" description, this cleanser smells exactly like rice pudding. I purchased this in store, where they had it in a fresh roll, which they cut and placed into a tub for me. In order to use the cleanser, I roll a pea-sized amount in my palm and add a few drops of water until it becomes a paste that I can rub on my skin.

The ground almonds work to exfoliate while the natural oils and juices of nuts and fruit moisturize while rubbing away makeup. I still use a makeup remover for my eyes, since it doesn't seem to work off mascara, and I'm not sure I want ground almonds that close to my eyes!

The only negative aspect is that it can be a little messy, by cleaner standards. If you have an old sink that clogs easily or has a tendency to pool water before draining, you will have chunks of seaweed, cranberries, and little gritty almonds left behind. It's easily cleaned, but more work than some want to deal with I'm sure.

Very pretty, sheer colour

I bought this in kind of a pinch while traveling and realizing I had only brought dark, vampy colours. Lightly Prancing was just what I needed.

The colour itself is a very nice, sheer peach with a gold pearl. Its not as pearlescent as most MAC glosses I have, but still provides a nice gold sheen to the lips. Its not sticky in the least, feeling much smoother and more moisturizing than the Lipglass formula, which is what I'm used to. The applicators are also different: my lipglasses apply with a wand, while Lightly Prancing is larger, and applies with a brush.

I really can't find any drawbacks to this formula yet, and it's become my new go-to lip product. It lives in my purse and really is the perfect thing to throw on those days you forget your lipcolour before leaving the house!