Thread: Products you've tried recently - thumbs up or down?

I don't try new products that often, but last week decided to go crazy ..l;, and try a few things.

Revlon Colorstay pencil eyeliner (waterproof) - I like it. I used it this past Friday when I had an afternoon performance and two separate restaurant shows that night. I did a slight touch-up before the last show, but it definitely stayed in place and didn't run at all (yes, I "glow").

Ardell Eyebrow stencils - Another "thumbs up". I am eyebrow challenged - the hair for my eyebrows is pale blonde, so I really need to shade them in. The idea of a stencil seemed funny at first, but then I thought, "Why not?" and gave it a go. I use "blonde" and "medium brown" brow color from Everyday Minerals.

L'Oreal Lash Out mascara (waterproof) - I think it was Elisa Gamal who recommended this particular product on a previous thread about false eyelashes, claiming it does such a nice job that you might not need the extra lashes. I used it with and without false eyelashes this past weekend and really liked it. The brush does a really great job of separating the lashes, so they don't get all clumpy. I personally still need some false eyelashes for some venues because of the shape of my eyes, heavy lids, etc., but this is my favorite mascara so far.

Almay truly lasting lip color - This is Almay's version of the paint, then gloss lip color that really stays on. I've used the Max Factor, L'Oreal, and Cover Girl versions in the past. They have all worked well for me as long as I let the paint coat dry before applying the gloss. If you don't wait, it doesn't work. Also, you can't use any other lip product on top or it will mess it up. I think the Almay version is my favorite so far, though they don't have as many colors from which to choose, nor are the colors as dramatic. Great for a more subtle look, though, especially for regular life. The same question came up with the Almay brand as with the others - how do I get this stuff OFF? Oil and cleansers didn't work. The package says to use an Almay make-up remover, which I didn't have. I ended up putting lip balm on top and then gently rubbing it off with a tissue. Still didn't come off completely, though.

I've never had a problem using mineral oil to get the lip stuff off.

Mineral oil is not quite good enough to get the waterproof Revlon OR Covergirl mascaras off though. What works for that - Vaseline will be my next step...

(Of course I still poke myself in the eye just putting the dang stuff on to begin with, eesh).

Listerine Whitening Mouthwash -- this stuff really whitens, and seems to reduce tarter too. I use it every couple of days. Just swish it around for a minute, then brush your teeth. It gets a bit foamy, because it has hydrogen peroxide in it, which many 'old fashioned' dentists still recommend as a tooth whitener.

Garnnier Skin Renew Eye Roller - depuffs eyes and increases circulation to the under eye area in a tiny roll on, just perfect to apply the product. It also reduces darkness (under eye circles). I've used Oil of Olay's Definity Eye brightener too, which is more expensive and of the two, I have to say the Garnnier one does a better job.

Almay Eye Makeup Remover Pads with Aloe - Such a deal on these. Already loaded up with the remover and in a handy little container. 80 makeup removing pads for less than $4. Just one of them will remove all my eye makeup. I do tissue off the residue, because it feels sort of oily, but it really cleans the makeup off - even waterproof mascara.

Ah, Cellbone technology 35% Glycolic Acid peel from Amazon...

Was nervous at first, but has given my skin a nice "dewy" look, lighted sun discoloration, cleared up breakouts, and cleaned out pores. You MUST follow the directions though, and follow with a neutralizer, and use only once a week.

