Shadowball
Member Since: October 10, 2011Reviews
Physician's Formula Smoky Nude Eyeshadow Palette
I should begin my review of this product by saying my opinion on the price my be a little biased. I found a package of Physician's Formula Smoky Nudes that included not only the eyeshadow, but a set of three skin-toned nail polish bottles, and I got... +
I should begin my review of this product by saying my opinion on the price my be a little biased. I found a package of Physician's Formula Smoky Nudes that included not only the eyeshadow, but a set of three skin-toned nail polish bottles, and I got it from Burlington Coat Factory for $4.00 rather than the normal retail price of $20. I'd never pay twenty dollars for eyeshadow, I don't care how good it is.
But for the sake of the review, I'll just be covering the eyeshadow, which I have to say I really like. I've been leaning more toward neutral/nude eyeshadows since I think they work a little better with my thick-rimmed glasses than, say, sparkly silver shadow. As you might expect, the nude colors are subtle, but with the smoky palette, you also get some shades like black and dark brown for a slightly more dramatic effect.
Personally, I feel this is a wonderful set of colors for those who lean toward the "less is more" or "natural" look. The shades don't go on too dark and the lighter colors aren't terribly bold. Normally for me, this would be a problem because I usually like my eyeshadow to be nice and vibrant, but for these, I like the softer tones. Plus the fishnet packaging is just great, but be warned, the top flap doesn't like to stay closed.
My only complaint would be that the colors don't last incredibly long, but you could probably fix that with primer. Pair with an eye highlighter and a peach-colored lip color for lovely subtle beauty. The couple times I've tried Physician's Formula, I've been overall impressed and this product is no exception.
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Manic Panic Dreamtone
For the longest time, I thought Manic Panic only made funky hair colors (which I have used several times). But when I went looking for white foundation, I learned they also sell cosmetics, and that's when I was introduced to their product... +
For the longest time, I thought Manic Panic only made funky hair colors (which I have used several times). But when I went looking for white foundation, I learned they also sell cosmetics, and that's when I was introduced to their product Dreamtone.
Dreamtone is a pure white facial foundation, and while the price is nothing to rave about (I got mine for $14 on eBay), the quality is amazing. If you just want your face to look a little on the pale side, you can do that. Or, if you're going for creepy vampire white, you can do that too. A tiny bit of this still goes a very long way, so either look is very possible. The bottle cap has an applicator attached to it that looks kind of like a spatula, and you can spread the foundation itself around with either a sponge or your fingers. Pat a little white pressed powder over the Dreamtone and you're good to go!
Also, not only does this product doubles as a nice eyeshadow primer, but makeup blends very nicely into it when you wear it on your entire face. A word of warning, though: this stuff will accent any patches of dry skin and really make them stand out, so remember to exfoliate or whatever you have to do before applying it.
I love this stuff. I bought the bottle several years ago and it's still almost full, so it will last you a very long time, even if you were to wear it every day. If you want to look beautifully pale and don't want to take arsenic to achieve the look, Dreamtone is the way to go.
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Avon Cosmic Eyeshadow
Another of my recent purchases from Avon, their baked Cosmic Eyeshadow appears to be absolutely gorgeous, but I just could not put five stars on any aspect of it and I'll explain why. The price seemed a little high for what I felt was a rather small... +
Another of my recent purchases from Avon, their baked Cosmic Eyeshadow appears to be absolutely gorgeous, but I just could not put five stars on any aspect of it and I'll explain why. The price seemed a little high for what I felt was a rather small compact of makeup, but maybe that's just me being stingy.
Perhaps I was expecting too much, but the actual color was not nearly as intense as I thought it would be. I purchased the Midnight Sky shade, which was marbled silver/grey and shades of blue. When I applied it by itself (dry, nothing underneath), it went on as a pale blue-grey. I tried applying it with a brush, but it was too light, so I used my finger to really rub it into my eyelids. For the most intense results, I applied primer first (Manic Panic Dreamtone - I know, not official primer, but still works), then the eyeshadow, then more eyeshadow with a damp fingertip. Still not as intense as the color of the compact suggests, but quite nice nonetheless. I found this stuff also shimmers a bit, so if you're more of a matte eyeshadow person, you may not like this item.
