Friday, April 19, 2013

Essie: Mochacino

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Essie Mochacino


Essie's Mochacino is an elegant greige-taupe with frosty silver shimmer. It is so dimensional- it can look gray, purple, or brown, depending on the light and angle. Just beautiful.

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Mochacino (natural light)


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Mochacino (with flash)

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Neutrogena: Deep Clean Cream Cleanser

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Neutrogena Deep Clean Cream Cleanser

Project Pan Item #39: Neutrogena's Deep Clean Cream Cleanser.

This classic item has been the most consistent product in my beauty regimen since my high school days. It's one that I cannot be without. I don't pack it with me when I visit home because it's not travel size, and I find that my skin always seems to break out. I can't say with certainty that that's due solely to a lack of this product but I wouldn't be surprised if that was a big part of it.

For reference, my skin has changed over the years. In general, I had dry, sensitive skin with oil buildup in the T-zone throughout college and post-graduation (from 2005-2012). Last fall, my skin started to get oilier so I'd say that I'm now normal with oil in the T-zone. I've used the Deep Clean Cream Cleanser throughout these phases and I have not found it to irritate or adversely affect my skin at all. I will say, though, that if your skin is extremely dry, this may not be something you want to use everyday as it does remove oils.

The Deep Clean Cream Cleanser is a thick mousse-like paste. It's quite solid for a cream. It has an odd, herbal scent to it but I've grown accustomed to it after all these years. It doesn't foam but it does provide a cooling sensation as you rub it into your skin. I use it as my nighttime cleanser because I feel that it provides the deepest clean of all my cleansers so I trust it to remove my makeup.

This has probably been in my life for 10+ years now and I don't see that changing anytime soon. I've repurchased it time and time again so I recommend it wholeheartedly.

Monday, April 15, 2013

MUA Eyeshadow Palette: Heaven and Earth

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MUA Heaven and Earth Palette

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MUA Heaven and Earth Palette

MUA had a sale back in November and free international shipping to boot so I went ahead and treated myself. I justified it by telling myself I had to replace my beloved MUA shadow in Shade 11 (reviewed here) anyway after it fell and crumbled into pieces. I decided I might as well get the palettes I'd long been interested in too.

The Heaven and Earth palette includes 12 dime-sized shadows in a lovely array of neutrals. All of them are satin finish, some with more shimmer than others. They're similar to the individual eyeshadows (same review as linked above) in that they feel like pressed pigments but these are drier and less creamy to the touch. Even so, they wear beautifully with good pigmentation. They blend like a dream.

The most impressive thing about this palette are the colors. They're beautiful and more dimensional than I expected. Some of them have very subtle duochrome to them, which I will point out in the shade descriptions below. These are all neutral-to-warm, which suits me perfectly as I'm not so into cool tones these days. There's an excellent range of shades from light to medium to dark so the palette is extremely versatile.

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Swatched in same order as palette

Row 1 (L-R):
Shade 1- a creamy ivory.
Shade 2*- a warm medium red-brown.
Shade 3- a golden tan.
Shade 4- a light pink with perhaps a very subtle violet flash.
Shade 5- a deep brown with with subtle pink-violet flash.
Shade 6- an orange copper.

Row 2 (L-R):
Shade 7*- a gorgeous brown with mauve tones.
Shade 8*- a pretty pinkish-brown nude shade.
Shade 9- a light pink champagne; similar to Shade 4 but much more pigmented and with more silver frost.
Shade 10*- a beautiful violet taupe-brown.
Shade 11*- a deeper warm red-brown compared to Shade 2.
Shade 12: a more violet deep brown version of Shade 5. It's like the baby of Shades 5 and 10.

*Indicates a favorite shade of mine.

I really have to say that MUA continues to impress me. This palette is incredible in and of itself for the color range and the quality of the shadows. Then take into account that it's only £4 (equivalent to $6) and it's beyond amazing. I highly recommend it. The only downside to it that I can think of is that it doesn't include matte shades. I don't mind that at all but I know that's an important consideration for some people.

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Heaven and Earth eye look (I think with Shades 2, 4, 8, and 11)

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Heaven and Earth eye look (I think with Shades 2, 4, 8, and 11)

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Project Pan: Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Coffee Cake

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Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Coffee Cake

Project Pan Item #38: Maybelline's Dream Bouncy Blush in Coffee Cake, which I have reviewed before here. I still love it now as I did then!

Friday, April 12, 2013

Buxom Stay-There Eye Shadow: Golden Retriever

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Buxom Stay-There Eye Shadow in Golden Retriever

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Golden Retriever

I've reviewed this product in other shades before (see here). Because I was so impressed with them, I decided to get the shade Golden Retriever, which is a shimmery coppery-bronze. It's a lovely cream shadow that's extremely soft, smooth, and pigmented. I also think it's quite dimensional. On first swipe, the color is more shimmery but as you blend it out, it gets more satiny in finish. All-in-all an excellent product in a lovely shade.

