Anabel
Member Since: September 24, 2010Reviews
Givenchy Phenomen'eyes Mascara
Let me start by saying I dislike waterproof mascara. But my dislike for it is overshadowed by my love for a good sale. Budgie, a pretty little birdie, told me that Givenchy’s entire 2010 summer line is 50% off at Sephora. How do you say no to... +
Let me start by saying I dislike waterproof mascara. But my dislike for it is overshadowed by my love for a good sale. Budgie, a pretty little birdie, told me that Givenchy’s entire 2010 summer line is 50% off at Sephora. How do you say no to 50% off? You don’t. So I picked up the Water Turquoise mascara. I was dying to try the weird wand anyway. Wacky, right? This patented sphere was designed to reach every lash and adapt to all eye shapes. While this may be so, I didn't find anything innovative about it.
It was successful in creating a panoramic effect although my lashes didn't fan evenly, nor was the mascara as smooth as I’d like it to be.
Overall I like this mascara – perhaps a little more than I should because it’s turquoise. Colour me happy.
Skip it for $32
Like it for $16
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Laura Mercier Eye Basics
up all night? who me? never. :Pricey at $27: Not to be confused with lash primers (see above). An eye primer is essential. My secret weapon is this crème shadow. It finishes dry and leaves a matte colour that lasts all day. There are eight... +
up all night? who me? never.
:Pricey at $27:
Not to be confused with lash primers (see above). An eye primer is essential. My secret weapon is this crème shadow. It finishes dry and leaves a matte colour that lasts all day. There are eight colours, but I’ve only tried Flax, although in about 5 minutes I’m going to go to Sephora and pick up Wheat (here it is). Wow, it all sounds so healthy.
Apply this all around the eye and instantly minor imperfections and discolouration vanish – like an eraser. This morning I had a five o’clock shadow under my eye. It’s hard to see from the photos (because I was THAT tired) so I put them side-by-side to draw out the difference. The photo on the right is much smoother and brighter. It's most noticeable under the eye.
Now, no one will ever know I was up all night catching up on Entourage episodes...I have no self-control.
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Imju Fiberwig Mascara
I read about this long ago. Then on a trip to New York I bought it. It went from anticipation to excitement to disappointment. It’s your average mascara – I don't do average. And adding insult to injury, it comes at a premium price. It... +
I read about this long ago. Then on a trip to New York I bought it. It went from anticipation to excitement to disappointment. It’s your average mascara – I don't do average. And adding insult to injury, it comes at a premium price. It dries quickly which is a plus, but it's lash extension effect wasn't as effective as they tout it to be.
If it wasn’t from Asia, I’d hate it. (I never said I wasn’t biased, I can be.) I believe that Asians make quality make-up and have some of the most innovative products out there, sometimes, obviously not always.
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Benefit Cosmetics Sugarbomb Blush
The biggest faux-pas my girls make is buying the same blush – we can’t all rock the same colours now can we? But these days they’re getting feistier and the other day, one quipped back. She so keenly pointed out that there are swirled palettes... +
The biggest faux-pas my girls make is buying the same blush – we can’t all rock the same colours now can we? But these days they’re getting feistier and the other day, one quipped back. She so keenly pointed out that there are swirled palettes and pearly multicoloured balls. Sadly, she is right. Happily, that doesn’t mean I’m wrong.
I truly believe that if you try to please too many, you can’t fully satisfy one. Put another way, I’d rather find ONE colour that delivers a head-on flush versus a mixture of colours that give a muddled pink.
Sorry about the shadow...
Take Benefit’s newest blush. The square boxed powder is divided into peach, rose, pink, and plum. The blending of all four is supposed to deliver a “delicious sugar rush” but the predominating pigment on my skin tone is shimmering adolescent pink. I prefer the plum and peach, but then I’m only using 50% of a product.
I think I will stick to my single colour palettes, and mix-and-match those as I please. And to follow the negative with a positive, I really love Benefit’s Dandelion, Hoola and Georgia.
It may just be that I prefer to control what colours I put together. But that’s just my baggage – I sometimes take issue with authority. Dictate your own colour and...
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Ole Henriksen African Red Tea Foaming Cleanser
***Note to whoever reviewed before me - It's Ole Henriksen, not Henrikson. roobois isn't just for drinking :Pricey at $38: African red tea is just another name for roobios. The benefits of this ingredient stem from the fact that it is a... +
***Note to whoever reviewed before me - It's Ole Henriksen, not Henrikson.
roobois isn't just for drinking
:Pricey at $38:
African red tea is just another name for roobios. The benefits of this ingredient stem from the fact that it is a source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants - all good for you inside and out. So, for the past month I’ve been washing my face with this delightful cleanser. It smells a bit like Bliss’ face products – light, fresh and citrusy.
It's gentle and perfect for my sensitive skin. The foam is thick enough to easily cover your entire face and neck for a thorough clean.
This will leave your face feeling soft and supple. It's like magic.
