Essie "Off The Shoulder" Summer 2012 Collection Review

got this nail polish in the mail, I had received it as a perk from Klout. Once I ripped open the box and saw what color I had received I instantly removed the polish I was wearing and applied this one.
I'm a sucker for Essie nail polish. I instantly fell in love with the color. The line says they are bright and bold, however this color is a tad darker then I would consider bright or bold. I do love darker pink polishes. I used this color to paint hello kitty bows on my nieces nails and it was the perfect color.
I've been wearing this color for 6 days now and have minimal chipping. I do apply two coats of color and one coat of top coat when doing my nails for maximum coverage. The color looks amazing and vibrant.
I would definitely recommend. I love the color, I love the brand and I love the durability.
Photo is not mine, I got it off a google web search for Essie off the shoulder.

Make Up Designory Face primer

Disclaimer: Anytime I review a MUD product I dont want people to think im kissing ass because I went to MUD or because I want to stay in good graces with people I graduated with and teachers. I ABSOLUTLEY love all of the products MUD has to offer.

When I got enrolled in the Make Up Designory, I got a list of things I needed for my kit for each class and I needed primer for my beauty, portfolio and character classes. We dont have to buy the MUD brand for our kits, but its better to learn the brand you will one day be representing as a graduate of the school.

This primer is an amazing consistency, its not too thick and not too thin. There are many different uses for primers, they are primarily used for, of course, priming the face, mixing with foundation, concealer, any cream based makeup can be mixed with primer. Most artists use primer to thin out the makeup for skin that doesnt need a lot of foundation, or when applying makeup to men because you dont want them to look like they are wearing a ton of makeup.

I primarily use it to mix with my foundation, to give it a thicker consistency. Ive used a lot of different primers and actually have quite a few that I love. I primarily use my MUD face primer in my makeup kit for clients.

I definitely recommend this product. It is amazing smells fresh and helps moisturize the skin. MUD is an amazing brand I am Extremely proud to say that I use them and went to this school. I will recommend any and everything MUD has to offer.

Update

It has been quite AWHILE since the last time i posted here.. an explanation is in order.. so here is the short, abridged version.


when i started this blog i was working three jobs and going to school part time at night. easy right? well yes, except my jobs were all quite a ways from each other.. San Diego, west covina and city of industry and my school is in temecula.. now, for people not in California, going between all 4 of these places and living in two different cities makes life a little hard..


it was easy at first, but once my car Betsey broke down it was all over.. it was hard to get to and from work and school and live in two different places. so I've been in this pretty bad place ever since Betsey died, but its OK. because I've a truly really begun to understand what i want from life..


I'm getting the money together to begin my very own makeup line with my family and Best friend Traci.. I've slowly gotten my confidence boosted and gotten things back on track thanks to all of my amazing family and friends and even the people here and on my facebook page..


I'm not posting this to make excuses. I'm posting this for me. it's affirming putting all of this down..


so, now that everyone knows and i got that out of the way, the reviews will start coming back, and i will be adding some tutorials.. if you want to see any of my work i have a facebook page www.facebook.com/LipstickNBruises and yes even a twitter @LipstickNBruise  my website is currently under construction, due to some use of the domain registration and issues with go daddy, but should be re-setup by july.. 


-Bree

Lorac Ulta Glam Lip Gloss Review

This lip gloss came in a Backstage Pro kit from Ulta. I wouldnt've bought this color by itself because it has glitter in it and im not a fan of glittery lip gloss. But I really wanted the other stuff in the kit so I bought it.

I have actually come to LOVE this lip gloss. The gloss is a peachy light maroon color with glitter. I go through lip gloss like most people go through bottles of water, so it has surprised me that it has lasted almost 3 months with how much I use it.

I love how the color goes on a little darker then how it looks in the tube, and it lasts hours without having to reapply. I was a little off put with the glitter in the gloss because I dont like how most glittered glosses feel on my lips. However with this gloss, you cant even feel the glitter. The gloss goes on smooth and has an amazing peach taste to it. Its not thick and its not thin, its actually the precise consistency I like in my lip glosses.

