ellstar
Member Since: March 4, 2011Reviews
Batiste Dry Shampoo Original Clean & Classic
Due to the nature of my hair (thick, unruly, greasy) I always have a dry shampoo on my person, in my desk at work, in my gym bag and in my medicine cabinet. I've truly tried every brand there is, EXCEPT somehow, Batiste. I've heard good things about... +
Due to the nature of my hair (thick, unruly, greasy) I always have a dry shampoo on my person, in my desk at work, in my gym bag and in my medicine cabinet. I've truly tried every brand there is, EXCEPT somehow, Batiste. I've heard good things about this brand, that it's the do-all-end-all for dry shampoo, so I was curious to give it a try. (Disclaimer: i received this as part of the Product Review Club)
When it comes to aerosol dry shampoo, I find that a lot of them leave my hair with a strong, chemical 'hair spray' like-scent, but Batiste was surprisingly light in that department. It still had a 'soapy' smell but it faded in about an hour so I didn't feel like it was following me around all day.
I actually don't like dry shampoos that add 'volume' to your hair because I find it just turns into build-up that is really hard to wash out, but Batiste was good in that department too. I put some in my hair in the morning and by later in the day my hair actually looked better than it did in the morning. It absorbed quite well and when I washed my hair that night I didn't have to fight so hard to get it rinsed out.
I think I still prefer powder-based dry shampoos because I can control the amount of product and the distribution on my head (aerosol tends to BLAST with the nozzle) but in a pinch I might grab this again.
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Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar
I've never been one to shy away from a bold lip colour and I'm surprised it took me so long to attach myself to the OCC Lip Tar trend. They offer a wide variety of styles (gloss, matte, metallic) in a vast spectrum of shades and tints, often... +
I've never been one to shy away from a bold lip colour and I'm surprised it took me so long to attach myself to the OCC Lip Tar trend. They offer a wide variety of styles (gloss, matte, metallic) in a vast spectrum of shades and tints, often encouraging ambitious users to blend colours together for an all-together new look. But don't let the name fool you, these aren't 'tars' that stick to your lips. They are hyper-pigmented liquids that act more like hardcore glosses than lipsticks.
I currently own Lovecraft, Pretty Boy, Nylon and Hoochie and I find that the consistency really depends on you. I highly recommend the primer to keep your lips from drying out (or any primer) and using a clear lipliner to really strike the definition and prevent feathering. (I find the metallics are more drying but also transfer less than the 'matte' formula)
This is NOT a lip product for the casual initiate, you need to really be dedicated to benefit from the power of OCC. But if you're cool with that? Then these are fantastic tools to enhance your look.
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Buxom Lash Mascara
Full disclosure: I'm a mascara snob. After years of using sub-par mascara and just thinking it 'wasn't for me', I'm now an evangelist for Benefit's They're Real, Lancome's Grandiose, and now? Buxom's Lash Mascara. I received a deluxe sample of... +
Full disclosure: I'm a mascara snob. After years of using sub-par mascara and just thinking it 'wasn't for me', I'm now an evangelist for Benefit's They're Real, Lancome's Grandiose, and now? Buxom's Lash Mascara.
I received a deluxe sample of this mascara in the summer from Sephora but I put it aside because I still had a few on the go. When my travel-sized work mascara ran out, I took the Buxom one, quite frankly, because it was small and fit in my little bag.
Good thing I did!
While They're Real and Grandiose are all about dark, dramatic lashes that are thick and full, Buxom's special brush helps elongate and emphasize each individual lash, giving me a simple mascara look, or a buildable option for heavier coverage. The wand is unique with 'barbs' on each end, which helps with the definition, but it's also pretty comfortable to wield.
A great mascara for your arsenal.
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GOSH Mineral Powder
Oh, powder. You are the ultimate divisive product in makeup lines everywhere. Some people love to cake you on, some people like a fine dusting and nothing more. Me? I'm in the latter category. GOSH's Mineral Powder reminds me of my high-end... +
Oh, powder. You are the ultimate divisive product in makeup lines everywhere. Some people love to cake you on, some people like a fine dusting and nothing more. Me? I'm in the latter category.
GOSH's Mineral Powder reminds me of my high-end Clinique powder but at a lower cost. It has a similar package with the spinner to keep powder from puffing everywhere when you open it, and the amount of product means I'll be using it for a loooong time.
It's also an unscented powder which is fabulous for people with sensitive skin, I was able to use a fine dusting of this on my face (focusing a bit more on some trouble areas) and found it left my skin shine-free for the rest of the day. It's not the kind of powder you want to LAYER so if you're a hardcore powder-girl, this might not be for you. But if you think a little goes a long way, you can't go wrong.
I received this product from Chick Advisor's Product Review Club.
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GOSH Double Precision Mascara
I received the GOSH Double Precision Mascara as part of Chick Advisor's Product Review Club, and as I'm a huge advocate for mascara of all shapes and sizes, I was interested in testing out the claims. The mascara has a very thick consistency which... +
I received the GOSH Double Precision Mascara as part of Chick Advisor's Product Review Club, and as I'm a huge advocate for mascara of all shapes and sizes, I was interested in testing out the claims.
The mascara has a very thick consistency which worried me at first, but it went on smooth with few problems. I didn't notice any clumping and it was easy to cover my lashes with the unique large and small brush.
