L'Oreal Paris True Match Naturale Mineral Foundation

A godsend

I will preface this entire review with: I have not-so-perfect skin. It's sensitive, has redness around the mouth and nose, have some acne scars, the occasional blemish, and has dryness around the chin, cheeks, and nose. But you wouldn't know that when I wear this makeup. It makes me look flawless. (Word to the wise: hydration is key with any powder or mineral formulation. I do exfoliate twice a week and wear a good moisturizer every day to give me a good base.) Having been a user of L'Oreal foundations for years because for the price, I couldn't find any line that worked better on me, it was easy for me to pick out the perfect shade for me. That in its own right is one of the reasons I love L'Oreal, because as a fair woman with cool coloring, its hard to find shades that are realistic but not corpse-like. This offers very buildable coverage. Using a light hand and tapping off excess will give you sheer look that lets freckles shine through but evens out skintone. Adding more of the foundation in trouble spots gives you a flawless canvas to work on. The brush is soft and large enough to cover a decent area in a short amount of time. It allows for superior blending along jawline or with blush. Most importantly, it imparts quite a glow. While it is mostly a matte formula, it gives a little bit of sheen. It doesn't look greasy. But with even skintone, and no oilyness, it gives you a healthy glow. People comment on how radiant my skin looks, and it isn't my skin, its this makeup.

February 11, 2010

Maybelline New York Lash Stiletto Ultimate Length Washable Mascara

Shiny and lengthening, but that's it!

It's true: this mascara does smell strange. If the scents of vinyl and acetone had a child, it would be the scent of this mascara. I'm certainly not a fan of that. It's livable but would be fabulous if you opened it and it didn't smell. Or smelled like ... roses. However, it does what it says. It gives you glossy, long, separated lashes. For sure. But, it doesn't hold curl, not beyond the scope of a couple of hours maximum. As for the separation, it's not all its chocked up to be. If you have a lot of lashes, it tends to group them together. I don't say clump because it doesn't look clumpy, more like you just have fewer lashes than you did. If you have or like the look of long, straight lashes, this is for you. It's not bad at all, but for those of us who prefer many defined, lush lashes, it doesn't do the trick.

February 11, 2010