I love this lip gloss. I use it all the time, whether im going out or just heading to work. I have used this on set before on one of my actresses and she loved it so much she went out and bought her own kit. I definitely recommend this gloss to everyone. They dont make the kit anymore and it was only distributed through Ulta Stores, but from my understanding of the line most Lorac glosses are made somewhat identical, so most Lorac glosses are the same. I will definitely be adding more Lorac glosses and products to my kit in the future.

Physicians Formula Concealer Duo Review

Im not a huge fan of physicians formula but when I find a better quality makeup brand at the dollar store, you bet your bottom dollar that I will swoop it up. So I bought this Pysicians Formula Perfecting Concealer Duo in green/light for only $1.09 I love trying new products and you cant beat buying them for a dollar. I also love being able to try different types of concealer, so this was a steal for me.

That being said, I do not like this at all. The consistency of this is way too chalky. I like my cream products to actually be creamy. I also dont like the way this feels on my skin, it feels like I just applied a mud mask and its stretching my skin out and drying it out in the process.

I do not recommend this product. This is going in my makeup giveaway box for my sisters, I will not personally be using this again.  

China Glaze Passion Review

I saw this color on a model in a Christmas themed Sephora catalog. Im not usually a gold person when it coems to jewelery, nail polishes, clothes and things of that sort. But when it comes to makeup, with my skin tones and eye color, gold is definitely the way to go.

This is China Glaze Nail Lacquer with Hardeners color Passion number 685. Now usually when you get a color that says Nail Lacquer it applies matte and dries pretty fast. This color actually takes a little time to dry, but dries shiny and doesnt need a top coat (I use one anyway to make the color last longer). Because the skin on my hands is fairly pale with pink undertones, the gold color actually looks pretty faint on my skin, but shines amazing.

Ive had the color on for 9 days with my Sally Hansen Celeb City. (See Review Below). I love the shine and little sparkle this color has. I would definitely recommend this color, for certain things. It doesnt really look good for everyday use. I would use it if I have a special event to go to, or I have a photo shoot that this color would look good in or even for a prom or dance.

China Glaze is an amazing brand and I Love their Nail Lacquer colors, but this color I personally wouldnt wear for everyday use.

Revlon Shape N Buff Review

My friend traci is amazing at finding deals, we were at CVS one day and she had this weird Extreme Couponing deal for Revlon stuff and ended up getting three things for free after buying one and then got money back on that and bought more makeup.

I had never used this prior to that day, but I love Revlon and nail buffers so I grabbed it up and decided to try it. Honestly, its ok. Not anything special, its just a cheap nail buffer. It doesnt shape or sculpt, it just buffs.

It has six sides, but honestly all but two of them do the same thing. It doesnt make your nails extraordinarily shiny or anything at all really. Its kind of a waste of time using it in the first place. Its cheaply made and doesnt last very long. Ive used mine twice and its already wearing down on the sides.

I have used other Revlon nail products and do like them, however I do not like this and definitely do not recommend it. If youre looking for an amazing nail buffer go to Sephora. The Sephora brand 4 sided nail buffer is amazing. Its the one I use in my manicure / Pedicure kit and I personally use it on myself.  

Marc Jacobs Daisy

As I was leaving work at the mall one day, my co-worker and I stopped by Macys to just look around, we get to the perfume section and she pretty much peed her pants when she saw this. Ive never seen her so excited before and never again since, her enthusiasm for this perfume is actually why I bought it and decided to review it.

I was never a fan of expensive perfume from Macys, I used to just buy Curious from Target or TJ Maxx. This was my first big perfume purchase ever. And I actually loved and loathed it. I love the way the perfume smells, its like an entrancing garden full of daisies. And I definitely love the way I feel when I wear it, ts refreshing. However I dislike that it doesnt last long. After maybe an hour to two hours, the smell is gone.