That said, I'm not a huge fan of using mascara on my lower lashes, so the novelty of a smaller and larger brush was lost on me. I do like the option of having a smaller applicator in general and would rather use that on a regular basis than the larger brush, but the bristles on the smaller brush were stiffer, which made it hard to adapt on my top lashes.
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GOSH Giant Blush
I received this product from Chick Advisor as part of their Product Review Club and II really wanted to like this blush because chubby sticks are totally on trend right now, but I felt that this one missed the boat. I opened my blush and the stick... +
I received this product from Chick Advisor as part of their Product Review Club and II really wanted to like this blush because chubby sticks are totally on trend right now, but I felt that this one missed the boat.
I opened my blush and the stick had already broken in the applicator. I managed to stick it back in snugly but it was hard to apply to my face without it threatening to fall out again. It was further complicated by the fact that the texture of the blush was very hard, making it difficult for me to apply it with a mostly broken applicator. I basically just swatched it on my wrist to see the colour and gave up. The product design needs some work if it wants to compete with other chubby-type multi-use products out there.
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GOSH Lip Lacquer
I'm addicted to lip products of every shade, shape, texture and size and the GOSH Lip Lacquer is no exception. After being anti-gloss for a few years, this year my obsession with liquid-y textures on my lips is back in a big way, and GOSH fit right... +
I'm addicted to lip products of every shade, shape, texture and size and the GOSH Lip Lacquer is no exception. After being anti-gloss for a few years, this year my obsession with liquid-y textures on my lips is back in a big way, and GOSH fit right in.
The bottle itself is striking because it so closely resembles a nail polish bottle that I took a double take. The applicator is a standard size but I'm concerned that it won't be able to efficiently get the most product out of the bottle when it's nearing the end..
I liked the vibrancy of the gloss and the intense pigmentation of the colour, but it DOES stray from your lips onto glassware and cutlery, so this is the gloss you apply after your morning coffee and after lunch, not before.
All in all, it's not bad, I'd like to see their offerings in a more neutral colour to see how it works as more of a day-look.
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Urban Decay Lipstick
Before I bought my first Urban Decay lipstick, I'd never spent more than maybe $10 on a lipstick before, but I'd also never really found a lipstick I loved either. That has all changed. I'm obsessed with how moisturizing UD's lipstick is, how... +
Before I bought my first Urban Decay lipstick, I'd never spent more than maybe $10 on a lipstick before, but I'd also never really found a lipstick I loved either.
That has all changed.
I'm obsessed with how moisturizing UD's lipstick is, how much pigmentation you get, how universal the colours are and how they compliment basically every skin tone. They also don't feather or bleed the way cheaper brands do, and a little goes a LONG, LONG way. It's hard to take the plunge, take it from one hesitant lipstick buyer to another, but it's well worth it.
Currently I have Turn On, a rosy pink which is great for summer, and F-Bomb, a SUPER classic red with blue tones, so I'm set for casual events with the pink, and more serious attire with F-BOmb, but there's many more to choose from.
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Herbal Essences Naked Volume Shampoo
When I was a teenager, Herbal Essences was all the rage. You couldn't open a magazine, turn on a tv show, go to a cinema or head to the mall without seeing the iconic shampoo brand plastered all over the place with its colourful bottles and models... +
When I was a teenager, Herbal Essences was all the rage. You couldn't open a magazine, turn on a tv show, go to a cinema or head to the mall without seeing the iconic shampoo brand plastered all over the place with its colourful bottles and models with impossibly shiny and voluminous hair.
Then I learned better.
But now? It appears that Herbal Essences is shaking up their haircare line. The Naked Volume collection is a really great step in the right direction. I stopped using their products, because I found that it left residue on my hair, weighing it down and doing the opposite of volumizing. This has changed with this new product line! It took a few weeks to see results, but I'm two months into using the Naked Volume line and my hair is SHINY, vibrant and volumized. I was skeptical but it appears that by reducing the silicone in particular, my hair perked up! I'm also not plagued by a greasy scalp and dry tips anymore, even in this summer heat.
I also have a heavy fringe and this product is light enough to make sure my bangs hang 'just right' and aren't weighed down by residue.
The smell is a delightful grapefruit-y citrus smell and it literally makes my bathroom smell like a spa. Give it a try, you're not going to regret it :)
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Herbal Essences Naked Volume Conditioner
When I was a teenager, Herbal Essences was all the rage. You couldn't open a magazine, turn on a tv show, go to a cinema or head to the mall without seeing the iconic shampoo brand plastered all over the place with its colourful bottles and models... +
When I was a teenager, Herbal Essences was all the rage. You couldn't open a magazine, turn on a tv show, go to a cinema or head to the mall without seeing the iconic shampoo brand plastered all over the place with its colourful bottles and models with impossibly shiny and voluminous hair.
Then I learned better.
But now? It appears that Herbal Essences is shaking up their haircare line. The Naked Volume collection is a really great step in the right direction. I stopped using their products, ESPECIALLY their conditioner, because I found that it left residue on my hair, weighing it down and doing the opposite of volumizing. This has changed with this new product line! It took a few weeks to see results, but I'm two months into using the Naked Volume line and my hair is SHINY, vibrant and volumized. I was skeptical but it appears that by reducing the silicone in particular, my hair perked up! I'm also not plagued by a greasy scalp and dry tips anymore, even in this summer heat.
The smell is a delightful grapefruit-y citrus smell and it literally makes my bathroom smell like a spa. Give it a try, you're not going to regret it :)
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