Product Review: Laura Mercier Fail!

Laura Mercier’s Silk Creme Foundation has sadly not won my love. It applied beautifully, my eczema wasn’t even noticeable (it even covered better than the foundation I had that was *made* for eczema!), but it made me ORANGE. So it’s going back. Next foundation to try: Shiseido’s The Makeup Lifting Foundation!

*SIGH*

Good news, though. A product I bought called “Egyptian Magic” is working awesomely. In *two* days my face is glowing, my eczema is almost nonexistent, my skin is smooth, and the terrible bout of acne I’ve had is disappearing! This stuff truly is “magic”. It’s got 6 ingedients: olive oil, bees wax, honey, bee pollen, royal jelly, and bee propolis. With those kind of ingedients, I didn’t hesitate to use it on my face. And the things you can do with this stuff is amazing. Plastic surgeons recommend it to patients because of its ability to heal new cuts and scars (old scars not so much), it can help with bruises, burns, bug bites, rashes, eczema,  and psoriasis; it can be used as a lp balm, it can be used to style your hair and soothe your scalp. It’s an excellent makeup remover and you can even use it as a highlighter on your face! The uses are endless. It sounds too good to be true, but I’m a convert so far. I was on medication for my acne, and I used a bunch of different products and nothing worked. Not to mention my eczema has been on overload lately. The eczema is gone, and my pimples are diminishing.

And you only have to use a minute amount of product. This stuff can last you at least 6 months, so for 30 bucks it’s worth every dollar!

Product Review: Max Factor, Laura Mercier

So I gave the Max Factor Pan-Stik a try, and this is my review:

First, this is a full-coverage foundation, so it’ll cover any redness/acne you have on your skin, which is a plus for me and my eczema! The foundation also has an old lady smell to it. However, you can’t smell it once you’ve applied it to your face.

When you first apply the foundation, it’s beautiful and flawless. I love how it makes my face look! Enjoy it while it lasts, though. Three hours later it’ll all be sitting in your pores, will easily come off your face and make every flaw visible. Needless to say I am unimpressed with this foundation, and am once again foundationless. *SIGH*

The next foundation I buy will be Laura Mercier’s Silk Creme Foundation! It’s a full coverage foundation specifically made for dry skin, so this would be perfect for my eczema, methinks. And Sephora has a great return policy, so I’m not too concerned if it ends up not being my cup of tea.

The End of an ERA: Max Factor Discontinued in the USA

This is so sad…Max Factor has been around FOREVER.

I was going to go foundation hunting this weekend, and Max Factor was first on my list of things to try. Boo.

I’m looking up reviews on cheap makeup (Revlon, Maybelline, Cover Girl, etc.). None of them seem combination-skin-friendly! @#$#@$^@! (Imagine a 30 second sound bite strewn with obscenities and references to tea-bagging) .

Oh and Maybelline sucks donkey balls. I know I’ve already said it, but I’ll say it again – what is up with the small amount of shades they have?! MEH.

Benefit has a concealer that looks amazing (I’ve been told you can just use that instead of foundation because it covers imperfections so well), but it’s 26 DOLLARS [As opposed to euros or conch shells? - editor's note]. *sniff*

I’ve never used Max Factor foundation before, so I’m going to buy some tomorrow!

I’m most likely going to buy their Pan-Stik foundation, and if they have it, their Pancake one. I really want the pancake one to be there, because in its heyday Judy Garland was their spokesperson for it! Which means it’s a vintage product! And you know I loves the vintage. But I heard it can be hard to find, so cross your fingers!

Update: Just found out Pan-Stik is vintage too! Below is an ad for Pancake from 1952.

Product Review: Cover FX…sort of

So, I had intended to do a thorough review of Cover FX’s Total Coverage Cream Foundation and Mineral Foundation, but all along the way I had a saboteur waiting in the wings for the opportunity to pounce and destroy every chance at happiness I might have found with flawless-looking skin.

Product Reviews: Cover FX Liquid Foundation, Rimmel Mascara Lash Maxx and more

In this product review: Cover FX Liquid Foundation, Rimmel Mascara Lash Maxx, Avon Magix, Noxema’s Deep Cleansing Cream, Olay Age-Defying Intensive Nourishing Night Cream.

Product Reviews: Revlon Fail

Remember I, RetroVixen, told you guys ColorStay by Revlon was awesome? The coverage is great, but I broke out from it. At first I thought it was maybe something in my diet since I have eczema, and diet plays a large part when it comes to breakouts. Also, Revlon’s makeup has NEVER made me breakout. Ever. In fact, a lot of eczema users use Revlon. But no, turns out it’s the foundation. They added some new ingredients to this ColorStay foundation and man, did it break me out bad. I’m so sorry I recommended it to you guys! *sigh* I refused to believe it was the foundation because so many people with sensitive skin love this product! I am now without a great foundation.

