max.fab
Member Since: June 4, 2007Reviews
Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Diamond Shine - Base & Top Coat
So far I don't love this at all. I used this product as a base under Revlon Vixen nail polish. I bought this a couple of days ago hoping that using a base coat would help stop the polish from wearing off the tips of my nails.I deal with a lot of... +
So far I don't love this at all. I used this product as a base under Revlon Vixen nail polish. I bought this a couple of days ago hoping that using a base coat would help stop the polish from wearing off the tips of my nails.I deal with a lot of paper at work and usually I have streaks of nail colour all over them and I end up with a thin strip of white at the tips of my nails. While it does seem to be helping with that problem, it's still not the greatest. I applied it, let it dry, and then applied 2 coats of polish and then used this again as a top coat. I hung around for an hour and then went to bed. When I woke up in the morning I had hundreds of tiny bubbles in each nail. It looked very messy and felt like Braille. Not impressed. I thought maybe it was because the polish was a bit thick and goopy when I applied it. Last night I took it all off and started again. I used the same polish but I thinned it out a bit before applying. Went to bed. Woke up and again with the bubbles. There aren't as many and it's not on every single nail, but still. I have a feeling it's the old-ish polish that's causing the bubbles, because I used it as a top coat on my toes and didn't have this problem. But still it's annoying because I don't get this with any other top coat I've used. I'm going to try it one more time with a different colour and see what happens. Also - it's really shiny when you first put it on but the shine doesn't seem to last very long. That's not a very desirable quality in a top coat. I gave it a okay rating overall because it does seem to be reducing the problem I have of my polish wearing off at the tips of my nails. For packaging I gave it a 1 because it came in a box, which I think is a colossal waste of paper. I doubt I'll re-purchase. There are too many other base and/or top coats in the world for me to try.
Update: it was the old-ass polish that was causing the bubbles. It doesn't happen with anything else. But I've moved on from this. I'm now using Revlon's Top Speed 60-second Top Coat.
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Benefit Cosmetics Ooh La Lift Eye Cream
This product has grown on me lately. I got the little tiny tube in the realness of concealness kit and at first I didn't really pay attention to it; I tried it a couple of times and didn't really feel like there was a difference. But a couple of... +
This product has grown on me lately. I got the little tiny tube in the realness of concealness kit and at first I didn't really pay attention to it; I tried it a couple of times and didn't really feel like there was a difference. But a couple of weeks ago I decided to give it a try again... I don't have dark circles or puffiness issues with my eyes, but I do have a little bit of a loss of firmness I guess which I cover with concealer. So what I've been doing is applying my foundation, then dotting a thin layer of this product under my eyes. Then I use a brush to dot concealer right over it. I pat it in with my fingers which blends the mixture together and into my skin. It adds just the amount of brightness - I don't subscribe to the theory of using a lighter concealer under the eyes - and covers up the loose skin perfectly. Not sure if I will re-purchase this; I find BeneFit's products ridiculously expensive. But I'm enjoying it while it lasts! -
ChapStick All Natural Lip Balm
Although I never use this word, I have to describe this product as meh. The packaging is good; I prefer the stick format to lip balm in a pot which just gets under my nails and is unhygenic I think. In terms of price, I don't remember what I paid... +
Although I never use this word, I have to describe this product as meh. The packaging is good; I prefer the stick format to lip balm in a pot which just gets under my nails and is unhygenic I think. In terms of price, I don't remember what I paid but since I bought it at Shopper's Drug Mart I'm sure it was overpriced. Anyway, I have a real problem with dry, chapped lips and I was forever putting Vaseline on so I thought it would be a good idea to use something not mineral-based for a change. I used to have this Carol's Daughter lip balm that was really moisturizing but too fruity-smelling but I lost it. Anyway. I saw this and thought I'd give it a try. The smell is ok but I personally prefer a minty-smelling Chapstick. It's really stiff going on and continues to feel stiff on your lips. I also don't feel like it lasts as long as other "non-natural" Chapsticks. But it definitely works; I've noticed a big improvement on my lips and if I go a couple of days without using it the extreme dryness comes back. I think the best strategy for this is to apply it and then a thin layer of Vaseline or something over it. That way you're getting the benefits of a natural lip balm (if there are any of it) but the slickness of the Vaseline as well. -