I can only speak for this one shade, which I think is one of the darker ones in the line. If the other colors follow Midnight Sky's example, I imagine they're all also considerably lighter than what the website suggests. However, in spite of the minor complaints I've made, I would still recommend this product. I still like the color I get, it stays on for a decent amount of time, and it blends nicely. The resulting applied color is very nice - just don't expect it to be as dark or intense as the mound of pressed eyeshadow implies.
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Avon Dew Kiss Lip Dew
I recently got this product while browsing on Avon's website. Basically, I needed to top off my shoppig bag at $10 to get free shipping and I came up a little short, so I went looking for something cheap. I found Avon's Dew Kiss Lip Dew for less... +
I recently got this product while browsing on Avon's website. Basically, I needed to top off my shoppig bag at $10 to get free shipping and I came up a little short, so I went looking for something cheap. I found Avon's Dew Kiss Lip Dew for less than a dollar. Nothing super impressive about the label, but it had rave reviews, so I figured "What's a buck?"
I have to say I'm very impressed with it. It goes on smoother than Chapstick, has a very subtle sweet scent, and while the lip balm itself is pink, it goes on clear. The label claims it can be work under lipstick, but I haven't tried it yet. Dew Kiss also lasts for quite a while and when it starts to get a little dry, it doesn't become tacky like many lip glosses or balms. It moisturizes nicely and doesn't leave residue behind after kissing (for those who have a significant other that isn't fond of sticky lip goo on their mouths).
In my experience, Avon Dew Kiss Lip Dew is totally worth it and is an absolute steal. I'd recommend it over Chapstick any day and for either men or women. It's not greasy or tacky, and even when it gets wiped or dried off, your lips still stay soft and kissable. Screw Chapstick - I'm sticking with this stuff from now on.
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Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner
My ideal eyeliner is a jet-black matte pencil liner and I decided to give Revlon's ColorStay Eye Liner a try, despite being a bit outside my preferred price range for eyeliners. More or less, it's nice. It goes on very smooth and bold, isn't... +
My ideal eyeliner is a jet-black matte pencil liner and I decided to give Revlon's ColorStay Eye Liner a try, despite being a bit outside my preferred price range for eyeliners.
More or less, it's nice. It goes on very smooth and bold, isn't smudgy, and of course the retractable tip is great. However, "ColorStay" is a pretty vague use of terms. Does the color stay? Yes. Does the quality and sharpness stay? NO. I've found that this pencil will smudge very easily on both lids after a few short hours - three hours after I apply it, it's smeared all over my lower eyelids and I look like a raccoon. And of course it gets messy in the corners of the eyes even faster (then again, I have yet to find an eyeliner that won't do that).
So if you count the smudged half-faded remnants of your original lines as the color staying on, then this product lives up to its name. But expect to touch up your eyeliner every couple hours if you buy this. I've used liners for half the price of this one that lasted the same amount of time or longer before getting messy. I believe Revlon makes a plain old wooden eyeliner pencil for around $3 that works just as well as this thing, so if your local cosmetics provider has these available, I strongly recommend getting two of those pencils instead of one ColorStay pencil.
It's by no means an awful product - it just doesn't last as long as it claims to.
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Maybelline Eye Studio Color Tattoo 24HR Cream Gel Eye Shadow
Normally I don't like spending more than, say, $5 for a single shade of eyeshadow. But I'd been eyeing the Color Tattoo shades from Maybelline for some time and I decided to bite and try it. Normally I'm not a fan of creme eyeshadows because I find... +
Normally I don't like spending more than, say, $5 for a single shade of eyeshadow. But I'd been eyeing the Color Tattoo shades from Maybelline for some time and I decided to bite and try it. Normally I'm not a fan of creme eyeshadows because I find they're messy and less vibrant than their powder counterparts, but the one I got was the lovely shade of smoky grey I had been looking for. Worth a try, right?
