Kiss My Face Tinted Moisturizer SPF 8

What It Should Do: Smooth skintone with sheer, oil-free, mineral-based color while protecting skin from the sun.

What It Actually Does: Since one of the active ingredients in this tinted moisturizer is titanium dioxide, your skin will actually be protected (partially, at least) from damaging UVA rays. It doesn’t even out skintone too much, which isn’t surprising at all. Despite being a “moisturizer,” it’s rather drying.

Pros: Contains titanium dioxide, which protects against UVA rays. Provides decent coverage for a tinted moisturizer. Doesn’t make my skin look shiny.

Cons: SPF rating is rather low. Can look chalky, even on oily skin. Lasting power, while not poor, is below average.

Overall: This is an okay product. While I love that this contains a sunscreen ingredient that protects skin from UVA rays and that Kiss My Face has made a shade light enough for my whiter-than-Wite-Out skin (Manila, for the similarly complected), it’s not entirely problem-free. In order to fully protect my skin from the sun, the SPF needs to be at least 15 (it’s not - it’s 8, which is clearly lower) and I’d have to layer on quite a bit (which I can’t without it looking cakey and chalky). Even my combination/oily skin needs a moisturizer under this, so those looking to combine the moisturizer and foundation steps may not be able to accomplish that. Very sheer coverage is expected, given that it is merely a tinted moisturizer, but I was pleasantly surprised that it gave light/medium coverage. This is a good face product for “good skin” days.

Flirt! Look of Love Eye Pencil - Brownie Points

What It Should Do: This medium bronze pencil glides on easily and lasts all day!

What It Actually Does: This dark bronzy-brown is possibly one of the most universally flattering colors ever! While the very fine gold shimmer adds a warm sheen, the base color is neutral enough to flatter any skintone and any eye color. As promised, it applies easily and lasts all day.

Pros: Universally flattering color. Lasts all day. Smooth and easy to apply.

Cons: None, as far as I’m concerned.

Overall: Gorgeous color, great lasting power and easy to apply - what more could one want from an eyeliner pencil? I obviously would recommend this to anyone. Side Note: This is thought to be a very close match for MAC’s Teddy eyeliner pencil. I can’t attest to this, as I have never tried Teddy, but this may be worth looking into for some!

Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil

What It Should Do: Designed to set the well-known Bare Escentuals bareMinerals Foundation, Mineral Veil should melt into your skin and minimize the look of pores and lines without a feeling of “build up.” Of course, all Bare Escentuals makeup is non-comedogenic, so it won’t clog pores.

What It Actually Does: While it does control oil and provide a soft matte finish, it feels very heavy, caused more breakouts than I care to count and turns my skin a lovely shade of kumquat.

Pros: Controls oil and even sweat (to a degree). Nice, soft finish.

Cons: Usage results in an orange skintone. Breakouts galore. Feels heavy.

Overall: A miracle product that controls oil, sets foundation and provides the look of poreless/lineless skin, while being non-comedogenic. Sound too good to be true? I hate to burst your bubble, but it pretty much was. Bare Escentuals was dead-on about the oil control and soft finish, but the orange skintone, breakouts and “heavy makeup”-y feel? No thanks.

Bare Escentuals Eye Shadow - Vanilla Sugar

What It Should Do: Vanilla Sugar, while ugly in the pot, will wake up anyone’s eyes with its bright, sheer color and light sheen.

What It Actually Does: While it has the typical smooth, layerable texture of Bare Escentuals Eye Shadows, this color is rather ugly. I know the motto with this particular shade is “it’s ugly in the pot, but it does wonders on the skin,” but on my skin, it’s the same orangey-peach sheen that I see in the pot.

Pros: Great texture. Blendable. Subtle sheen.

Cons: Color can easily turn orange.

Overall: I think I may be the only one on the planet who hates this color. Maybe I’m too fair to pull it off, but this is definitely not a favorite. I only use it if I’m in the mood to wear orange eyeshadow, which is pretty rare.

Stila Convertible Color - Peony

What It Should Do: Peony, a brownish-pink lipcolor-and-blush-in-one, should provide lips and cheeks with radiant, translucent color.

What It Actually Does: Not a whole lot. The creamy substance does blend very easily, but the shade, which is widely described as a brown-based pink, is really more of an orangey-brown peachy-pink. It is by no means orange, but it has a lot more orange tones than I had expected. It is also much too dry for my lips.

Pros: Blends easily. Decent lasting power.

Cons: Too dry for lips. Too orange for my coloring.

Overall: Another lemming I had for years. Was this one worth it? Not really. This is not the wonderful, natural go-to blush I had hoped it would be. The descriptions of the color and texture from other makeup review sites make me wonder if I had actually gotten the correct product. I may someday try other Convertible Colors, but unless I did indeed get the wrong color, Peony is a no-go.

Bare Escentuals Glimmer - Sex Kitten

What It Should Do: Bare Escentuals Glimmers are Eye Shadow’s ultra-glimmery counterparts. Used wet or dry, these soft shades offer brilliant, sparkling color. Sex Kitten is generally considered a golden copper shade with lots of shimmer.