Annabelle - Le Gloss Stick "figgy" $6 - A wonderful alternative to lipstick or traditional gloss. Has a hint of color which is nice for the day time or can go over lipstick for a bit of sheen and pow. Is in a slimline lipstick form so there's so yucky sticky gloss factor going on. No weird smell either. Color range is nice as well. 10/10


MAC Mineral Foundation - I am an official mineral convert as of yesterday. I LOVE mineral foundation and don't think i'll go back to liquid unless neccesary. Looked a bit dry at first but "settled down" as the day wore on. I'm oily and it never showed, I went for a 45m power walk and it didn't budge. My face feels light and not even like I'm wearnig makeup. 9/10

Originally Posted by anyadance

Annabelle - Le Gloss Stick "figgy" $6 - A wonderful alternative to lipstick or traditional gloss. Has a hint of color which is nice for the day time or can go over lipstick for a bit of sheen and pow. Is in a slimline lipstick form so there's so yucky sticky gloss factor going on. No weird smell either. Color range is nice as well. 10/10


MAC Mineral Foundation - I am an official mineral convert as of yesterday. I LOVE mineral foundation and don't think i'll go back to liquid unless neccesary. Looked a bit dry at first but "settled down" as the day wore on. I'm oily and it never showed, I went for a 45m power walk and it didn't budge. My face feels light and not even like I'm wearnig makeup. 9/10

LOVE that Annabelle! I so dig the drugstore brands here!! I can't wait to get my hands on some Gosh. The PharmaPrix in my old neighborhood has Space NK tendencies after its remodeling!! Impressive!

Murad Redness Therapy Correcting Moisturizer SPF 15
Green tinted mositurizer... covers up redness... Love it!

Also thumbs up to
L'Oreal's Volume Shocking Mascara the primer works great and the 'comb" applies the mascara evenly

Big thumbs up for MAC Paint Pot!

I generally did not wear eye shadow on a daily basis. However when I was buying some MAC makeup, I saw their paint pots so I decided to buy one. Well I just love it! I wear Constructivist Paint Pot along with Blacktrack fluidline and now I have an everyday look that I like.

When I was in Australia recently I found myself without facial sunblock (long story involving 4.30am check ins and those ridiculous rules about liquids in the cabin baggage) and ended up buying some discounted Maybelline Express 3 in 1 foundation in Ivory because my skin was showing my sleep deprivation and I needed some protection on it. The colour is great and it is so easy to put on! It didn't stand up that well to sweating but as an everyday time foundation I was pleasantly surprised, and it's so easy to carry round, too.

I recently spent $60 on make-up at Rite-Aid! LOL! here's what I got:

Jane Be Pure Mineral Make-up - This provides coverage like a powder, not a foundation. I had to take the stupid applicator off, it was like this puffy thing and hardly any product could get through it. I popped it off and now I use a brush. I only have a regular brush, so I need to buy a mineral brush. Works well, great color match, although it can be a little messy. :thumbs_up:

Jane Be Pure Minerals in the Round (Warm) - This was the sucker impulse-buy...It is a great little kit for cars and offices and such. It is 5 containers that stack together: lipgloss, eyeshadow, blush, bronzer, and face powder. Unfortunately, the lip colors look awful on me, but everything else is ok. I wish the powder was a little lighter for my fair skin...but the eyeshadow stays put and I like the bronzer and the blush. It comes with a little mirror, but no applicators :thumbs_down:

Jane Endless Eyes Liquid Eyeliner in Dusk - This is a blue-ish purple liquid eyeliner...I think it is old or something because I feel like I can't get enough product on the brush. I like the color and that it stays put though...And it doesn't irritate my eyes as much as other liquid liners. I just wish the application was better. :thumbs_down:

Maybelline Eye Expert Eyeshadow in Amethyst - New formula, new color. I love this purple color. It is more vibrant that the H.I.P line. It stays put and I love the pearl finish. :thumbs_up:

Maybelline Define-a-lash Mascara - I replaced my Cover Girl Lash Blast with this and I really like it. I always have a hard time with mascara's flaking, and this one still does a little, but not much. Seems adequate, but not a rave. :thumbs_up:

Lemon Aid eye shadow base by Benefit. Makes applying and blending shadow effortless, and it stays put. Can be worn alone for a bright eyed rested look.

