Archive | Reviews RSS feed for this section

Beauty product reviews

You’ll Need a Fresh Start After Tresemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo

By on July 7, 2010 in Reviews

Reader Anne suggested I try the new Tresemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo ($5.49 for 5.7 fl. oz) because it’s a bit cheaper than my beloved Batiste. I’m always up for a bargain, so off I went.

They say… A waterless oil and odor remover with mineral clay and citrus, perfect for oily/straight to normal hair. Removes oil and odor while injecting volume. Not tested on animals and made in the USA.

I say… I hate this product. I don’t often say that because I feel like I’m going to burn a bridge with a brand, but this one was truly awful. I’ve tried using it several times now and all it does is gunk up my hair and make it sticky. Maybe they switched things up in the factory and accidentally put hairspray in this bottle, because that’s basically what it feels like. On the good side, it does have a somewhat pleasant citrus smell buried underneath all the alcohol.

Continue Reading →

Continue Reading · Comments { 0 }

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation Review

By on July 1, 2010 in Reviews

I’ve had so many foundation struggles it’s not even funny. Many brands, especially drugstore ones, don’t make a color light enough for me. Add in the fact that I’m not able to wear chemical sunscreens and the pool of options is exceedingly small. But then I found NARS Sheer Glow, which is not sheer or glowy, but I love it just the same.

NARS Sheer Glow costs $42.00 and is available from Nordstrom and NARS. Pricey but completely worth it in my book, especially since you only need a pea-sized amount to cover your whole face. It’s very smooth and spreadable, however it does need to be worked into the skin to look good. NARS recommends using your fingers, and so do I. If you’re not comfortable with that, make sure to use your foundation brush in a buffing action rather than swiping.

Pictures speak louder than words, so here are some before and after photos of the foundation.

Continue Reading →

Continue Reading · Comments { 0 }

Sally Hansen Pure Scent-sation Hair Remover Review

By on June 25, 2010 in Reviews

I have hair on my face. Yes, that’s incredibly embarrassing to admit on the internet, but I hope that me biting the bullet will benefit some of you. It’s nothing more than most women have, however my dark hair and pale skin make it especially noticeable.

My skin doesn’t tolerate waxing, so instead I pluck and use depilatory (hair removal) creams. Unfortunately these tend to stink quite a bit and make facial use unpleasant (especially on what my boyfriend so lovingly calls “the chickstache”). So when I saw an ad for a new, supposedly scent-free, hair remover, I nearly giggled with excitement.

I rushed off to Ulta and bought Sally Hansen Pure Scent-sation Hair Remover for Face ($8.99 for 1 oz.). I think about half of that money goes toward printing the hefty instructional and warning manual that comes inside the box, which I promptly trashed without reading.
Continue Reading →

Continue Reading · Comments { 3 }

Overall Thoughts on Sigma Makeup Brushes

By on June 23, 2010 in Reviews

Comparatively, I think these brushes rank leagues above most drugstore ones. Unfortunately they’re still not quite as good as my MAC ones. I think Sigma made a mistake in using the MAC numbering system – yes, it helps people figure out which brush is which, but it invites really harsh comparisons. When I see a brush with the same number, I expect it to be exactly the same. Maybe I’m just too picky.

Apparently Sigma got this message. After less than a year of selling this line of brushes, they rolled out a unique coding system. The information was released on their website last week and the chart can be seen here. They’ve kept the MAC numbers as a reference (which is potentially a good idea), but labeled the brushes as either F (face), E (eye), or L (lip) followed by a number.

The Sigma sets are a great deal for people who need lots of brushes at once, and I think people who don’t already own MAC brushes will really appreciate their quality. I probably wouldn’t even have noticed a difference if I hadn’t tested the brushes side-by-side. Part of me wonders if my SS131 review would have been different if I’d owned both brushes, but I’m not willing to spend $40 to find out.

Continue Reading · Comments { 0 }

Create Drama with Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Liner

By on June 20, 2010 in Reviews

I’m a huge fan of gel liner because you get the precision and staying power of a liquid with the control of a pencil. I would say MAC Blacktrack Fluidline ($15.00) is probably the most popular gel liner, so popular that drugstore brands have attempted to create dupes. The latest is Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Liner ($9.99), which comes in Blackest Black, Brown, Charcoal, and Eggplant.

maybelline-lasting-drama-gel-liner

First off, I’d like to compliment Maybelline for including a brush that isn’t completely useless. Most drugstore gel liners (and even some mid-market ones – I’m looking at you, Clinique!) come with tiny brushes about half the length of a cotton bud. How on earth am I supposed to use that, with tweezers? Maybelline’s brush is a respectable length and creates a smooth line of medium to full thickness (see above). It’s also perfect if you prefer to ‘push’ your eyeliner into the lashline, which creates a very natural look. It’s actually quite similar in shape to the much more expensive Bobbi Brown liner brush.