My original thoughts on the product stand- these are impressive easy-to-wear, long-lasting shadows. I continue to recommend them!

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Golden Retriever

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Golden Retriever across lids

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Final look: Golden Retriever across lids with darker brown shadow blended into outer corner

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Femme Couture Mineral Effects Baked Eye Colour: Creme Brulee

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Femme Couture Baked Eye Colour in Creme Brulee

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Femme Couture Baked Eye Colour in Creme Brulee

Femme Couture's Creme Brulee eyeshadow is one of my all-time favorites. I don't even know how to explain the beauty of this shade. It's a very simple warm peachy nude that has just the right amount of shimmer. Paired with my other favorite eyeshadow, The Body Shop's Taupe, it is just perfect for an understated yet radiant and polished eye look. Creme Brulee and Taupe were my go-to eye colors last year in the spring and summer, and they're back again as I eagerly await spring's arrival to Boston.

The formula of the shadow is a dream. Very smooth, pigmented, and it blends beautifully. It also seems to have magical lasting power. Like I said, I used it religiously last year but I don't even notice a dent in it, whereas I've already hit pan on Taupe, which I almost always use alongside with it.

This is a baked shadow so I believe it may be worn wet or dry, but I've only applied it dry.

I found this at a Sally's Beauty Supply. I had never heard of the brand before so I decided to give it a try. I'm so happy that I did. It retails for $7.99 for 2.2g of product, compared to MAC's $15 for 1.5g. Great deal for an amazing eyeshadow. I'd definitely repurchase this if/when I run out.


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Creme Brulee

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Creme Brulee on inner half, Body Shop's Taupe on outer half

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Same look as above but on different day so that you can see variation in coloring due to lighting

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Essie: Lollipop

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Essie's Lollipop

Essie's Lollipop is a lovely bright red creme shade that makes me happy. I'd say that it's a true primary red. The formula is one of the best that I've tried. It's the perfect consistency where it's neither too watery nor too thick so that it glides on smoothly without streaking and it dries relatively quickly. It's not completely opaque as it has a touch of sheerness to it but I love that about it. I think it's the perfect bright red polish.

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Lollipop (natural light)

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Lollipop (with flash)

Sunday, April 7, 2013

L'oreal Infallible Eye Shadow: Bottomless Java, Liquid Diamond, Gleaming Bronze, Tender Caramel

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L'oreal Infallible Eye Shadows

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Clockwise from far left: Bottomless Java, Liquid Diamond, Gleaming Bronze, Tender Caramel

Because I like to try new drugstore makeup, I've been picking up the newer shades of the L'oreal Infallible Eye Shadows as they've been released. I also have an awesome cousin who helped me to hunt down the Canadian shade, Tender Caramel, which apparently required visits to several drugstores.

I reviewed the original L'oreal Infallible Eye Shadows here so I won't go so much into the wear or packaging of the products in this post. All of these newer shades are shimmery, smooth, and pigmented. I mentioned in my original review that I found one of them to be sticky and harder to blend but I don't find this to be a problem anymore (with that particular shade, Bronzed Taupe, or any of these new ones). Perhaps my technique has changed since then but I no longer feel that these shadows require any extra work.

Bottomless Java is a deep chocolate brown. Liquid Diamond is a silvery lilac. Gleaming Bronze is a greenish antique gold without a hint of bronze that I can see. Lastly, Tender Caramel is a light taupe that I thought would be a great, easy-to-wear neutral shade. Swatched on my hand, it appears to have the warmer pink-mauve tones that I love. However, it goes on quite cool-toned and gray on my lids. The same goes for Bottomless Java, which looks like a warm brown to me until it goes on my lids. I originally paired Bottomless Java with Tender Caramel so I thought that perhaps the cool taupe shade of Tender Caramel may have made Bottomless Java lean cool too. However, I tested my theory by next pairing Bottomless Java with Amber Rush (one of the original shades reviewed), which is definitely a warm peachy shade, and I again found Bottomless Java to look more like a charcoal brown. I don't think it comes across in my pictures, which are affected by lighting conditions, but it's how it appeared to my naked eyes.

As I said in my original review, these are good drugstore shadows. However, I find the coloring to be a bit misleading. They may look neutral or even warm in the pan but end up looking cool in wear. I don't know how this happens but you may want to be mindful of this.