I bought this as a gift set and it came with an exfoliating body wash. I absolutely LOVE the body wash and wish that they sold it separately, because I would use it all the time. The smell from the body wash lingers on your skin longer then the actual perfume.

I dont recommend spending a lot of money on this, if u can find it somewhere for cheaper then Macys, go for it because it does smell good and if you find the body wash you must try it. There are soo many better and longer lasting perfumes out there for cheaper, dont waste your money.

Bath & Body Works PocketBac vs HandiBac Review

I'm just going to flat out shout it from the roof tops right now I LOVE BATH AND BODY WORKS. I love everything they have to offer. All of the amazing lotions, body washes, wallflowers, lip glosses, but my favorite of all is their Anti-Bacterial lines. Being a Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist you must ALWAYS have hand sanitizer with u and I dont like using just the plain hospital smelling Purell, especially if my hand is going to be in someones face. I love all the inviting smells that Bath and Body works has to offer.

Now, my only problems are 1) which smell to use and 2) do I use handiBac or PocketBac?

PocketBac is the mini anti-bacterial hand gel and HandiBac is the anti-bacterial moisturizing hand lotion. I love them both and recommend them both to everyone. What ive learned however is that there are definitely different times to use each product. I absolutely love the PocketBac the only draw back is that it is alcohol based and does dry out your skin. The HandiBac is moisturizing and an amazing lotion, but it does take a while to dry and can sometimes leave a somewhat sticky after feel on your hands.

So for Makeup Artists and Hair Stylists out there I would definitely keep both in your kit, but use the PocketBac before helping clients and the Handibac when your finished. If youre just an average Joe / Joan I definitely recommend keeping a HandiBac with you at all times.

I have both in my car, purse, backpack, makeup kit and hairstyling kit. I personally recommend the Cucumber Melon HandiBac and the Calypso Berry PocketBac. Those are my two personal favorites. So on a last note, I recommend both. They work amazing, they do what they say they will, and they smell amazing and kill germs / bacteria.  

Sally Hansen HD Double Review

So, im going to do a double review for these since I have two colors of the same brand. This is Sally Hansens HD line, I have number 12 Hue and number 01 Cyber. Hue is a yellow kind of golden pearlescent color and Cyber is a deep opalescent purple.

Now, if you read my last Sally Hansen review you know of my love for Sally Hansen and their nail colors. However I actually dislike Hue. I found it at a dollar store and of course thought it was a steal so I bought one for me, one for my kit and one for each of my sisters. However, the color is very faint when applied, even with 3 coats it was still fairly faint. And the color doesnt look like it does in the bottle whatsoever. The color in the bottle is beautiful and shiny and almost like a ray of sunshine. Btu on the nail its faint.

Now Cyber I bought at Target for $4 because I absolutely love any and all things purple. This color also isnt all its cracked up to be, but I have worn it a couple times. I did have to apply 3 coats with this one to get the color I wanted, how it looks in the bottle. If you apply polish the way I do with a base coat and top coat the color shows up much better, but if you just apply polish it is faint.

This line is suppose to be Enhanced hence the lines name HD meaning High Definition. I disagree with the name of the line, because the colors just dont live it up to it. The two colors I have in this color must be applied 2-3 times to even kind of stand up to their name.

I do love Sally Hansen and will still buy nail products from their line, just not this line.

Sally Hansen Celeb City Review

picture is not my own, i got it from a google search it is located at http://www.luuux.com/node/3002384 (she also has an amazing review, check it out)

The first time I saw this nail polish was on my little sister. I instantly fell in love with it on her. So of course I asked her what it was, where she got it and how much. Sally Hansen, Target and under $5. I WAS IN LOVE. Its a glittery Silver color, sparkles like crazy and shiny as ever.

