Beauty Product Reviews | Page 2

Great Feel.

This primer is a solid performer, and gives my skin the finish and feel that I want.

I have tried a lot of foundation primers and have liked a lot of them, but it wasn't until I tried this one that I was truly blown away. It doesn't wear too differently from other primers; most of the ones I've tried have lasted all day for me. It's the feel that this one has on the skin that I really like.

I usually use primers like Too Faced Primed and Poreless, Smashbox Photo Finish and Urban Decay Complexion Primer Potion--Pore Perfecting, because they fill pores and leave a smooth surface. But I find that all three of these leave my skin feeling too powdery, like there's buildup on my face.

I thought I was using the wrong product, and tried Urban Decay Complexion Primer Potion--Brightening and ULTA Professional Hydro Prime, which brighten and moisturize skin, but they left a filmy feeling.

Studio Gear Prime Objective fills pores and smooths skin, but doesn't feel too powdery or filmy. It leaves my skin feeling like super soft, healthy skin. When I put foundation on top, it leaves a very natural finish, not powdered-down, not plastic-y. Just very natural. It's a great base to keep my makeup on all day, and once it's on, I don't feel it, or smell it, or think of it, because my face still feels like my face instead of a mask.

I received this product as a free gift with purchase from Ulta. It's not something I would have purchased on my own, because the 1oz package has a $35 pricetag, and I have quite a stash of face primers. But when this is gone I'm going to repurchase, because this is the best face primer I've tried, and honestly, the other face primers I've tried run between $25 and $40 per oz. so this isn't priced outside the norm.

Rounds out a collection.

I have editions 1,2 and 3 of this palette, but #2 is my favorite.

I bought these to make sure I always had colors on hand, because the palettes are portable, and because they are economical.

I really like them and use them constantly, but I want to point out that there are hits and misses. Overall, I would compare the quality of the shadows to drugstore brands like covergirl and maybelline. When I use these shadows I make sure I'm using a base that is colored and slightly tacky, because without that help, you will never get the color on your lid to look like the color in the pan.

There is an excellent mix of shimmer, matte, satin and glitter finishes in each of the palettes, and in general, the shimmers apply and blend better. However, of the mattes, very few are truly chalky, and if a tacky base is used, patchy-ness is not an issue.

I don't think this is a holy grail product. You have to put more effort into using these than with some department store brands. When you compare MAC, UD or Too Faced shadows to these, there is a huge difference in quality. But because those shadows are $14-$18 apiece, this palette (and the other 2 editions) make a lot of sense. Plus, all 3 palettes have numerous red shadows, which was a huge selling point for me.

Interesting colors.

Lots of loves about these shadows. I have a few of the duos, and have my eye on a few more.

The colors are very interesting. The 'skinny dip' duo is my favorite. Both shades are blue, but they have a purple duochrome that really pops when the colors meet and blend on the lid. I can do a blue smokey eye using just the two colors and there is so much depth that it looks like I used a dozen shadows.

'ooh and aah' is another favorite, the silver color is intense and metallic.

I love too faced shadows because they are featherlight, pigmented and blend incredibly well. They have a really long wear time, which goes to crazy-long wear time when you use a primer.

These are also in a generously sized pan, 0.08oz, even thought they are priced similarly to UD shadow singles, which are 0.05oz. Given the quality of the shadow, I feel that the duos are a really good buy.

It's wax.

This pencil is colorless, soft wax. It holds hairs in place incredibly well, and all day. Because it's wax, it is resistant to water. If you just want your combed brows to stay in place, this is a great product.

It's not a miracle product, or particularly innovative, and there are other wax pencils on the market that are fundamentally similar, with lower pricetags.

Tossed out my old gel liner.

I've been looking for a cake eyeliner for about a year now, but there are few brands that make them. I finally tried the studio gear cake, and after about three weeks of using it, I've already decided that I will never buy another gel liner. This has every. single. gel. liner. beat.