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Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage
Face it, we all have something to hide. For me, it’s discolouration. I embraced my other imperfections long ago, which is probably why I don’t bother to use cover up, foundation or powder. But a little change is good, and after my latest... +
Face it, we all have something to hide. For me, it’s discolouration. I embraced my other imperfections long ago, which is probably why I don’t bother to use cover up, foundation or powder.
But a little change is good, and after my latest rash, I realized it was time I found something to cover up my scars – at least until they fade away. So began the hunt, I’ve always liked a good hunt...
Voilà, after four trial and errors, I found a winner. Secret Camouflage comes in six shades so you’re bound to find one for your complexion; mine is SC-4.
The custom blend system makes it easy to hide dark spots. I don’t know how it works on anything else (like pimples or redness) because I only use it for discolouration. It may be a bit "thick" but that might be why it works well. I find that if you dab it on with a brush and then use your finger (body warmth) and pat, it melts right in. Blending isn't rocket science, you just need a good brush (I recommend a foundation brush) or clean fingers and good lighting. The darker colour goes first, the lighter one on top.
Wait a minute...what spot?
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tarte Cosmetics Cheek Stain
I've already established that I like tarte. Their stuff meets the criteria for my natural fresh face movement. Their water-based blush gel sticks are alcohol and oil free. I always have a Flush in my make-up drawer. It's so good that... +
I've already established that I like tarte. Their stuff meets the criteria for my natural fresh face movement.
Their water-based blush gel sticks are alcohol and oil free. I always have a Flush in my make-up drawer. It's so good that even my mother is hooked. She was fascinated by the product and now I am consistently restocking her supply. I'm guessing they didn't make blush like this back in her day. It's definitely on the more expensive end, but lasts longer. On a sidenote, let's not tell my mom how much it is. I told her it's only available in a store by my house so that she won't go searching for it on her own. If she knew...her eyes would pop out of their sockets.
At the start of summer I picked up a stick of Tipsy. It's a sheer coral-pink with a light apricot scent. Just like it's name, you get the soft glow that appears after downing a glass or two of wine. Instead of pinching my cheeks, I can pat this on - different methods, same result.
Tip: If you want to sample a bunch of the colours, wait for a cheek stain set. Sephora usually gets one around the winter holidays. It's usually a trio of deluxe sample sizes in their most popular colours.
Attention: For a limited time, in celebration of tarte's 10th anniversary, Sephora is selling TEN, a shimmery bright pink.
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tarte cosmetics Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara
I really like tarte. Their mascara...not so much. The lash collection grew, likely because of the success they’ve been having with MultiplEYE, but I haven’t bothered trying the other steps, it's good marketing not a winning product. This... +
I really like tarte. Their mascara...not so much. The lash collection grew, likely because of the success they’ve been having with MultiplEYE, but I haven’t bothered trying the other steps, it's good marketing not a winning product.
This mascara was average, for $25, it blows.
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Maybelline New York The Falsies Volum' Express Mascara
I’ve been seeing commercials for this and it piqued my curiosity. It promises a “false lash effect”. Oh really? Huh, it kind of does. It’s a bit flaky, but otherwise my lashes were discernibly longer. It might be the 'scoop'... +
I’ve been seeing commercials for this and it piqued my curiosity. It promises a “false lash effect”. Oh really?
Huh, it kind of does. It’s a bit flaky, but otherwise my lashes were discernibly longer.
It might be the 'scoop' brush; I’ve never seen one quite like it. In my fascination, I took several photos of it:
It's good, but flakes more than its drugstore competition. CoverGirl won this one.
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Pure+simple Sensitive Pitta Face Oil
Oil is a commonly misconceived product. Most people shun it, and instead, gravitate towards oil-free this and that. Bu facial oils are a wonderful alternative to moisturizer, and fear not, it does not clog pores nor does it make your skin... +
Oil is a commonly misconceived product. Most people shun it, and instead, gravitate towards oil-free this and that. Bu facial oils are a wonderful alternative to moisturizer, and fear not, it does not clog pores nor does it make your skin oily.
I value tradition over beauty fads, but sometimes I have a hard time distinguishing the two. I was recently introduced to Ayurvedic medicine, and while I don't embrace all of its ideas wholeheartedly, I think many of its principles have merit.
Ayurvedic is native to the Indian subcontinent and has been around a long time. They believe there are five great elements – earth, fire, water, air and ether - and that people are comprised of these, with one being most predominant. I am fire aka pitta.
Pittas have highly reactive and sensitive skin. Yup, that’s soooo me.
A month ago my skin started peeling, likely due to sun burn and irritation. By the time I made it to my facial, it was flaky and raw. This oil was recommended because it would not only gently hydrate my skin, but also soothe inflammation. At first blush it seems pricey, but it's actually a great value because a few drops are all you need to cover the entire face.
Pitta oil has been recruited. I’m starting to gather the troops in anticipation of chapped lips, wind chill, snow, etc. I’m aware it’s only September, but this is Toronto where the winters are merciless; it’s never too early to start preparing.
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