shagtownlady
Member Since: March 22, 2009Reviews
Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette
These shadows are so gorgeous! I was lucky to get my hands on Naked2 last year, and couldn't resist Naked3 when it came out. The shades are so beautiful, and even though most of them are rose or pink toned, there's so much variety. The left side of... +
These shadows are so gorgeous! I was lucky to get my hands on Naked2 last year, and couldn't resist Naked3 when it came out. The shades are so beautiful, and even though most of them are rose or pink toned, there's so much variety. The left side of the palette is really perfect for daytime, and the right side with the darker shades is great for smoky or more dramatic looks, (but really you can use all the shades whenever you like because they're all so pretty)!
Plus there are a good amount of different mattes, satins and glittery shades, so there's something for any occasion.
The packaging of Naked2 and 3 are part of why I got them - the tins are nice to look at AND keep everything protected really well inside, and it has a good quality mirror.
The brush it comes with is awesome. It's very similar to my Naked2 double-ended brush; it has a shading side that's slightly thicker, and a blending side that's shorter but also thicker. I kind of prefer the shading end of this brush to the one in 2, it packs on shadows nicely and feels softer.
Naked3 comes with samples of each Eye Shadow Primer Potion - the little packets each hold a ton of primer, like enough for weeks at least. I put the Anti-Aging primer sample into an empty, clean lip balm jar, and the sample filled it halfway, so it's a very generous amount!
I love the quality of UD's eye shadows; they are long-lasting on me, especially with their primer potions, and are so easy to work with. As with Naked2, I think this palette would work for everyone, you just have to experiment with how you place the colours on your eyes. It's a bit of an investment, but so worth it. Overall, I think if you're interested in these colours you should definitely pick this up!
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Philosophy Hope In A Jar Daily Moisturizer
I've been using Hope In A Jar since Christmas, and just recently started using the one with SPF during the day too. It's been amazing for my skin! I rarely get the annoying little dry patches in random spots on my face now, and everything has been... +
I've been using Hope In A Jar since Christmas, and just recently started using the one with SPF during the day too. It's been amazing for my skin! I rarely get the annoying little dry patches in random spots on my face now, and everything has been looking a lot more smooth and just healthy overall. I have reduced redness and my skin just feels more "normal".
This moisturizer has a kind of different scent, but it doesn't bother me and doesn't linger anyways. A little dab of this goes a long way, and it's definitely worth the price for me. It makes my face look and feel better than it has for a long time (I thought my last moisturizer was working really well, until I started using this!)
I definitely recommend others to try this out - it may not work for everyone, but it's been amazing for me.
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Nair Irresistible Candy Apple Sugar Wax
Thanks to Chick Advisor for providing me with this product for free to review! I was pretty excited to try this wax kit because of the candy apple scent! It was the first thing I checked out when getting the package, and even my boyfriend said how... +
Thanks to Chick Advisor for providing me with this product for free to review!
I was pretty excited to try this wax kit because of the candy apple scent! It was the first thing I checked out when getting the package, and even my boyfriend said how good it smelled.
Usually I use baby powder on my skin before waxing it - I've seen it recommended a few times in other kits, and it always makes a complete difference for me. But I read through the instructions, which of course said to use this wax on clean, dry skin without any creams/oils/etc., and it didn't seem to mention using powder on the skin beforehand so I decided to try without it first.
The wax smells even more delicious when it's heated up, and the recommended time made it the perfect temperature. Once I applied it to my skin, I placed the 'non woven' strip over top and pressed down in the direction of hair growth. Maybe it was me pressing too hard, but the wax made the strip slide down and uncover my skin a bit, which got a bunch of wax on my hand. Thankfully it's completely rinsable! So I removed the strip and most of the wax just stayed on my leg. I tried repressing the strip down to remove it, but that didn't work and I just rinsed the rest off.
The second time I used baby powder (on my otherwise completely clean skin) before trying the wax. I did everything the same, and it was working much better - the baby powder seems to help the wax stick to the hair better and not my skin. But there were still a few wax patches left on my skin each time, plus this time whenever I pressed the strip down before pulling it off, the wax was starting to seep through the cloth and make everything sticky!