Continue Reading →

Continue Reading · Comments { 0 }

Look Wide Awake with Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

By on June 19, 2010 in Reviews

{ Lancome recently decided to pull Shu Uemura from the US market – I’ve heard this is because it’s a more fashion-oriented brand and we Americans just don’t get it. You’ll still be able to buy everything from the website. The eyelash curler is also sold at Sephora and Ulta. }

One of the easiest things you can do to appear fresher and more awake is to curl your eyelashes. Many women are terrified of this because, quite frankly, they look like medieval torture devices.

shu-uemura-curler

Shu Uemura supposedly makes the best eyelash curler ($19.00), but I hesitated to buy because I’m very distrustful of all those magazine awards. I couldn’t imagine what makes it so much better than other eyelash curlers. And I was oh so wrong.

Continue Reading →

Continue Reading · Comments { 4 }

Sigma SS131 Brush Review

By on June 17, 2010 in Reviews

The Sigma SS131 ($18.99) is a unique paddle-shaped duo fibre brush – sort of what you’d get if this brush and this brush had a baby. Since those are the most commonly used foundation brushes, the SS131 gives you the best of both worlds. You can use the SS131 for stippling (which gives you that ‘airbrushed’ look) and patting/swiping (like a regular paddle-shaped foundation brush).

You might be wondering why it’s two different colors – the black bristles are shorter because they space out the longer white bristles. This gives you a brush that is more sparse and allows for a lighter application of product.  The SS131 is also great for blending out cream products (like concealer and cream blush) and contouring – truly a wonderful multi-tasker.

{ Again, pardon the dirty brush – the tips are normally bright white }

sigma-ss131
Continue Reading →

Continue Reading · Comments { 0 }

MAC 217 vs. Sigma SS217

By on June 16, 2010 in Reviews

I could write a book about how much I love the MAC 217 brush. The combination of a rounded paddle shape and fairly stiff (but somehow soft?) bristles means it can be used to apply a fairly precise line or blend harsh lines into soft ones; it just depends on how much pressure you use. I’ve wanted another MAC 217 for quite some time, but just couldn’t justify spending $22.50 again (nor have I seen one at my CCO), so I jumped at the chance to get a Sigma SS217 for $12.50.

{ Pardon my dirty brushes, normally they’re pure white }

sigma-mac-217

The handles are again just slightly different, but this time the MAC brush handle is a bit shorter. Again, this doesn’t bother me one bit, but I thought I should make it known. On the appearance of the brush head alone, these brushes are exact replicas. I can’t even describe how excited I was when I took these out of the package and saw how similar they were.

Unfortunately, they do not perform exactly the same. The MAC’s bristles are a bit stiffer, which allows you to apply a line of color rather than spreading it out over a larger area. The Sigma’s bristles are just a bit softer, and the difference is noticeable. It still makes a wonderful blending brush, though, and since it’s white you can clearly see when it needs to be washed (like mine).

Continue Reading · Comments { 2 }

MAC 165 vs. Sigma SS165

By on June 15, 2010 in Reviews

I can’t possibly overemphasize the importance of using good tools to apply your makeup – the right brushes can make or break a look. You also need to avoid using very different colors on the same brush without washing in between, because they’ll blend together (usually into an unfortunate shade of brown). So, not only do you need good brushes, but you need a number of them.

MAC makes some of the best brushes out there; they’re hand made, high quality, and will last forever if you take good care of them. Unfortunately they’re also mighty expensive, so I usually buy them at my CCO or find a cheaper alternative.

Pretty recently Sigma Makeup released a line of brushes based off of the MAC ones, even going so far as to use the same numbering system. I’ve been really interested in them, but didn’t want to purchase an entire set. Then All Cosmetics Wholesale (one of my favorite discount beauty sites) started buying the sets and selling brushes individually – cha ching! I bought three of the brushes that I think are hardest to dupe, and fortunately I have the MAC version of two of them for comparison.

sigma-mac-165
Continue Reading →

Continue Reading · Comments { 0 }

Get Fresh with La Fresh Makeup Remover Wipes

By on June 13, 2010 in Reviews

la-fresh-travel-wipes

I’m a sucker for individually-wrapped cosmetics items – something about them is just too cute. They also free up precious space in your ‘liquids’ bag for air travel. My mom stumbled across these La Fresh Make-Up Remover Wipes ($19.99 for 48) while preparing for her trip, and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality. According to La Fresh, these contain a high quality moisturizing lotion to remove make-up in one easy step.

For me, these wipes are a smashing success! They’re soaked with alcohol-free makeup remover and vitamin E, and they remain moist thanks to the individual packaging. They easily removed all of my face, eye, and lip products (including mascara) and didn’t leave my skin feeling tight or dry.

Continue Reading →

Continue Reading · Comments { 0 }