Opulence Hand and Nail Scrub - my hands get really dry and painful in the winter, and someone on another forum was raving about this stuff. I was skeptical, because if my hands get raw in the winter, the idea of exfoliating more seemed counterproductive, but I figured I would try it now before my skin gets really bad (since I think the salt in the scrub will be painful if my hands have already started to get really damaged)

It's got a weird texture for a scrub, it's basically dry, with almost none of the oily feeling of a regular bath-type salt or sugar scrub. it was a little messy to use, and it felt *really* scrubby. When I went to rinse it off, it was like the warm water melted the oils in the scrub, because then I could totally feel the oils on my skin. My hands feel *so soft*, it's amazing. then I put lotion on top, and it sank in right away. My hands feel great. It really does feel like it makes lotion work better.

I think it's too scrubby to use too often, but I think if I use it about once a week through the winter, it will keep my hands in better shape than they were last year.

Antimony, my mother owns a dog grooming business and her poor hands are in the water all day long. My family has the tendency towards really dry cracked cuticles too. I have to tell her about this product, report back and let us know.

Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentrè (24-Hour Miracle Cream). OMG. Good for all skin types. Has built-in primer. Feels like a dream on the face.

Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Firm. Supposed to be for firming and filling in lines around eyes. I used it on the whole face and it's silky smooth and smells fruitylicious.

Sheer Cover Mineral Makeup (Guthy-Renker)). Works with the skin's sebum so that later in the day, they mix together and form more translucency/dewiness. Can also use it to spot conceal or mix with moisturizer for body coverage.

Originally Posted by antimony

Opulence Hand and Nail Scrub - my hands get really dry and painful in the winter, and someone on another forum was raving about this stuff. I was skeptical, because if my hands get raw in the winter, the idea of exfoliating more seemed counterproductive, but I figured I would try it now before my skin gets really bad (since I think the salt in the scrub will be painful if my hands have already started to get really damaged)

It's got a weird texture for a scrub, it's basically dry, with almost none of the oily feeling of a regular bath-type salt or sugar scrub. it was a little messy to use, and it felt *really* scrubby. When I went to rinse it off, it was like the warm water melted the oils in the scrub, because then I could totally feel the oils on my skin. My hands feel *so soft*, it's amazing. then I put lotion on top, and it sank in right away. My hands feel great. It really does feel like it makes lotion work better.

I think it's too scrubby to use too often, but I think if I use it about once a week through the winter, it will keep my hands in better shape than they were last year.

Mary Kay has a hand scrub with lotion and cream set. I use it and love it!!!

This isn't exactly dance-related and isn't a product, but I think everyone could use help finding the right bra and perfect jeans, don't you? I filled out the info, the site gave me recommendations, I walked into Old Navy and found jeans that look great. It was really like living a dream - how many times had I tried on pair after pair, only to be disappointed?

Jeans - Designer Jeans - Top Brand Jeans | Zafu.com

I tried the bra fit chart. Seems nothing they offer would fit me. Drat. Certainly not in a position to go without a bra so I will focus on beaded bras. The best revenge - bling!!

Make up!! Right up my alley-

Just made a trip to Sephora two days ago:

Ojon hair rub out dry cleanser: a "dry shampoo" to use in between washings. I try to make the color in my hair last and my stylist told me if possible not to shampoo it every day. Well, my hair gets oily so I thought I'd try this. It's a spray in and I just love it!! An added bonus is added volume to hair. My hair looked clean and I went ahead and styled it as normal. It was $20 but worth it to maintain a rather pricey color job

Lash Blast mascara by Cover girl: I know there are TONS of mascaras out there that are basically the same in a different tube. Not this one. The brush is a non bristle, silicone brush (many other mascaras have this now too) but the forumula is different. It really thickens and lengthens. I really like it.

Philosophy "Never let them see you shine" make up primer

Smashbox Halo Hydrating Face Powder - I bought this after seeing it on the Home Shopping Channel one night and I adore it! I normally use MAC's Studio Fix but really wanted to try this out. The powder goes on really easily with the Kabuki brush. I went with the lightest (porcelain) and it blends really well. My skin looks moisturized and has a really great "glow" about it. You only use a little bit and I think it's going to last a long time thanks to the packaging which lets you "click" a little bit of the product and you only use that amount.

conditioner alert-

I just bought the best conditioner:

Matrix Biolage Smooth Therapy smoothing conditioner for dry, unruly hair. I got it at Target, I think it was about 13$ for 8.5 oz.