Now, how I do my nails is how I've been taught in Cosmetology school, base coat, two layers of polish and a top coat. Doing it this way helps strengthen your nails and make the color last longer. I applied this color 9 days ago so I could write this review, and it only started chipping today while I was doing dishes. But I've learned if u apply a thin top layer of base coat over the color at least once every 4-5 days it will help prevent the color from chipping.

I love how this color is glittery and shiny but doesnt feel or look like your typical glitter nail polish, where the color is faint or almost non existent and you just have globs of glitter on your nail. This polish is evenly distributed between shine, color and glitter and applies cohesively on your nail.

I also removed the polish for this review to see if it came off the way most glitter polishes come off. Usually when you remove glittery nail polish the cotton gets stuck on the glitter and it becomes a battlefield trying to remove it. Well, this polish didnt cease to amaze me. I remove polish the way I do my nails, how I was taught in Cosmetology school. I use pure acetone, because my nails are thin and absorb color, so I dont use the dyed nail polish removers. I use a cotton ball soaked in pure acetone, hold it on my nail for 30 seconds and swipe, and it comes right off, the way any normal color would.

If your looking for a slight sparkle for a night out or you just want to liven up your nails for everyday wear then I definitely recommend this color. Honestly I recommend all Sally Hansen nail colors except for the overly glitter-fied colors, as they are not so easy to remove. Sally Hansen Nail Polish, I Love You.

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder Review

I got this in a gift basket for Christmas two years ago. I was only set in my ways when it came to my powder, foundations and concealers. But, you cant complain about trying something new that you got for free.

I apply a thin spritz of setting spray, then do my concealer and foundation, spritz a little more setting spray and when that dries I put on some of this powder. I usually do one to two layers of this powder and it comes off kind of sheer. I use 001 Transparent Shine Control. Yes im very white and have to use the lightest color.

The powder does what it says, it helps with Shine Control and Stays Matte. I love the way it feels after ive applied it, my skin actually feels like normal, not like ive layered on foundation, setting spray, concealer and powder. I dont like the way my skin looks though. I always apply a second layer of powder after I finish my eye makeup, but the powder is my own creation and covers everything.

This is a very good powder for those days where you just need light coverage. If youre going to the beach or just heading to work or any casual occasion, this is perfect. But for more fancy occasions and settings I would recommend going with something else because this comes off kind of sheer. The powder doesnt conceal very well in pictures, so I would recommend something thicker for occasions where you will be taking a lot of pictures.

Urban Decay All Nighter Review

I saw this in June 2010 at the Make Up Artist Trade Show in Pasadena before it hit shelves in July 2010. Of course the girls at the booth talked it up, but they didnt have samples or even product for sale because it was a while before it actually came out in stores. So of course i forgot about it, until a recent trip to Ulta.

I was asked to do Prom makeup so i was at Ulta picking up some new colors that would match the dress, of course i went straight to the NYX section they were buy 2 get one free and i love NYX (but thats another post entirely, lol). When you get up to the registers they have bins with half size product for half the price. for Prom makeup you definitely want something that will last all night as you dance the night away. 

I get to the registers and they have a small version of the All Nighter spray for only $10, so i buy it and decide to try it on myself before using it for my makeup application. I tried it two days before the prom, spritz it on when I completely finished all of my makeup, concealers, moisturizer, foundation, eyes, and finishing powder. You just have to spray it 2-4 times all over your face. I applied my makeup at 8 am on thursday morning and went through the entire day, only having to re apply eyeliner. I didnt take my makeup off until 7 am on friday morning (i work two jobs, 1 during the day and one overnight). 

This spray is amazing. It doesnt smell amazing, but the smell goes away after maybe at most 30 seconds. But for the end result, the smell is worth it. My makeup lasted all day, with just 2-4 spritz of product. Ive used it everyday for the past two weeks and the bottle still feels full. You get a lot of use for the price you pay. I would definitely recommend this product to other makeup artists and friends. I will definitely be using this on my Photo Shoots and on set.

<3 Bree