What It Actually Does: Like the Bare Escentuals Eye Shadows, Glimmers come in many different shades that can last all day, when used with a decent base. Sex Kitten is indeed a medium golden copper, but if it can easily be buffed down to a brownish plum color.

Pros: Complex color. Sheer but buildable. Easy to blend. Can provide a myriad of looks.

Cons: Needs a good primer to last all day. Can look muddy on certain skintones. Can be messy to apply.

Overall: Another favorite! I absolutely love the gorgeous plum and copper colors, which really bring out my blue eyes. I obviously don’t mind the mess that these loose eyeshadows can create. The jar lasts forever since a tiny bit of this shadow goes a very long way, especially when trying to create the buffed-down plum color.

Benefit Dallas

What It Should Do: A natural-looking combination of blush and bronzer, Dallas gives a radiant, bronzy rose effect. It’s so sheer that it will work for every skintone.

What It Actually Does: Almost everything it promises! The shimmer in this bronzy plum “luminizer,” as Sephora calls it, is so fine that it gives a “glow” versus a “disco ball” effect.

Pros: Gives a nice glow. Can work for pale skin if used lightly. Lasts all day.

Cons: Too dark for most pale skintones (unless used very lightly). Provided brush is cute and thematic, but beyond crappy to use. Can look ruddy if used as a traditional highlighter (ie, all over the face).

Overall: I’ve been wanting to try this for years - pretty much since it came out. I finally have. Was it worth it? Yep. While I wouldn’t consider this a great highlighter, which I would normally use all over my face, this is a great blush option for my ultra-pale neutral skin. The spicy scent is kind of interesting, too. (Don’t give me that look. It’s not like I sit at my desk and sniff blushes all day.)

Bourjois Effet 3D Gloss - Beige Theoric

What It Should Do: Provide shiny, beige/nude rose color with a moisturizing, non-sticky finish.

What It Actually Does: Everything it promises! The color is a bit deeper than my natural lips, but it still gives a sort of “my ‘nude’ lips but better” effect. It is shimmery, but only very slightly so.

Pros: Shiny (but not overly so), smooth finish, gorgeous color, non-drying, lasting power is impressive for a gloss.

Cons: Color can make some people look washed-out.

Overall: Another favorite! The beautiful color, the smooth texture, the soft shine - what’s not to love?

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

What It Should Do: Urban Decay’s Primer Potion is a very sheer, nude eyeshadow base that is designed to disappear into any skintone. After using this, eyeshadow will apply smoothly and stay crease-free.

What It Actually Does: Most eyeshadows I’ve used with this widely loved primer have indeed stayed on my lids all day without fading or creasing.

Pros: Long-lasting eyeshadow, pretty good amount of product for the price.

Cons: Eyeshadow can be hard to blend over this. The packaging, while cute, is impractical.

Overall: Desperate to keep your eyeshadow from creasing? Give this a shot. You may need to use a little powder over it to help shadow blend smoothly, and you will eventually have to destroy the tube in order to get a good amount of product out (unless you like throwing away bottles that have almost half the product left), but this may be your solution. The best primer? Probably not. But a decent one? Absolutely.

Bare Escentuals Eye Shadow - You Can Never Be Too Rich Brown

What It Should Do: Bare Escentuals describes You Can Never Be Too Rich Brown as a dark wine brown that has a velvety texture and gives rather opaque color, while still blending smoothly and easily.

What It Actually Does: This shade is a matte deep reddish-plum-based brown. It actually applies quite sheerly, depending on what brush is used to apply it, but it can easily be layered for more intensity. The texture is smooth and easy to blend, just as promised.

Pros: Great texture, blendable, long lasting (if you use a good base), gorgeous color.

Cons: Can be messy, doesn’t last without a good primer

Overall: While it may have some drawbacks, I consider this one of my favorite eyeshadows. With a light hand, this eyeshadow can be blended and layered to create a complete eye look, from brows to eyeliner to creases to lids. The color and texture are unbeatable, and one jar lasts forever!

The reviewing cycle starts again

I used to have about 90 beauty product reviews on MakeupAlley.com. Why “used to?” Because I deleted them all. The site’s TOS says that the Powers That Be have the right to sell product reviews, and they allegedly have. True or not, I don’t like that idea at all. Call me selfish, but I think the only person who should financially benefit from my writing is me.

A quick explanation of my review format:
What It Should Do: A basic paraphrasing of the products claims from the company’s website, any online retailers that also sell the product (such as Sephora.com) and any online reviews I’ve read.
What It Actually Does: Pretty self explanatory. This section describes what the product actually does (or doesn’t do).
Pros: Why I would recommend using this product, compared to everything else I’ve ever used.
Cons: Why I would recommend avoiding this product, compared to everything else I’ve ever used.
Overall: The overall impression the product gives and a quick summary of the above sections.

Constructive criticism is welcome. Calling me stupid because I slammed your beloved mascara is not. Suggestions for products you’d like to see reviewed here are appreciated. Demands for me to send you a free product that I’ve reviewed are not. Let’s keep this cute, cuddly, fuzzy and pink, all right?