LORAC Blush & Bronzer Duo
I lusted after this thing for years before I finally broke down and bought it. I really like the bronzer side; although it's very very pigmented and a bit too dusty for my taste, it gives a nice natural glow that truly makes me look sunkissed. As a... +
I lusted after this thing for years before I finally broke down and bought it. I really like the bronzer side; although it's very very pigmented and a bit too dusty for my taste, it gives a nice natural glow that truly makes me look sunkissed. As a NC50 it's not easy to find a bronzer that looks natural and this is as close as I've come so far. My only problem with this is the blush; I love the way it looks in the pan but when I put it on my face it comes out looking more silvery (and therefore chalky) than pinky on me. Not sure if it's just my crappy (Quo) brushes or what; but I've stopped even attempting to use the blush side because it totally ruins the effect of the bronzer. Now I just layer another blush over it instead. But that makes it kind of a waste of money as this product is not cheap. If I find that this is a brush issue, then I'll re-purchase. If not, I'll have to keep on truckin' -
Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss
I bought this gloss at one of those Estee Lauder sales, it's my first gloss. I bought while I was on the hunt for the perfect pale peachy/pink for dark skin and while the colour in the tube is exactly what I had in mind, it goes on too sheerly to... +
I bought this gloss at one of those Estee Lauder sales, it's my first gloss. I bought while I was on the hunt for the perfect pale peachy/pink for dark skin and while the colour in the tube is exactly what I had in mind, it goes on too sheerly to really suit my purpose.The glitter situation is also problematic. I really don't like glittery lipgloss - or glittery anything really - and I find it to be really prominent on this. I just read the review below where she said that it wears off after some time so I'm going to keep an eye on this to see if that's true for me as well. What I normally due to deepen the colour and tone down the sparkles is layer this over my Smashbox pixel lipgloss and that works out perfectly. I like the smell of this product; it's pleasantly fruity without being overpowering. It also feels smooth and not sticky on my lips. Although it's an okay product, I doubt I'll repurchase. I'll keep searching for the perfect pale peachy/pink gloss that requires no mixing. -
MAC Cosmetics Cleanse Off Oil
Loves, loves, loves this stuff. This is the best product I've found to remove all my makeup quickly and gently (and with minimal eye-sting). What I normally do with this is rub it over my whole face while it's dry, then wet my hands and massage so... +
Loves, loves, loves this stuff. This is the best product I've found to remove all my makeup quickly and gently (and with minimal eye-sting). What I normally do with this is rub it over my whole face while it's dry, then wet my hands and massage so the oil starts to lather a little bit, then rub it all off with a damp washcloth. It works great and my face is totally clean afterward. I have extremely oily skin and I this doesn't make my skin any oilier, which I was worried about. This is definitely my HG for gentle but thorough makeup removal. I only removed one star because I think it's a bit pricey; but it's worth it. -
MAC Cosmetics Clear Red Pro Gloss
This is a nice gloss to throw in your makeup bag and keep it there just in case. Or that's what I do anyway. I usually pack the lip colour of the day in my purse but keep this permanently in my makeup bag as a backup because it pretty much goes with... +
This is a nice gloss to throw in your makeup bag and keep it there just in case. Or that's what I do anyway. I usually pack the lip colour of the day in my purse but keep this permanently in my makeup bag as a backup because it pretty much goes with everything. It's sheer enough that I could wear it with pale colours in the summer and it's pigmented enough to stand up against and all-black outfit. It's a nice texture and has no noticeable smell. I'm not in love with the tube because the gloss comes out of this little tiny hole and then you have to spread it around with your fingers or a brush. Not a big deal but I prefer a wand or brush-type applicator with my glosses. I didn't buy this - got it from a girlfriend who works at MAC - so I have no idea how much it costs or what the packaging is like. Not sure if I would ever repurchase but I'm in no danger of running out anytime soon. -