I did some research and found another cosmetic line called “Cover FX”. It’s quite popular in the film and fashion industry (Angelina Jolie uses it to cover her tattoos). It’s a line specifically made to cover up skin conditions like rosacea and eczema, acne, and so much more. I am so impressed with it so far, here’s their product [page on Sephora] if you’re interested!

I’m going to Sephora next week to buy their liquid foundation. In a few weeks I’ll let you know if it lives up to its hype! It’s 40 dollars, but it’s so pigmented you only have to use a small, small amount. Reviews have said it can last you between 6 months to a year! O_O

I’m so disappointed Revlon didn’t work for me because that was really the only foundation that didn’t show my eczema…but I’m so happy to see that there is a foundation made specifically for what I have! HUZZAH!

Nibby: When you go to Sephora, let me know if they have it in very dark shades. Sometimes they just don’t make it dark enough for black women and we end up looking ashy. “Tawny” is often not dark enough.

RetroVixen: That has always irritated me whenever I’ve gone shopping for foundation. They have so many light/mediums, but so little beyond that! WTF?!

[Editor's note: Cover FX appears to have a wider than normal range of shades, so we'll keep you posted. ]

Product Reviews: Gettin’ Lippy

Today’s blog answers a question posed by JoZ:

How do you stop lipstick from clinging only to the inner part of your lips whilst seeming to sink in and vanish into the outer/main lip area? It looks like I’ve applied the lipstick then it’s worn off or been chewed off leaving only an inner ring stain. Never had this trouble in the past. Wondering if I’ve got dry lips despite them not actually being chapped. Will Burts Bees help?

Product Reviews: We have our standards

We, the Ladies of Singlarity, are willing to try out products that have been suggested to us — within reason. Not that we’ve had unreasonable requests… not that we’ve had any requests. So far, the reviewed products are straight from RetroVixen’s extensive make-up closet, as opposed to the usual kit, bag or shelf in the bathroom that the rest of us have.

In this product review: a list of products we will not review, Maybelline Lash Stiletto, Cover Girl Lash Blast and Mary Kay’s Lash Lengthening Mascara.

Product Reviews: It smells strongly of Fruitloops

RetroVixen’s latest

There’s a product I use called CoQ10 Cleansing Milk by Avalon Organics. It’s a cleanser for normal to dry skin (they have one for oily skin too, but they call it a cleansing gel), and it’s also an excellent makeup remover. The reason why I bought this is because I got a book this past Christmas by Dr. Oz called “YOU: Being Beautiful“. It offers all kinds of advice for both physical and inner beauty. Of course being crazy about skincare I read his advice on what to use, and he suggested using products that have CoQ10. The site for the Avalon Organics products says that CoQ10 “is an essential antioxidant that is the energy source for new cells and smooth, firm skin. It is found in every living cell of your body and is an important factor in maintaining youthful, healthy skin.”

The cleanser is great, and I use it whenever I wear makeup. While some people have complained that it breaks them out, I’ve had no problems with it (and I’ve got super sensitive skin). If you guys want to try it, buy it from Whole Foods. Their return policy is amazing. You can return any skincare you buy from there, no questions asked! The cleanser is priced at $12.99, but a little goes a long way. This will last you a while! There’s only one downside to this cleanser, though. The smell can be a bit overwhelming. In my opinion, it smells strongly of Fruit Loops. Seriously! So if the smell of Fruit Loops bothers you, stay away from this.

The other day I bought Illuminance Crème Shadow from Revlon. I’m pretty sure I got the Sea Shells set, but whatever set you get from this line….you will be disappointed. It promises not to crease, but it does. It promises to stay on, but….it’s only fairly successful. It won’t break your wallet though. Four shadows are in each set, and I got it at Target for $4.85. The colors are beautiful, but they’re EXTREMELY sheer. They say you can build up the color, but you can’t. So if you really want some sheer eyeshadows, this is the product for you. Just remember that it does crease!

Product Reviews – Earth Science, Kiss My Face, Silk Drops

RetroVixen, our resident guinea pig, bought some new products over the last few months and has recorded her findings. She has given each product enough time and the process was very scientific. We swear!

Included in this product review: Earth Science Fragrance Free Shampoo and Conditioner, Redken’s All Soft Conditioner, Revlon’s Colorstay Foundation, Maybelline’s Airbrush Finish Liquid Mousse Foundation, Rimmel’s Glam Eyes Mascara and much more …