I've opened my own shop!

I've began creating my own homemade eyeshadows, which are now for sale here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Dallience. I'm slowly adding more to the list for sale and I can always create any custom color you want! Drop me a line there or at krummans@embarqmail.com. Thanks!

Neutrogena's Clear Pore Oil-Eliminating Astringent: 8.5/10, a review

Let's get right down to it.

I love this stuff. I use it at least twice a day (once in the morning, once before bed). It does everything it needs to - cleans down into my very pores, leaves my skin feeling refreshed, and most importantly, it leaves me happy. I started using Neutrogena's line of Clear Pore acne products at least about half a year ago, and I've been hooked. My skin is extremely acne prone if I don't take care of it right - when I was around 15 to 17 I'd always find myself waking up in the morning with a new blemish if I hadn't gone through some extreme routine of facial scrubs and washes every night. Now it's a little different - after having used this stuff so long my skin has become less volatile, I can go a night or two without using anything on my face, whether I be too tired or just too lazy. Another plus, it has no overpowering smell as far as I've noticed, which is great for something that's going to be applied awfully close to your nose. Or even on your nose, really. And even with twice a day use, I find that my skin has not once been over-dried or peeled due to use. However, it does take a couple weeks for the effects to be semi noticeable, it's all about patience. It's also a product that's on the cheap side for what it's worth to your skin - averaging around 6 dollars at your local retailer. So the next time you're out pick some up, and give your skin a chance to see the world in a whole new light.

Infallible® Lacquer Liner 24H: 9.5/10, a review

I'm a big fan of eyeliners. I've tried at least 50 different eyeliners within the last three years trying to find one that would suit my needs. It ranges from pencils, to liquids, to gels - all of it - I've tried it. I love pencil for my lower lashline, that's all I can use to get it right. But for my top eyelid, I love doing a cute little cat-eye type deal, and I've found for the best look and lasting impression, liquid eyeliners were the way to go there. I was a big fan of NYC's liquid eyeliner. However, it did have it's downsides - it's smudged very easily and took a long time to dry, which would be a problem if I was in a hurry and trying to do multiple parts of my make up one after another. This year for Christmas I received a few gifts, and one of them was L'oreal's Infallible Lacquer Liner.

Now, until I used this eyeliner I had only used one gel eyeliner before - and that was one from E.L.F., which I found to clump very easily and was incredibly hard to apply, especially with the tiny brush provided (the bristles really weren't fit for applying a gel eyeliner anyway). Because of this, I had abandoned hope on gel eyeliners and returned back to NYC's liquid liner (a different review, about a 7/10 - messy but it does get the job done and does last as long as I want it to). I was incredibly skeptical about using the eyeliner but I also took into account that it was a Christmas present and I had to try it at least once, and now I'm glad I did. The first plus: the brush. It's long like an eyeliner pencil, with enough room to grip it however you're most comfortable. The bristles are incredibly soft and after a month of usage, none of them have clumped together to cause a problem in application or fallen out, keeping it all even. The gel itself is wonderful, it stays as soft as when you first open it, is easy to apply, and definitely lasts as long as you need it too (it even lasts during a midday nap full of tossing and turning). While it's definitely more expensive than my old NYC eyeliner, I find it's completely worth the price change - it ranges around 9 dollars at your local stores. So if you're looking for a good top eyeliner, definitely pick up L'oreal's Infallible Lacquer Liner the next time you're out.