stila cosmetics Lip Glaze
Loves it. This was my first Stila product ever and it's my favourite neutral mlbb gloss ever. With my NC50 complexion there is really no discernable colour when I wear this, just a nice nude-ish shine. It's great with heavy eyemakeup or on low-key... +
Loves it. This was my first Stila product ever and it's my favourite neutral mlbb gloss ever. With my NC50 complexion there is really no discernable colour when I wear this, just a nice nude-ish shine. It's great with heavy eyemakeup or on low-key days when you want to look like you're wearing no makeup. I have only two issues with this. While I love glosses that come with a built in brush, the turn and click business needs to be honed. First of all the delay between when I turn the bottom and when the gloss actually appears on the brush is too long...it's like I have to do it in advance so that by the time I'm ready for it the gloss will be there. I also find that I often end up with too much gloss on the brush and nowhere to put it, which sucks because at these prices I'm not about to waste a drop. That's my other issue. These glosses are way too expensive! -
BioSilk Silk Therapy
I'm upset with this product. I've been using this for years (extremely rare for me because I always bounce around from product to product without sticking to any one thing) and I thought I loved it. It smells great, you only need to use a tiny bit... +
I'm upset with this product. I've been using this for years (extremely rare for me because I always bounce around from product to product without sticking to any one thing) and I thought I loved it. It smells great, you only need to use a tiny bit, and it seems lightweight. But about a month ago I got a haircut and the stylist was commenting on how weighed down my hair is and asked what I used. I told him I was using Silk Therapy and he literally recoiled in horror. "Oh no!" he said "That stuff turns into grease in your hair!". At the time I scoffed at him but now...I think he's right. For reference, I'm half black half east indian with very curly type 4A hair. I used to relax it but I stopped about 2 years ago and now just wash once a week and blow it out straight. I either wrap my hair at night or tuck it into a satin cap and you know what? About 3 days after I wash it my hair is grease-mania. It's so lank and flat and lifeless. Looks nice and shiny and is soft and smells good. But it's so flat and greasy. I'm wondering if the combination of using small amounts of Silk Therapy about every other day and keeping my hair wrapped at home is just giving it too much moisture. Either way, I think I'm going to have to start looking for an alternative because this is just not doing it for me anymore. I'm sad though. I really thought I loved this stuff. -
Rimmel London Lycra Wear 10 Plus Minerals Nail Polish
I have this in electric, which is a (fairly) dark shimmery blue. I mixed it with Rimmel Black Satin polish (one coat of black and then one coat of electric on top) and got a nice deep shade of blue, but still not quite as deep as I'd like it to be... +
I have this in electric, which is a (fairly) dark shimmery blue. I mixed it with Rimmel Black Satin polish (one coat of black and then one coat of electric on top) and got a nice deep shade of blue, but still not quite as deep as I'd like it to be. I mixed it with the black because I knew it would be too bright otherwise, but I think I need to experiment with it more. Next time I'll try 2 coats of black under this. Wear-wise it's only been 2 days but it's definitely better than other polishes I've used. I have a real problem with wear at the tips and it's noticeably better with this polish. Whether it will last 10 days remains to be seen, but I don't believe that any polish on earth can last that long without chipping or fading. But we'll see and if I remember I'll update this review. UPDATE: By yesterday (day 4) I had a lot of wear at the tips and some cracking so I took it off. No chips though, I'll say that. I think if I had a better topcoat it would last longer - I used L'oreal Pro Manicure but I don't think it's that good. It also seemed to get bluer every day, but I could just be crazy. -
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