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Bottomless Java, Liquid Diamond, Gleaming Bronze, Tender Caramel

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Tender Caramel across lids, Bottomless Java blended up from lashline

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Amber Rush across inner half, The Body Shop's Taupe on outer half, Bottomless Java blended up from lashline

Friday, April 5, 2013

Essie: Bikini So Teeny

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Essie's Bikini So Teeny

I'd been wanting Essie's Bikini So Teeny since last summer but never spotted it in stores. I finally found it earlier in March displayed along with the permanent collection so I treated myself.

Sadly, I don't love the color against my skin. In the bottle, Bikini So Teeny looks like a lovely spring shade of slightly-periwinkle blue. However, on me, it's very bright and a bit obnoxious whereas I was expecting something more muted and pastel. I think it clashes with my yellow undertones. Also, in the bottle, you can see that it has shimmer. However, I was unable to detect any shimmer once I applied it to my nails.

This didn't work for me but I think it might be pretty against pinker skin tones.

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Bikini So Teeny (natural light)

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Bikini So Teeny (with flash)

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Shimmer in bottle

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Physicians Formula Matte Collection Quad Eye Shadow: Canyon Classics

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Physicians Formula Canyon Classics Palette

I spotted this Physicians Formula palette at CVS and decided I to go for it since I had a $5 Beauty Reward credit to burn. Besides, it looked like it might include potential substitutes for my beloved Body Shop eyeshadow in Taupe, which continues to dwindle down (and might sadly be discontinued).

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Clockwise from upper left: Shade 1, Shade 2, Shade 3, Shade 4

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Shade 1, Shade 2, Shade 3, Shade 4

This quad includes all matte shadows. Going clockwise from the upper left corner, I'm going to refer to them as Shades 1-4. Shade 1 is a light nude-tan that is just a touch darker than my skin. Shade 2 is a cream shade that looks rather white against my coloring. It is the most pigmented shadow in this palette. Shade 3 is a taupe that looks very similar to Shade 1 but it's slightly darker and grayer. Finally, Shade 4 is a light-to-medium gray with purple tones.

I'm pretty fair and these shadows swatch rather lightly against my skin. I don't want to say that it's due to lack of pigmentation. I think that it's because these are matte shadows, which have a tendency to be a bit chalky and you know how chalky powder has sort of a lightening effect? I'm not sure how to explain it better. Anyway, I like that the shadows in this palette are neutral, easy-to-wear shades that are good for everyday use. I applied them over Buxom's cream shadow in Mutt, which maintains its creamy consistency so these shadows had something to cling onto. I don't know how these apply over bare skin but I did find them to be a little powdery when I swatched them on my hand so you may want to be careful of fall out.

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L-R: Shade 1, Shade 3, Body Shop Taupe

As for how the taupe shades in this palette compare to The Body Shop's Taupe shadow, you may see in my photo that they're all very similar in color but The Body Shop's Taupe is satiny while the Physicians Formula shades are purely matte. The Body Shop's Taupe is also more pigmented and smooth.

All in all, I'd say that this palette is a good drugstore option if you're looking for a neutral palette that'll lightly contour and accentuate the eyes. Because the shadows are light, I feel that it'd be hard to overdo the colors, which is especially great for professional looks where heavy makeup it might be inappropriate. I found this for $7.49 at CVS, which I feel is fairly priced. You may find it even cheaper online (I see it for $4.75 on drugstore.com).

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Buxon Mutt as cream base with Shade 3 over outer half of lid and Shade 4 blended up from lashline

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Bare Minerals Big & Bright Eyeliner: Intense Black

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Bare Minerals Big & Bright Eyeliner in Intense Black

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Bare Minerals Big & Bright Eyeliner in Intense Black

Project Pan Item #37: Bare Minerals Big & Bright Eyeliner in Intense Black

I got this eyeliner as part of a Sephora set that had these pencils in various shades. Intense Black is a dark, matte black that is smooth and creamy. Even so, when swatching, I found that it skipped a bit on the first swipe so that I had to go over it a second and third time to build up to a nice, even color. I can't speak to how it works as a stand-alone liner because I always use gel liner as my main liner (I like the control and precision I get from using a liner brush), and I top that with other liners (like this one) to fill in the sparse areas that are tugged off after I use my eyelash curler. For that purpose, this liner worked just fine. It intensified the darkness of my liner and wore well throughout the day. It did not flake off or smudge when topped over gel liner. I did find, however, that my hand swatch didn't set. It smudged easily when I rubbed it.

This comes in roll-up packaging that is convenient as it negates the need for sharpeners. I didn't find the liner to dry out over time as the cap snapped on snugly.

This product has been discontinued so I guess this review is mostly for me to record a Project Pan item. I can't advise on how this works when worn alone. All in all, I don't think I'd recommend if you happen to stumble upon it on eBay or Amazon because I feel there are drugstore options out there that are just as good (such as the Milani liner).