Tattoo Care: (not) a review

Today, I ended up making on the first permanent choices of my life. This:

The black didn't hurt - just made my leg a little twitchy. The color? Totally hurt and made my leg mega twitchy, but it's done and official. It means a lot to me, in a strange, almost unexplained way. Now the most important part comes: the after-care. What I do in this time can either make or break the healing process. First, definitely leave it covered in the bandage for the recommended two to four hours before trying to cleanse the wound (because really that's all a tattoo is, a colorful wound). I cupped my hot water in my hands and lightly poured it down over the tattoo for about a minute, before changing the temperature to cold. This "shocks" your skin, and helps improve healing. You can use any type of liquid soap, so in this case I used my Nuetrogena, in only a small amount, which I lightly applied with my finger over the tattoo. I patted it down for a minute before rinsing it with the same cupping-the-water-in-my-hands technique I used just a few minutes before. I patted it dry with a tissue. I then used an antibacterial ointment on it (with vitamins A and D in it is recommended), putting it as lightly and thin as possible over the tattoo, to keep it from causing any unnecessary running. Tomorrow I continue the ointment treatment, and then move on to a lotion later in the week. And that's that!

CoverGirl LashBlast Fusion Mascara: 9/10, a review

I love eye makeup. I live for eye makeup. If I couldn't afford all that I use now I would purely go for anything to do with the eyes - eyeliner, mascara, eye shadow, they're all my favorites. So this review is basically going to positive enthusiasm over the beauty that is CoverGirl LashBlast Fusion mascara. (Also, I'd like to apologize for the review not coming out on time. I got caught up in life, exciting things are happening!)
Anyway - this mascara:

I've been using it for at least five or six months now, and I'm obsessed. I love a good eyeliner and mascara combination, but some days I'm just way too tired to spend the time putting on both, and for the longest time I couldn't find a mascara that would make my eyelashes thick and dark enough to actually LOOK nice, without the dual usage of eyeliner. This does it, it makes me feel confident enough to go out without all the excess eye makeup, and it makes me feel good about going out with just the mascara on. The waterproof formula is great, I can verify first hand that it'll withstand heavy sobs, and even falling into a body of water. While I do find that it clumps a bit too much for my liking sometimes, it's not enough for me to discontinue my use of the it. It adds length and volume that can only be matched by a few other mascaras out there. Big kudos to CoverGirl for getting this right, it's definitely a must buy. Though I mainly use the color "very black", I also own the "black brown", both of which follow the same consistency and quality - very pretty dark colors on an easy to apply brush. The price is also a plus, it's about eight dollars at stores like Target (however, if you pick it up at a pharmacy like Walgreen's or CVS there's a price boost just like with Neutrogena products, ranging to about 11 dollars instead). That's my review for today, head out to your local supermarket and pick it up - it's worth a try.

1/7/14

Good afternoon! Today's review will be on a CoverGirl product. While I prepare the article take a minute to listen to my "song of the day" by The Cure. It's perfect to snuggle up in bed and listen to on a day as cold as today.

Revlon ColorStay Foundation for Combination/Oily Skin: 4/10, a review

I always go into using a name brand foundation with high hopes - probably foolish, but I like to believe I'll be getting what I paid for in that tiny 1 FL Oz. bottle. In the case of Revlon's ColorStay foundation, I found my experience to be the exact opposite. We can start out with the packaging as it's first major flaw.

A plain, cylindrical bottle with no easy access in extracting the foundation. The easiest way I found was to just poor it in your hand - even then, it was extremely messy and in many cases too much would poor out, creating a waste of the foundation. So far, not so good.

Now, as stated in the title, this is for the combination/oily skin set of the ColorStay foundations. It claims 24 hour wear, for a "flawless look and lightweight feel". While it does possess a generally "lightweight" feel, it leaves an overall sticky sensation on your skin, no matter how much you blend. And in the case of blending, it leaves lines on your skin revealed and does a poor job of matching your skin color. As a pale girl, I tend to go with ivory hues of foundations, which was the case in my use of ColorStay. However, I found the Revlon ColorStay 110 ivory to be incredibly orange in tone in comparison to other foundations I'd used. It also had an extreme scent of something almost baby powder-like during application, and though it goes away after a few minutes, it is a thing you think about - "I've gotten used to the scent, but is the scent still there when I interact with others?" I definitely prefer a more odorless foundation, in this case. 