Unruly is a good word to describe what's going on up top of my head. My hair is thick and wavy with a tendancy for frizziness. This conditioner smells great, a little goes a long way and if I comb it through my hair in the shower, rinse it and leave it alone, my hair dries in nice waves without the obnoxious frizziness. I love it so much I wish I could marry it.

..l;,

Originally Posted by loloup

I love it so much I wish I could marry it.

Originally Posted by kiyaana

This isn't exactly dance-related and isn't a product, but I think everyone could use help finding the right bra and perfect jeans, don't you? I filled out the info, the site gave me recommendations, I walked into Old Navy and found jeans that look great. It was really like living a dream - how many times had I tried on pair after pair, only to be disappointed?

Jeans - Designer Jeans - Top Brand Jeans | Zafu.com

I'm too odd-shaped for a bra, apparently. I must not be getting the right sizes in the store...(entirely possible)..c::

Revlon's bedroom eyes

It was really hard to put on, it left dots of pigment underneath my eyes, and when I tried to wipe them off...they streaked, my face was a mess!!!
I tried it on, as per directions....maybe I didn't tap enough off?

If anyone else use this...any tips?

I mentioned this a while back on Bhuz, but I have to give a second thumbs up to my Yoga Sandals. I love wearing these after a long day of dancing (such as a workshop) or even after a restaurant show. Yoga Sandals® Footwear -- Beech Sandal Co., LLC. Yipee! They have terry ones now with a free pair of regulars.

Redpoint Noc-Out. It's a round palette containing three different concealers: one for brightening undereye circles, one for covering spots, one for neutralizing redness. Big thumbs up!

Fekkai "hair crystals"--$18 at Ulta. It's a spray that leaves little sparklies in your hair that look amazing under lights!

I also bought an Ulta brand "lash gloss" that paints your eyelashes with little sparklies. I danced in it with contacts and it didn't irritate my eyes or sweat off.

I am so happy that I actually have a job where I can justify buying and wearing stuff like this!

I just started using Cover FX Skinprep Treatment and Priming Serum I just love this stuff. My face is less oily at the end of the day. It is a bit pricy though.

Perhaps they have been there all along but I just noticed at my local drugstore Accent Lashes by Ardell. They are only half the length of normal lashes and have the longer tips on the outside of the eye or as they say on the package, the Audrey Hepburn look. I am SO in love with them for restaurant work and have been sorely tempted to wear them daily...but have managed to restrain myself. They look natural but better!!

My summertime water resistant foundation (MakeupForever Mat Velvet) was too dark for my winter skin and while I was at Target, I picked up Revlon's ColorStay Active Light Makeup. It is light and easy to apply and stayed on through several shows. I had used it before and forgot about it. Good stuff, if you need a water resistant foundation that does not look like cake makeup! And it saved me a trip to Sephora, which would, of course, have been very pricey!

And then a few weeks ago, at Ulta, I picked up a lip primer called Perfect Illusion by Paula Dorf and it really, really good! I think it was about $20 and I like it better than the Mary Kay primer I was using before!

Ditto on the Hair Crystals - I like the Champagne color. Gotta try the lash gloss! I love Ulta brand eye shadows and they are on sale buy 1, get one free, quite amazing colors with lasting power.

Originally Posted by LauraLevana

Fekkai "hair crystals"--$18 at Ulta. It's a spray that leaves little sparklies in your hair that look amazing under lights!

I also bought an Ulta brand "lash gloss" that paints your eyelashes with little sparklies. I danced in it with contacts and it didn't irritate my eyes or sweat off.

I am so happy that I actually have a job where I can justify buying and wearing stuff like this!