Honestly, for the price, I wasn't tremendously impressed. I was definitely glad to see that this stuff actually dries at some point (whereas other creme eyeshadows I've tried stayed moist and just made a mess). However, this wasn't nearly as bold as you are led to think. The small ad near the Color Tattoo vials in CVS shows a lady with gorgeous, vibrant orange eyeshadow. What I got out of mine after layering it on rather thick was a far more subtle effect.
Not sure what I expected since I've tried Maybelline eyeshadow compacts in the past and they went on pretty lightly (even the blackest of black eyeshadows). Why I felt this one would be any different is a mystery. I don't know if it genuinely lasts for 24 hours, but it does seem to last a decent amount of time without smudging or doing that thing where all the color collects in your eyelid crease and the rest of your eyelid is bare.
Overall? Not bad. I would not buy it again, personally. I would say if you're going to get it, go to CVS. These folks will allow you to return any cosmetics you're not satisfied with, so if you find that this stuff is crap, you can get your money back. By no means is this stuff the worst I've tried (that honor goes to Aziza creme eyeshadow palettes), but for how much Maybelline boasts about this stuff (24-hour wear, tinted with ink, tenacity of a tattoo with the intensity of ink, etc.), I expected something better. Or at least something a little closer to the solid colors seen in the ad.
I intend to keep my vial of Audacious Asphalt because I think it still produces a nice smoky effect.
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Wet N' Wild Wild Shine Lip Color
I'm going to say up front that I'm not totally sure if this product is lip GLOSS or lipSTICK - I think it's the former. Anyway, I admit the first place I usually look for makeup is on the Wet N' Wild shelf - I know it's cheap, but sometimes they... +
I'm going to say up front that I'm not totally sure if this product is lip GLOSS or lipSTICK - I think it's the former. Anyway, I admit the first place I usually look for makeup is on the Wet N' Wild shelf - I know it's cheap, but sometimes they give you something impressive. One such instance is with their line of Wild Shine Lip Lacquers. At $3 a pop, they're hard to pass up and come in a nice variety of colors.
I've gotten two shades - "Risque," which is a somewhat subtle brownish-pink that is kind of close to a natural lip color, and "Fierce," which is a bright red that kind of goes on as a dark red-pink. They're very easy to apply - unlike other lipsticks with the thick, chunky tip, these have a slender "deer-hoof" tip and can be applied evenly and cleanly.
Wild Shine goes on smooth and does not get tacky even when it dries, and it retains its color on your lips even after the moisture has disappeared. Obviously this stuff is not high-quality in general, but for Wet N' Wild, it's pretty darn great and I absolutely love the Risque shade. I fully intend to buy a few more shades in the future. If you don't mind applying this stuff a little more often, I'd definitely say it's a worthwhile purchase if you love makeup and are on a budget.
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Johnson's Baby Shampoo
I use this stuff when I give my cats a bath (which is always an adventure because they all have their claws). I have never gotten it in their eyes, so I have no idea if it's actually tear-free or not, but this stuff is mild enough that it can be... +
I use this stuff when I give my cats a bath (which is always an adventure because they all have their claws). I have never gotten it in their eyes, so I have no idea if it's actually tear-free or not, but this stuff is mild enough that it can be used as an effective pet shampoo (as in no weird scents or dyes that can irritate a dog's or a cat's skin). -
AVON Glazewear Liquid Lip Colour
I've gotten to try four different shades of this product: Slicked Red, Apricot, Chocolate Fling, and Fuschia Fantasy. And these glosses come in three different varieties: Shine, Sparkle and Intense. Normally I would never blow $7 or $8 on a... +
I've gotten to try four different shades of this product: Slicked Red, Apricot, Chocolate Fling, and Fuschia Fantasy. And these glosses come in three different varieties: Shine, Sparkle and Intense. Normally I would never blow $7 or $8 on a bloody tube of lip gloss - I don't care if it was churned in the glittering skull of a unicorn and made my boobs grow another cup size, I personally find it to be too high of a price. Others here may have different opinions on what constitutes "too high," so by all means don't judge this on cost alone.