Before starting this review, I went back and put on some of the foundation to wear during writing, to remind myself of how it feels and looks, and make it as fair as possible. It's been thirty minutes and my skin has continued to have the "sticky" feeling that I mentioned earlier. On top of that, I'm already beginning to get a shine on my face, something that shouldn't happen this quickly for 24 hour wear makeup. 

However, everyone's skin is different - and many people have also had success with this brand. It's my own opinion that I believe the perks of Revlon ColorStay foundation are exaggerated, definitely not 24 hour wear, and definitely not a "flawless" look, especially considering it was made specifically for oily/combination skin, as it advertised. 

My final verdict is: I wouldn't buy this type of foundation again, and it's definitely not worth the ten to thirteen dollar price. 

1/6/14

Today's review will be over a foundation, keep on the lookout! It'll be out when I finally wake up and find the energy to write a stellar piece. While you wait, check out this band - Perma - an excellent duo of Max Bemis from Say Anything and Sherri DuPree-Bemis from Eisley.

Neutrogena Body Wash: 8/10, a review

It's fairly common for people to suffer from acne on more than just their face, especially if you're like me and have overall oily skin. Blemishes on your back and chest can be embarrassing if you're self-conscious over it, and if you want to do something to change it, you should. For this is definitely recommend avoiding bar soaps, unless you're completely adamant about it. In which case, I recommend using a wash rag with the bar soap (who knows, some people don't), as this will help prevent the continued spread of germs from your body to the bar of soap, allowing the wash rag to act as a barrier between the two, to be easily cleaned and reusable for a fresh experience. But if you're looking for a quick, different way to reduce your body's over zealous natural oils, Neutrogena Body Wash is a sure deal for most people.

I've been using this product for about four months now, two months with the original orange citrus body wash, and two months with the pink grapefruit. Both seem to work on the same level for me, however there have been reports of the pink grapefruit being a bit rough on sensitive skin, probably due to a difference in the citric acid. On that note, I can also say as a person who tends to have allergic reactions to citric acid, the content is low enough that it does not affect me in any negative ways. This is especially worthwhile seeing as it's very hard to find any type of acne solution that is free of citric acid. However, the scent is a bit strong at first - though I've gotten used to it after use, it may be too much for some people. Within the four months of using this product there has been a clear difference in blemishes on my skin. Don't get me wrong, it's not 100% clear or a type of miracle solution, but there is a vast improvement, especially since other modifiers contribute to the production of acne other than just oil (a very common example - stress). I stopped using the product for about a week last month to see if there was any difference - and there was. Oil production in my skin was once again on the rise and I was almost back to where I was before I began using the product. After returning to the body wash, there was once again vast improvement. Price is also a factor that contributes to what I use, and I find even though Neutrogena is a name brand, you can get it for a reasonable price at supermarkets like Publix (Kroger, Meijer, etc.) and Target for around 6 dollars, and it lasts plenty of times. While the product is also available at pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens, I've found there's a price increase, most retailing around 9$, making it sensible just to pick some up while you're out grocery shopping. While anyone may experience something different, that's my general review for this product - worth the buy if you're struggling with oily skin/frequent skin blemishes, as well appropriate for it's price range and the time it takes to go through an entire bottle. Also recommended: any type of loofa, just remember to buy a new one every month or two, germs can easily find a home there and all your progress can be lost!

1/5/14

I'm not exactly sure how to start this all out - I am neither eloquent or charismatic, but I am determined to (in some way) release the inner workings of my mind. Whether the topic be consistent or not, magic eight ball hasn't gotten back to me on that. As an eighteen year old girl with, well, a lack of motivation and/or ambition, a blog post a day will be a goal set highly above the normal standards expected of me. Interests don't span far from makeup and music, a very common ground in general for teenagers. So I suppose that's what this will be - my extensive thoughts on the makeup market, from the foundations, to the skin clearing conditions, and the fatalistic lyrics behind some old punk songs. Who knows, maybe they'll mix and be my claim to mediocrity.