Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Semi-Maquillage

New make-up waiting to live in my make-up bag!


All of these products have been thoroughly researched. Quality first. Nice packaging is a bonus.

MAC SlimShine
It's a lip stick that is more sheer than a regular lipstick and looks like lip gloss on.
I haven't tested the shades but these have such great reviews (esp. on youtube).
I'm looking at Funshine (might be too bright), Missy, and Bare. Look here for the colours.
I'm hoping I can find a lipstick for me... 'cause I look funny (like a clown) in most colours ahha
Anna Sui Face Colour Stick
It's not out in Vancouver yet so I have to wait + test the shades.
It's a multi-purpose stick - you can use it for your cheeks and lips
It looks like it'd apply really boldly but apparently it's sheer and blends well, giving you a healthy, natural flush.

Shu Uemura Blush [$21 @ Sephora]
NARS Blush [$25]
OK.. it looks like I've hardly touched my other one (but really I have!! a LOT!!) and it's been over 1 year. I really like them though! The pigment is very subtle and stays on my cheeks for a long time. I think I want to try a darker, less shimmery shade.
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion [$16 @ Sephora]
Amazingly great reviews!!
Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Face Cream SPF 55 [$38USD on YesStyle]
We gotta take care of our skin now before we get old, wrinkly, and sun damaged.
This apparently smells nice, is non-greasy, doesn't make your face white, doesn't clog pores, is a good primer for foundation, minimizes pores and you won't break out. Most importantly, it gives you excellent sun protection!!! Only con is that you need to remove it w/ an oil-base cleanser..which I don't have.
This is too big to fit in my makeup bag, but once I finish my huge Kiehl's face cleanser, I'll get this from Costco! Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser [$10 for a huge bottle?]
This is the most reviewed product on Makeupalley.com with 2,482 reviews.

Currently searching for:
A good eyelash primer (Clinique or Shiseido may be the best choice according to my research. All others like Shu Uemura, Urban Decay, and Smashbox, apparently don't deliver good results).

***** A good BB Cream. A quick history summary: BB cream stands for Blemish Balm Cream - the hottest thing in Korea right now. It started off as a soothing treatment balm dermatologists + surgeons used on patients who underwent laser skin treatment. It helps to shield\protect and regenerate delicate skin. Korean actresses and stars soon started using this cream and it sparked off a huge craze in Korea due to its excellent results. Beauty brands in Korea have since developed BB cream and made it more suitable for Asian skin and it's like a tinted moisturizer that eventually fades things on your face like freckles and acne scars. I'm looking into Skinfood Gingko BB Cream but they don't sell Skinfood here unfortch.

Eyeshadow Smudger

A good Eye Cream... b/c I rub my eyes waaay too much and they ain't looking young no more.

A good mascara. This is sometimes a life-long goal for some girls lol
I currently use Maybelline Great Lash in Blackest Black and I like it 'cause it separates my lashes and makes them long and it doesn't weigh them down, but when I blink hard, it sometimes leaves marks under my eye which causes me to rub... which is bad for my skin. This product has absolutely horrible reviews on Makeup Alley lol but that shows that your opinions of some things might be different from the reviews. Maybelline Full and Soft has decent reviews. I don't believe that expensive brands will make much of a difference in Mascara.

I found that it really doesn't matter on the brand name, their products might not be very good. I think a good example is Chanel. I haven't heard very many of their products having good reviews. Only their lipstick is apparently good. I've personally tried their nailpolish and to me, it's just a little better than Wet 'n Wild + Revlon combined (ie. not good). As for mascara, there are tons of non-drugstore brand name ones out there. I've tried Lancome and Estee Lauder and Clinique and I really despise them all.

Products I wish had good reviews but don't:
Anna Sui Thick Eyeliner
Alba Botanica Face Scrub (Pineapple or Papaya)
Kiehls Papaya and Pineapple Face Scrub

New brands I really want to try
NYX - apparently a very inexpensive brand w/ great quality products! Not available in Vancouver.. don't think
Shiseido Maquillage products - it's new I think. Not many reviews on MakeupAlley

I'm a bit curious about Inglot - but it doesn't seem too cheap... Nail Polish [$12], Eyeshadow [$16-18]... a bit less expensive than MAC... but MAC has that "good quality" reputation already... well, the quality is apparently decreasing ever since they were bought out by Estee Lauder. Inglot actually opened 6 years before MAC did - they just didn't choose to expand from Poland nor did they choose to advertise well... or at all?! They're the European version of MAC.

Ugh I'm trying to find a Kiehl's product I can exchange the toner I got for... but they all have terrible reviews on MakeupAlley! Don't blame them... I don't like a lot of Kiehl's products much. Hmm this Heat-Protective Silk Straightening Cream has pretty good reviews though... currently researching.

I re-ordered my
Everyday Minerals. The company was nice enough to cancel my previous order upon request (within 3 hours!) b/c I didn't want that Kabuki brush anymore. It's a bit unfortunate how much shipping I had to pay for packages under 4 pounds ($7.91 for International), so I ordered more.
I bought:
Free sample kit (3 sample foundations, 1 blush, and 1 concealer) Free
Long Kabuki Brush (not available until next month) $10
3 Powder Eyeshadows/liners (lol and I don't even wear eyeshadow. These can actually be eyeshadows or eyeliners depending on if you apply them wet. I chose emerald green, smokey (gray), and In The Garden (this purple/brown) - all of which had great reviews) $2.50 each
Cosmetic Wet Wipes (these didn't get fantastic reviews unlike everything else but most ppl said they would repurchase it because it did the job well (took makeup off face) but it didn't take their eye makeup off. It smells great (mild Lavender + Grapefruit), can be used for kids, and is a great refresher for the summer) $3.75 for 80 giant wipes! How cheap is that.
I wanted to buy more blushes, but I wanted to test the one in my sample first.
I'll definitely write a review when I get them. Don't think it'll be anytime soon b/c my Kabuki Brush isn't ready. Maybe they'll send it separately... but I can't use the foundation or concealer w/out my Kabuki!!
AH I just checked my Visa statement and I have to pay 65 cents b/c of the exchange rate change! When I first bought Everyday Minerals, I had to pay $13.70... and when they canceled it, it refunded at $13.05. I hope my order goes through cheaper...





I think I'm going to look at Ebay for some future purchases.
Make-up lusts to be continued...

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