It was kind of frustrating because there are so many good qualities about this product - the wax smells amazing, and is completely rinsable with warm water so you don't have to use oil if you prefer. However, it makes more of a mess, and for me, wasn't as effective at removing the hair as my other usual wax kit (Nair Cire Divine, which I LOVE!)
Because this smells so amazing, and the mess redeems itself by being easily rinsed away, I will definitely keep using this, and am so thankful for getting to try it! Nair makes some of the best wax kits, and this one is worth checking out for the Candy Apple scent alone.
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Lancôme Paris Hypnose Drama Mascara
I got this in Shopper's Eye Studio sampler. I feel like if I hadn't already found what I think are my favourite mascaras already, this would be amazing. But I've found that some of the things I like about this mascara are also some of the things... +
I got this in Shopper's Eye Studio sampler. I feel like if I hadn't already found what I think are my favourite mascaras already, this would be amazing. But I've found that some of the things I like about this mascara are also some of the things that aren't so great.
First of all, the wand has a wavy/ S type of shape. I find that this works well to catch most of my lashes, and helps emphasize their curl and volume, but also maybe contributes to this being a bit clumpy.
I like that this has a bit of a scent - it's not something I'm used to with mascara, and it makes this product (and me!) feel glamorous. On the other hand, I think the scent can be a tiny bit irritating when my allergies are acting up, and it does linger a bit throughout the day.
My one big problem with this is flakes - it isn't a ton of flaking, but it does happen.
Overall, I do recommend trying this out! It's good for delivering thick dark lashes, and the light scent makes it unique and (sometimes) fun to use!
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The Body Shop Cranberry Joy Lip Balm
I bought this during the holidays as a little pick me up. My grandma got me into the scent a few years ago, and while I was doing some Xmas shopping online this year I saw this on sale and decided to grab it. I remember the Body Shop having awesome... +
I bought this during the holidays as a little pick me up. My grandma got me into the scent a few years ago, and while I was doing some Xmas shopping online this year I saw this on sale and decided to grab it.
I remember the Body Shop having awesome lip balms when I was younger (which my lovely grandma also got me into - she would buy me one sometimes when we went to the mall!)
This balm is slightly different than the ones I remember - it comes in a little egg / ball shape, like e.o.s. balms. I love the scent - it is the exact same Cranberry Joy scent that I know, and it works perfectly as a lip balm. It feels soft on my lips, and somewhat moisturizing. It adds a gorgeous red tint with a hint of sparkle, and you can layer it on to make the colour stronger.
The packaging seems like it could be slightly better - the clear lid on top seems a bit delicate, like it could crack if you twist it on too tightly or drop it on something hard. Other than that, this is a really nice tinted lip balm, especially for fall/winter!
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Smashbox Photo Op Eye Brightening Mascara
I got this in Shopper's Drug Mart's Eye Studio Sampler. This mascara is supposed to help emphasize the whites of the eyes to make them look brighter and bigger, as well as curl and lift the lashes. It contains mica, titanium and 'blue pigments'... +
I got this in Shopper's Drug Mart's Eye Studio Sampler.
This mascara is supposed to help emphasize the whites of the eyes to make them look brighter and bigger, as well as curl and lift the lashes. It contains mica, titanium and 'blue pigments' ("Blue Prism Technology") for the brightening effect. (I don't notice any blue in the mascara, on the brush or on my eyes, it just looks like the usual black). It also claims to be smudge and flake proof.
I can't really tell how much the brightening effect works - my eyes do seem bright while wearing this, but I've been wearing eye shadow on a more daily basis lately too so that's probably part of it.
The brush on this is simple and works well - it can be a bit clumpy but nothing major. It definitely emphasizes the curl of my lashes, and helps build them push them up and out even more.
I haven't seen any flakes wearing this so far, or smudging. Overall I think this is a decent mascara - it didn't wow me the way my beloved Benefit mascaras do, but it's definitely high quality! I don't know if I would purchase it again, unless I was totally out of mascara and saw it specifically in store, BUT I definitely recommend it and will gladly use up my tube of it.