It looks like an eyeshadow pan, but add a drop of water, or mixing medium, or eye drops, or any liquid you like, and it turns into the smoothest, blackest eyeliner ever--blacker than UD perversion liquid liner, which I always thought was pretty black. I can use it with my tiniest brushes and with my biggest angled liner brush. I always have smooth and fluid control.

The wear is incredible, lasting all day without fading when I use just a drop of water, but when I use a drop of Pixi Eye Color Sealer it's pretty close to waterproof.

It's my liner must-have.

Fabulously textured mattes.

UD Matte shadows have the same smooth texture, pigmentation and blendability of their shimmer shadows. A lot of mattes can be chalky or unevenly pigmented, and most I have tried do not have the long wear that shimmers do. UD is the exception. I have eight of the full-size matte colors, and a few more in UD palettes, and each one is easy to use and lasts all day with a primer.

Amazing.

There's really nothing I can say that Gabriele E. hasn't about how to use the brushes, so I'll focus on everything else.

#1. These brushes feel amazing on the skin. My eyelids can be really sensitive and a slightly scratchy brush can leave them in pain all day. These brushes, though they are dense and firm, have yet to irritate my skin.

#2. Variety. This line isn't duplicating MAC brush styles, but instead creating a range of brushes that are incredibly useful and a bit unusual. The 'Deluxe crease brush' in particular (far left in product photo) is one that I have nothing else like.

#3. Material. Tekklon fibers. Vegan. I love synthetics, but hate washing and drying them. These dry every bit as quickly as natural fiber brushes.

#4. Design. The handles are a great thickness and weight, they feel natural in my hand. The case converts to a stand, which makes it a great set for travel.

#5. Finally, price. These are less expensive per brush than many drugstore brands, which I really can't believe, since these are so well designed.

I have every brush in the range, and reach for them every day. The only brush I desperately would like to see is a duo-fiber stippling brush that is very very small... about the size of the deluxe crease brush. I am convinced that it would make applying MUFE aqua creams effortless. Dreams...

great packaging.

I know I'm just echoing what other reviewers have said, but this is a great multi-use product. Great as a cheek highlight, and to add a 'glow' where you want it.

What really makes me reach for this is the fact that the colors are separated. I can easily go in for just one color at a time, which makes this great for eyes as well.

'Catwalk Pink' is the color blend shown in the picture above, and is also the one I have. What you cannot see from the picture is that the far left and the far right color stripes are the ones that contain the bulk of the shimmer, while the pink and rose colors in the center are more of a satin finish. This makes the center pinks really suitable for blush, without overwhelming the face with shimmer.

Of course, swirling the colors together gives a great effect to the cheeks as well.

The price on this is phenomenal, and the pigmentation and blendability of these shades has me really impressed.

My fav.

This is my favorite foundation. A lot of days I just use tinted moisturizer, but when I've got something important at work, or am going out and want a more flawless complexion, this is my go-to.

It's medium coverage, but is buildable, so when I have a really red blotch somewhere on my face, I can just put a little more there. The finish is very natural, not 'dewy' or matte, and I can choose to use a powder with a matte finish if I want a no-shine look.

On me, it lasts about ten hours alone, or about 16 with a foundation primer. It never looks heavy or cakey and doesn't move around on my face. It feels very comfortable and slightly moisturizing.

'Don't Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me' rates it very highly also, and only has issues with the spf being too low. I use a sunscreen daily, and do not rely on this for sun protection, so I can't comment on that.

Key word: transformer.

This is a really great $3 wonder.

I love duochrome shadows, but don't have many. With this kit, every shadow I own is potentially duochrome.

The idea is that you layer one of these on top of another shadow to add an iridescent effect. The darker the shadow, the more apparent the color-shift is.

A lot of my shadows are matte, but by layering one of these over a matte shadow, you can add shimmer and dimension. It's really made a difference in how I use the products I have. If you're someone that has to have every color in every finish, this is a great and inexpensive way to have it all.

Another reviewer said she thought they were powdery. I have not had this issue, though it may be because I use it over products that already have a little 'grab.' Also, a little goes a long way. Packing on loads is just going to look frosty and weird.