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Intense Black

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Neutrogena: Oil-free Eye Makeup Remover

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Neutrogena Oil-free Eye Makeup Remover

Project Pan Item #36: Neutrogena Oil-free Eye Makeup Remover

I'm currently on my second bottle of this (the one photographed) so it goes to show that this is a product I would (and have) repurchase(d). It's a good drugstore option that's effective, inexpensive, and easily accessible. Though oil-free, it has two phases that get mixed when you shake the product up. It also has a light oily feel about it, although it isn't gross and doesn't sit on the skin. Instead, the slight oiliness serves to soften and moisturize. It removes my waterproof mascara and other eye makeup as well as the best removers I've tried so I recommend it.

Saturday, March 30, 2013

Swedish Skin: Anti-Aging Eye Cream

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Swedish Skin Anti-Aging Eye Cream

Project Pan Item #35: Swedish Skin Anti-Aging Eye Cream

I got a ton of the Swedish Skin eye creams and moisturizers way back when they had some B1G2 deal. Sadly, I was not the biggest fan of these products but I have a big stash awaiting use.

The eye cream is the better of the two products I tried. I turned to it after I ran out of my beloved Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye (reviewed here), which I am holding out on repurchasing because I'm learning to live on a strict budget. Swedish Skin's products are apple-based and come in a very light mint green tint with a fresh scent. The texture of the eye cream is sort of gel-like, not quite creamy like a lotion but also not as thin as a true gel. It gets tacky as it dries down, which I wasn't crazy about because instead of gliding across the skin, it'd end up pulling on and dragging the skin. This is not something you want for the delicate eye area. To get around this, I'd suggest patting this product in instead of smoothing it out, Once on, I do feel that this eye cream suffices to keep the skin around the eyes moisturized. It sank in quickly and was not greasy so it did not disturb the makeup that I put on over it.

I tried to look up the price of this product but I got a message from my antivirus program about Trojans so I wouldn't even venture onto their website. This eye cream is mediocre at best, and it's not worth looking into.

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Swedish Skin Anti-Aging Eye Cream

Thursday, March 28, 2013

China Glaze Nail Lacquer: Fast Track

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China Glaze Fast Track

China Glaze's Fast Track came out last year in the Hunger Games collection, and I was determined to have it. It's a nude-taupe with the most beautiful golden shimmer. The first coat goes on sheer so that it can be layered over other polishes. It's opaque by the second coat. Great polish, both in application and color.

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Fast Track (natural light)
Photographed several days after application (explains nail growth at base)

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Fast Track (with flash)
Photographed several days after application (explains nail growth at base)

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

fresh Sugar: Lip Treatment SPF 15

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fresh Sugar Lip Treatment

I received the fresh Sugar Lip Treatment (Project Pan Item #34) as part of Sephora's birthday gift. It also came with the a tinted one (I think the rose shade) but sadly, I can't find that one anymore.

This lip treatment was extremely soft, which made it feel great on the lips but also made for a mess in application. My tube broke several times because the balm is hardly solid. The product would melt onto the sides of the bullet and it was too easy to over-apply onto the lips because it was so soft that it'd just glop right on. Given its consistency, I think this lip treatment would have been better off in pot form.

As for its performance as a lip treatment, I do feel that it is a very nice balm that's soft and soothing on dry, chapped lips. It's quite slippery, almost like Vaseline but a bit waxier so that it holds onto the lips better than petroleum jelly. It also smells great- a fresh, fruity scent that I can't otherwise describe.

The packaging is gorgeous and luxe, featuring a sturdy metal tube with a cap that twists on and off for secure closure. However, I found that a lot of the product was buried within the bullet. Once you use up the product so that it's flat and can't roll up any further, there is still quite a bit of product that you can reach if you dip your finger or a cotton tip into the bullet.

This product retails for $22.50, which I think is ludicrous for a lip balm. While it's a great lip moisturizer, it's hardly enough to warrant that price. I feel like a lot of the money is going toward the pretty packaging, which to me is silly. I'm glad I got to try it but I would not purchase this on my own.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Revlon Colorstay Nail Enamel: Provence

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Revlon Colorstay Nail Enamel in Provence


Revlon's Colorstay polish in Provence is a pretty pale pastel lavender creme that doesn't clash with the yellow undertones of my skin. I don't know if it'd be appropriate to call it a warm shade but I don't feel that it's cool- perhaps it is neutral. Either way, I love that it works on me and I think it's a great color for spring! The polish is easy to apply, dries quickly, and doesn't streak.

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Provence (natural light)


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Provence (with flash)