beauty4all
Member Since: June 23, 2009Reviews
Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Nail Color
Awhile back I started giving my toes a little more love when I do at-home pedicures. I soak them, apply cuticle remover and push back the cuticles, and use base coat and top coat with the polish. While the only thing that usually catches my eye when... +
Awhile back I started giving my toes a little more love when I do at-home pedicures. I soak them, apply cuticle remover and push back the cuticles, and use base coat and top coat with the polish. While the only thing that usually catches my eye when it comes to nail polish is colour, I've been able to better compare the quality of each brand now that I'm always doing the pedicure the same way.
Yesterday I picked up Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Color in Petal Pusher, a lovely ballet pink that's opaque without looking heavy. So far, I love this product. The application brush is super broad and applies a nice thick coat of polish in a couple of strokes, and it really does dry right away. There's no need for a second coat, so it takes a lot less time overall. The surface was so smooth and polished I almost skipped the top coat, but for the sake of experiment I used it.
Now the test will be how well it wears, but I honestly won't mind the occasional touch up since it dries so fast and the colour is so pretty. In the long long term, I could see a thick polish like this becoming unmanageable, so I'll keep an eye on that too. To be continued!
-
L'Oreal Paris Sunless Sublime Glow Daily Moisturizer
Self-tanning season is here again. I've tried most of the drugstore brands (Jergens, Banana Boat, Nivea, Neutrogena, etc) and have always found self-applied tanning creams/mousses/sprays hit and miss. I'm super fair, so application mistakes... +
Self-tanning season is here again. I've tried most of the drugstore brands (Jergens, Banana Boat, Nivea, Neutrogena, etc) and have always found self-applied tanning creams/mousses/sprays hit and miss. I'm super fair, so application mistakes or patches show up really obviously on my skin. The smell is usually kind of horrible. Getting the product to rub in evenly all over is stressful. Hanging around naked while you wait for it to dry feels silly. It inevitably leaves marks on your sheets, your favourite white shirt... you get the idea. But Sublime Glow has a lot going for it.
First of all, I love that it's more liquidy, because it spreads faster and more evenly, and I don't work up a sweat making sure it's 'rubbed in' enough. It dries really fast, there is virtually no waiting around, and it doesn't stink. My sheets and white tops are unstained, and if you do get a faint streak or patch, you can just even it out the next time you apply it.
Colour-wise, I'm not tranformed into a bronzed goddess, but I'm happy. Don't bother with the Fair formula, even pale creatures like me can upgrade immediately to Medium. Because it's a gradual tanner, the colour is more subtle than straightforward self-tanners, but what you give up in colour pay-off you gain in control and a more believable effect. I can do just my legs, for instance, and they'll look smoother and and darker but not out-tan my arms.
The shimmer is also great as an all-over skin enhancer, and makes your skin look extra dewy at night. The product's moisturizing aspect is also much better than other gradual tanners I've tried, it really leaves your skin soft. Safe-tan away!
-
Annabelle Cosmetics Blush in Rose Fawn
I've been searching for the perfect blush for years. I'm very fair, but with really dark hair, eyebrows and eyelashes, so I need to strike a good balance between colour intensity and avoiding anything too fake-looking. I already own a cream... +
I've been searching for the perfect blush for years. I'm very fair, but with really dark hair, eyebrows and eyelashes, so I need to strike a good balance between colour intensity and avoiding anything too fake-looking. I already own a cream blush and a loose powder blush, but when I saw the Annabelle single powder blush pots, I figured I could afford to try one, as they're so inexpensive.
I bought #44, and it has totally replaced my other blushes as a daily go-to. The pot is simple and unfussy, it reminds me of MAC packaging, and the pan is just the right size for a swirl of the blush brush. The colour is pretty, it really just emphasizes my own colouring and makes it look like I sat outside for a bit or just got back from a workout (the light bike ride kind, not the tomato-faced kickboxing kind).
In the pot, the blush looks matte, but in the sun I can see a faint shimmer on my cheeks. Nothing too obvious for work. You can build the colour up without it looking overdone, and the staying power is really decent. For the price, you can collect different shades for different seasons. All in all, a nice little surpise that costs very little.
-
Maybelline New York Pulse Perfection Vibrating Mascara
I got this mascara free through work, and I was skeptical about the necessity of a motorized brush. How hard is it to wiggle the wand a little? But I'm glad I tried it, as I really like it. I'm surprised that some people find it shaves time... +
I got this mascara free through work, and I was skeptical about the necessity of a motorized brush. How hard is it to wiggle the wand a little? But I'm glad I tried it, as I really like it. I'm surprised that some people find it shaves time off their mascara routine, as it takes me a little longer to apply than other mascaras, but the results are worth it.
I have longish, very straight lashes, so curling them first is a must. If you're worried about the brush leaping to life when you hit the button, turn it on first and then slowly nestle it into the base of your lashes. Then sweep upwards, going at the pace that best deposits the amount of product you want to apply. I usually go fairly quickly and do several sweeps while the mascara is still wet, ending with a tiny backwards flick over the tips of my eyelashes from behind (it adds a little extra 'pop' to the look).
For me, the result is dramatic enough that I've been skipping eye shadow or liner, which is a nice option during the summer months. I don't find that wet-to-dry formulas like this flake or smudge, and this holds up really well -- throughout the work day, including a lunctime workout and rinse off at the gym. Surprisingly, it also comes off really easily with warm water and face cleanser at night.
My only complaint is the price, since I'm a firm believer that you should be able to save on mascara and still look good. I am impressed, though, so maybe I'll have to do my part to help the economy along when this mascara runs out...
-
Looking for more?
Check out our other review websites:
