xoliana
Member Since: July 31, 2016Reviews
Essence Precise Eyeliner Brush
I bought this at the same time I bought the Essence Gel Eyeliner pot. I already have an angled eyeliner brush, but this one was cheap and looked a little smaller, so I figured I would try it out and see how it worked. The bristles are synthetic... +
I bought this at the same time I bought the Essence Gel Eyeliner pot. I already have an angled eyeliner brush, but this one was cheap and looked a little smaller, so I figured I would try it out and see how it worked.
The bristles are synthetic. It's very soft, not scratchy, and it's very thin, which makes it easy to draw a precise line, particularly if you're doing a wing. I actually found that this brush made it super easy to get a sharp wing. I haven't been doing winged eyeliner for very long, so I'm by no means a pro, but my eyeliner looked fabulous when I used this brush and the Essence Gel Eyeliner together.
Unfortunately, the bristles did harden quite a bit from the gel eyeliner, so when I went to use it a few days later, I had to rinse the bristles under water as well as soak them with a bit of makeup remover. I believe that was more to do with the intense formula of the gel than the actual brush -- I think any brush would have hardened, so it was my fault for not wiping it completely clean. Having said that, I am a little bit scared to see how this brush holds up to a good washing. The handle is pure plastic, which doesn't give me much hope for the glue holding the bristles down. If it does fall apart, I suppose it's cheap enough that I could buy another.
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essence Gel Eyeliner
I believe this only comes in one shade, which is the black shade called Midnight in Paris. It's unfortunate that the range of colours is so restricted because this is an absolutely amazing formula. It may be the very best I have ever used, and... +
I believe this only comes in one shade, which is the black shade called Midnight in Paris. It's unfortunate that the range of colours is so restricted because this is an absolutely amazing formula. It may be the very best I have ever used, and considering the price and how many other gels are available, that's saying something!
This is marketed as a long-lasting, waterproof gel formula. It comes in a little pot, and they have a little angled brush available to purchase right next to this. This is a highly pigmented and very smooth gel. It's such high quality for such a small price, way better quality than some other gels out there. I found this to be incredibly easy to apply and, along with the angled brush, I was able to achieve a very crisp, sharp wing with little to no difficulty.
After applying, this sets almost immediately, and it will. Not. Budge! It is INCREDIBLY long-wearing. In fact, I would caution you to clean the excess product off your brush immediately, because a few days later when I went to use it, it had hardened onto the bristles. That's how heavy duty this stuff is. As you'd expect, it does take a little bit of work to remove at the end of the day. I would recommend using something oil-based and gentlg pressing it over your eye, otherwise you'll be rubbing at your delicate skin for awhile.
If you need an amazing, waterproof gel, even if you suck at winged liner, this will be your new best friend.
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Make Up For Ever Excessive Lash Mascara
I received a sample of this with my 500 point perk from Sephora. I'm a big fan of one of MUFE's other mascaras, the Smoky Extravagant mascara, so I had high hopes for this one. It's nowhere near as good as that one, but it's still nice. The wand... +
I received a sample of this with my 500 point perk from Sephora.
I'm a big fan of one of MUFE's other mascaras, the Smoky Extravagant mascara, so I had high hopes for this one. It's nowhere near as good as that one, but it's still nice. The wand is decently sized and fairly slim and tapered, with the middle part being just slightly thicker in width. When you pull it out of the tube, the tip does tend to be VERY goopy, so I find that I always have to wipe off a lot of excess product, probably more so than any other mascara I've used in the past several years. It seems like a bit of a waste of product when you have to wipe that much off.
The formula goes onto the lashes quite nicely. I'm already somewhat gifted in the lash department, but with a name like "Excessive Lash", I kind of went in expecting my lashes to get a lot bigger and bolder, like falsies. This wasn't the case. It does add some length and a decent amount of separation, but it's actually more of what I would consider to be a very natural-looking, everyday mascara. It doesn't clump or flake at all, which is great, but I definitely expected more. The Smoky Extravagant does a lot more than this one does.
This is a very good quality formula, to be sure, and I would recommend it for that reason, but for those looking for a huge difference in the appearance in their lashes, you may end up being disappointed.
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Simple Kind To Skin Protecting Light Moisturizer SPF 15
I have been a fan of Simple skincare products for years. I used to use the Simple Hydrating Light Moisturizer as my daytime moisturizer, but I haven't been able to find it for a long time now. It seems they discontinued it in favour of this, so I... +
I have been a fan of Simple skincare products for years. I used to use the Simple Hydrating Light Moisturizer as my daytime moisturizer, but I haven't been able to find it for a long time now. It seems they discontinued it in favour of this, so I decided to give it a try.
This has a mild SPF in it (15), whereas the original Hydrating Light Moisturizer did not contain any. While that's definitely a plus because it's a good thing to protect your skin from the sun, this unfortunately seemed to mess with what was already a good formula, and for me personally, makes it less enjoyable to wear on my skin.
I love Simple products because I have very sensitive skin and I'm also very sensitive to fragrance, and all of their past products had been perfume/fragrance-free. Because of the addition of SPF, this naturally has a smell to it, and it's one that I don't particularly like or tolerate. I would much rather use my own suncare product, which I know will not irritate me. This is also considerably more greasy and considerably less comfortable on my skin than the original formula. It's the only cream from Simple that leaves me looking shiny and which breaks me out.
I wish they had left the original light moisturizer as part of their line and given shoppers a choice between the two, rather than discontinuing one all together. I wouldn't recommend this one if you are looking to avoid that greasy feeling and unfortunate, chemical-like SPF smell.
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Make Up For Ever Aqua XL Eye Pencil Waterproof Eye Liner
I received a deluxe sample of this with my 500 point perk from Sephora. I have the shade I-24, which is a beautiful turquoise colour. The pigmentation on this is wonderful. The colour shows up with one sweep, no need to go over the same area more... +
I received a deluxe sample of this with my 500 point perk from Sephora. I have the shade I-24, which is a beautiful turquoise colour.
The pigmentation on this is wonderful. The colour shows up with one sweep, no need to go over the same area more than once. The pencil glides on so smoothly, which is a rarity for waterproof pencils. It doesn't tug on the skin at all, which is good for the delicate eye area.
Some smooth pencils tend to smudge easily. This literally sets within seconds, and doesn't budge. I swatched it on the back of my hand before using it in an eye look; though the colour faded gradually over time, it lasted through hand washing and a shower. It was still there! When I did finally put it on my eyes, I used it on my lower lash line (I don't put eyeliner on the waterline). I have very irritated, watery eyes right now, and this didn't smear one tiny bit.
This is an exceptional eyeliner! It is most definitely waterproof, and with the variety of shades it comes in, you're bound to find one you like. The price is certainly high-end, but I feel it's worth it for something that works as good as this. I would be interested in buying a full size.
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Make Up For Ever Artist Plexi Gloss
I got a deluxe sample of this in my 500 point perk from Sephora. I have this in the shade 209, which is a very vibrant pink. The pigmentation on the gloss is outstanding. I've never seen a gloss as colourful as this. It has the same effect of a... +
I got a deluxe sample of this in my 500 point perk from Sephora. I have this in the shade 209, which is a very vibrant pink.
The pigmentation on the gloss is outstanding. I've never seen a gloss as colourful as this. It has the same effect of a lipstick, with true colour payoff, but it has the same look and feel of a gloss.
The wand is a bit on the weird side. It's very wide and flat, which makes it easy to deposit the colour over a wide space -- such as the centre of your lips -- but not so easy to get into the corners and cupid's bow for precision.
The formula itself is VERY sticky. This surpasses any other gloss I've tried in terms of stickiness. This does make the colour last longer throughout the day, however, if you have long hair it will easily get stuck on your lips. Additionally, even after wiping it off, and no colour remained, my mouth still felt tacky to the point that I had to rinse my lips twice with water.
While I definitely enjoy the colour and longer lasting effect of this gloss, the stickiness is a real turnoff. I probably wouldn't buy the full size for myself, but I'd recommend this for anyone looking for lots of colour, as long as you don't mind the tacky feeling.
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Make Up For Ever Artist Shadow
I got a deluxe sample of this with my 500 point perk from Sephora. I have the shade I544, which is a shimmery, satin taupe. I find that the pigmentation is decent with this particular shade, though it does take a bit to build it up. It is a bit... +
I got a deluxe sample of this with my 500 point perk from Sephora. I have the shade I544, which is a shimmery, satin taupe.
I find that the pigmentation is decent with this particular shade, though it does take a bit to build it up. It is a bit gritty in texture, and kicks up some powder, considering the price for a full size pan is $25. I have a palette from NYC that I paid $6 for, and two of the colours are very similar. When applied to my lid, I wouldn't be able to tell you the difference between the NYC and the Make Up For Ever.
If anything the NYC shades are softer to the touch and kick up less powder. Maybe some other shades from the MUFE line perform better than this, but this one is so easily duped that I can't recommend it.
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Too Faced Melted Matte Liquid Lipstick
I bought this in the shade Drop Dead Red. The name of the colour is quite misleading, as it's MUCH darker than what it appears in the tube. Rather than being a very dark red, it's actually almost black. Colour aside, the formula is very thin. I... +
I bought this in the shade Drop Dead Red. The name of the colour is quite misleading, as it's MUCH darker than what it appears in the tube. Rather than being a very dark red, it's actually almost black.
Colour aside, the formula is very thin. I would compare it to the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick, which feels very similar, but whereas the Kat Von D goes on evenly with one coat, this went on very patchy/streaky. I needed to build it up to about two and a half layers to get the true colour. At that point, after only a few minutes of wear, it began to crumble off in little bits on my teeth.
Needless to say I was less than impressed with this, and I will be returning it.
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Attack the Block
Attack the Block is a 2011 sci-fi film, starring John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker, Luke Treadaway, and Nick Frost. The story is about a gang of young hoodlums who mug a female nurse on her way home from work. They're interrupted when a meteorite lands... +
Attack the Block is a 2011 sci-fi film, starring John Boyega, Jodie Whittaker, Luke Treadaway, and Nick Frost.
The story is about a gang of young hoodlums who mug a female nurse on her way home from work. They're interrupted when a meteorite lands nearby, giving her a chance to get away unharmed. Inside the meteorite is a strange creature, which the youths hunt down and kill. Unfortunately, it wasn't the only one of its kind.
This is an often overlooked film, being that it was an independent film from the UK and its budget was very low. It has since gained a cult status, as it completely deserves. This is one of the best sci-fi films to come out in years. It may not have a lot of flash to it, but it uses its budget extremely effectively. The creatures are shown just enough to make them a menacing presence; any more and they surely would have shone light on the fact that they didn't have the money to make creatures as nice as a Hollywood blockbuster.
All of the actors here are very talented up and comers. People may recognize John Boyega from the most recent Star Wars film. Additionally, Nick Frost gained popularity through films like Shaun of the Dead (this was written by the same person). The film has a lot of humour to it, and it's very charming while still being very action-packed. It earned very favourable reviews across the board, so there's no reason not to give it a chance!
The film is rated R and has a running time of 88 minutes.
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American Beauty (1999)
American Beauty is a 1999 comedy/drama film, starring Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening. The film won several Academy Awards, including Best Actor and Best Film. The story is about Lester Burnham, who feels he's trapped living a mundane existence... +
American Beauty is a 1999 comedy/drama film, starring Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening. The film won several Academy Awards, including Best Actor and Best Film.
The story is about Lester Burnham, who feels he's trapped living a mundane existence. He's married to a cold and loveless woman, and he works at a dead-end job. It isn't until he falls for his daughter's friend that Lester begins to take control of his life, but the results may not be what he expected.
This is one of my favourite films of all time. I first saw this when I was about sixteen, and it cemented my love not only for the film, but for Kevin Spacey. I truly believe that he will go down as one of the very greatest actors who ever lived, and American Beauty is a perfect showcase for his talent. It's no surprise that he won an Oscar, his second within a few years.
The other performances in the film are also terrific. In particular, I really enjoyed Chris Cooper, as a homophobic and abusive father. His character is so loathsome, but there's some real development to him as well. He's not just evil for the sake of being evil. You begin to understand why he acts the way he does. This is the mark of great writing.
Some people say that this is one of the worst Best Picture winners of all time, but I recommend you watch it for yourself and form your own opinion. It is rated R and has a running time of 122 minutes.
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