I recently had a bit of luck and managed to find a box of three of these on sale for $5.00. I was actually looking for one color on eBay and the only auction that had it was a gift set of three - a Shine gloss, a Sparkle gloss and an Intense gloss. Ehh whatever, it was still cheaper than a normally-priced one. Overall good quality - the gloss goes on nice and smooth with the slanted "doe-foot" applicator. This stuff does not stay "juicy" very long, but unlike many lip products, this will not leave your lips feeling like you've just orally pleasured a bottle of rubber cement. When the gloss dries out, your lips will remain relatively smooth. The color fades too, but it will leave a subtle tint to the lips.
My personal favorite is the Apricot, which is an Intense gloss. The color is a beautiful brown-copper color that isn't overpowering and it's a nice complement to blonde hair, I think.
The Slicked Red is a Shine gloss and it's a very sugary watermelon pink. Not a lot of color with this one - maybe a slight hint, but that's why it's Shine. I didn't really see a big difference between how shiny this one was and how shiny the other two kinds were.
Fuschia Fantasy is a Sparkle gloss and gives a nice pinkish-red color and the color will hold a little even after the gloss has gone dry. Don't expect your lips to be dazzling like Vegas lights in this, though. It's not quite that amazing.
As for the Chocolate Fling, I believe this shade has been discontinued, but it definitely holds its color. Only thing is this one does get a little more tacky once it dries, but it offers a lovely shade of cocoa brown and, unless I'm losing my mind, it even smells a little chocolatey. I'm not sure if you can find this one anywhere anymore, but if you need a nice shade of medium-brown lip gloss, I'd recommend Chocolate Fling.
Overall, I would say if it's color you want most, get an Intense shade because those will show up the most. For just practical lip moisturizing, any of the Shine or Sparkle varieties will work well.
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Wet N Wild H20 Proof Liquid Eyeliner
As a rule, I try to find makeup that strikes a good middle ground between affordability and quality, but I have come to see Wet N Wild as a cheap brand. However, when looking for liquid eyeliner suggestions, someone absolutely swore by this H20... +
As a rule, I try to find makeup that strikes a good middle ground between affordability and quality, but I have come to see Wet N Wild as a cheap brand. However, when looking for liquid eyeliner suggestions, someone absolutely swore by this H20 Proof stuff from Wet N Wild. I was reluctant, but compared to most other liquid liners, it was at least priced nicely and hey, it's waterproof too.
Color me surprised - it's actually quite impressive. I've used all kinds of liquid liner brush tips and I actually kind of like the stiff tip more than a regular brush tip. It was kind of like a calligraphy pen where I could control the thickness of the line. It takes a little practice, but you can get a smooth line out of this, even if you need to lightly draw the line on first with an eye pencil.
I got the Ultra Black bottle and it's definitely quite a bold shade of black. I'm not sure how those other colors hold up, though; I tend to get the blackest black liners I can find. And while I didn't jump into a pool after applying it, I do have a problem where my eyes will occasionally water a little for no reason and I might have a couple tears falling. I was thrilled to see this stuff did not smudge or run like other liners (pencils and liquid) that I've tried!
The downside, as other reviewers have mentioned, is it does stay wet for a little while and if you open your eyes too wide, it will leave a streak above the eyelid. I would recommend applying this liner to your eyelid and then fanning your closed eye with your hand until it dries, then do the other eye. It will take a little while, but if you don't wait for it to dry, you may end up ruining your eyeshadow if you're wearing any.
In short, the pros outweigh the cons and I would absolutely recommend this for anyone who wants a good, bold, waterproof liquid liner for a reasonable price. I will absolutely buy it again and this is the first Wet N Wild product I can say that about.
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