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Benefit Cosmetics BADgal Lash Mascara
This is just as good as Benefit's They're Real (in my opinion), but BADgal gives my lashes a slightly different look. The brush on this mascara is HUGE. The bristles are thick and soft, and kind of a nice change from the pointier bristles on a lot... +
This is just as good as Benefit's They're Real (in my opinion), but BADgal gives my lashes a slightly different look.
The brush on this mascara is HUGE. The bristles are thick and soft, and kind of a nice change from the pointier bristles on a lot of new mascaras lately. Once I got used to how massive the brush is (!), I was really impressed with how beautiful this makes my lashes. BADgal gives me thick, black, curvy lashes - it's gorgeous and works for everyday as well as special occasions.
I am a huge fan of Benefit`s mascaras now - they have awesome formulas that don`t flake or smudge and the brushes are perfect for my lashes. The full sized products are more expensive than what I usually like to pay, but you can also buy the mini sizes for about the same $ as a drugstore mascara!
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Buxom Full-On Lip Polish
I recently got a sample tube of this from Sephora and can see myself using it up quickly (and then hopefully getting a full sized one!) The shade I got is Mudslide, (which is described as "rose brown" on the Buxom site and "petal pink" on Sephora)... +
I recently got a sample tube of this from Sephora and can see myself using it up quickly (and then hopefully getting a full sized one!) The shade I got is Mudslide, (which is described as "rose brown" on the Buxom site and "petal pink" on Sephora). This is a perfect nude shade for me and will be great to wear with my dramatic or smoky eye shadows.
It has that vanilla-candy type of scent, and a strong minty tingle that's supposed to help plump up your lips. I love all of that- I feel like it does make my lips seem a BIT more pronounced, and find that the tingle is strong but not too intense, and also lasts way longer than other lip products that claim to plump your lips like this.
This has "hyaluronic spheres" to hydrate, as well as vitamin A and E. As a kind of lip gloss, it doesn't last for a really long time when it's on, but it does last through light snacks and sipping drinks, and doesn't start to feel sticky or heavy at all. I really love the shade I have, and it wears better than a lot of lip products out there, especially for (cream) gloss, so to me it would be worth purchasing a full size after finishing up my sample!
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essence Gel Eyeliner
I bought this to practise with, as I have no experience with liquid or gel liners and want to start using them. This is so inexpensive, and it works really well. I use a small angled e.l.f. brush to apply it with, and as long as I work somewhat... +
I bought this to practise with, as I have no experience with liquid or gel liners and want to start using them. This is so inexpensive, and it works really well. I use a small angled e.l.f. brush to apply it with, and as long as I work somewhat quickly it goes on smooth and very opaque - a rich true black that dries pretty matte. If I try to keep going over spots it can start to get flaky, but otherwise it's very easy to use.
I bought this over a month ago and it doesn't seem to be drying out at all yet, and this little pot will probably last me quite a while.
For someone new to liners like this, it works amazingly well and is very long lasting (you definitely need a bit of makeup remover at the end of the day to get it off, and it doesn't flake much if at all during wear). It would be sweet if Essence came out with different colours of this - I would definitely check something like that out! Overall, this is a great deal and I definitely recommend it.
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essence Eyebrow Designer
This works very well for filling in lighter areas of my brows, just as long as I`m not too heavy-handed. I usually swipe the pencil on the back of my hand a few times to warm it up, and then apply it gently to certain areas. This brow pencil comes... +
This works very well for filling in lighter areas of my brows, just as long as I`m not too heavy-handed. I usually swipe the pencil on the back of my hand a few times to warm it up, and then apply it gently to certain areas. This brow pencil comes with a little brush on the lid, so you can brush the product through and kind of blend it in a bit. This alone makes it pretty awesome, and the pencil itself looks natural as long as you don`t use too much.
The way I use it this brow pencil will last me forever, and it was an amazing price. I bought blonde, which matches my brown hair pretty well, and there are only two other shades that get even darker, so these may not match everyone unfortunately. They work really well though, and are definitely worth checking out!
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