satindesire
Queen of Geeks
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2005
- Posts
- 13,101
Hey again Fairy Fans, I've come to bring you a Product Review! Today I'm going to be tackling Flower Beauty by Drew Barrymore.
http://flowerbeauty.com/
Now I have not tried the entire line of products but I have been fortunate enough to have some extra pocket money, and picked up a few interesting things from her line. I've been wearing them for the last few days and I think I'm ready to share with you my thoughts about the line, and if it's right for YOU!
Drew claims that the line is "Department Store makeup at Drugstore Prices". Some people might say that's preposterous, but for us money-saving mavens out there, we say it's a dream come true! It's difficult to wade through the mindblowingly massive mountain of choices for drugstore makeup and find the rare hidden gems that give you quality without breaking the bank, and that's why blogs like this are so handy, because I can do some of the wading for you!
First off, the packaging to all the items looks young and kind of freshly pretty, perfect for the target audience of twenty-to-thirty somethings who are looking for relate-able but trendy packaging. It doesn't look or feel cheaply made. That's good because if you're anything like me, items with flimsier packaging gets less use because it stays in the train case instead of coming with me in my bag on-the-go. If you take it with you, you're more likely to use it more often, and that means you buy more makeup, so everyone wins!!
First Item up for Review is the "SkinCognito Stick Foundation":
Product Claims: "Glides on smoothly and blends easily for an instant, uniform finish. Translucent, “second skin” coverage allows skin’'s natural tone to show through."
The foundation stick cost about 9 dollars. Packaging is sturdy, and the lid fits very snugly without being so tight that it's difficult to get off, which is great if you're taking this product with you in your purse or bag and the twist-up function works smoothly. The foundation is odorless and you get a whopping 9 grams of product!
On my first trial I wore it without primer and applied it with my fingers. It's a very thick, almost dry cream which made it difficult to blend even when warmed on the back of my hand. Honestly I have to say that I'm a little disappointed about it's staying power and texture, most stick foundations are full to very-full coverage with a creamy texture that covers more severe skin conditions like deep acne scar pitting and large pores, but this stuff sinks weirdly into pores and really settles into the fine lines under my eyes and made me look older than I was. After just an hour the product's texture was visibly breaking down around my nose (which tends to be on the slightly oily side). On the second attempt I wore it with my ELF's Mineral Infused Primer and applied it using a damp sponge and found it did nothing to help it "wear" better. The third attempt at wearing it I used it with the Flower Beauty "In Your Prime Perfecting Primer" from it's own line and applied it with a stippling brush and saw that it still settled into my fine lines and pores in a very unflattering way.
Overall Score: D- Did not have stick-foundation-like coverage, settles into lines and pores, cosmetic integrity breaks down easily on even slightly oily skin. I would NOT recommend this product to anyone and would NOT purchase it again.
The next item up for shout-out is the "In Your Prime Perfecting Primer":
Product Claims: "A targeted primer that instantly resurfaces skin for a smoother and more even appearance. Apply to fine lines, large pores or rough spots for an immediate smoothing effect."
The Primer cost about 13 dollars. Again, the packaging is sturdy and the twist-cap feels snug enough to be trusted in a purse or bag. You get a whopping 28 grams of this product in one tube, enough to last months! The texture of the primer is thin and silky, almost a gel-lotion and spreads easily. It dries REALLY quickly, though, so work in small sections when applying. Sinks into skin completely and absorbs very readily leaving no greasy afterfeel. Smells exactly like Sunflowers perfume, which may or may not be great depending on how you feel about that scent!
The first application I was impressed by the texture of the primer and enjoyed how easily my skin drank it up. Once I let it sit on my skin for a few minutes, I noticed a "tight" sensation which may be the product's "tightening" formulation but found that it made my skin feel slightly dehydrated. Combination/Normal-to-Dry girls should NOT wear this primer, oily skinned divas will love it! On every subsequent application it did help hold the integrity of my various cosmetics and retained longer cohesion than without a primer but it did not out-perform ELF's Mineral Infused Primer on cost, texture or useability.
Overall Score: B- It worked as claimed for the most part. Oily skinned people will enjoy the pore-shrinking effect but normal-combination-and-dry skinned people should stick with something more hydrating. I would recommend this to any oily-to-very-oily skinned people who need a strong tightening primer to temporarily reduce the appearance of their pores and help maintain cosmetic integrity. I WOULD recommend this product to some people but will NOT be buying it again.
Next Item on the ole chopping block, "Win Some, Rouge Some Crème Blush":
Product Claims: "Conforms to skin for a soft “powder”-like finish. Blush transforms into a soft velvet veil on cheeks, deposits gentle color for a healthy glow. Perfect for layering to build your desired look."
The Product cost about 8 dollars and you get a decent 4 grams of product. Once again, the package is sturdy enough to slip into a bag or purse, the transparent cap snaps closed very snugly and it's another odorless formulation. Be AWARE, this product is VERY pigmented and easy to overdo. Use a sparing amount and layer color if necessary. The "set" cream-like texture melts easily with your body heat, turning it from a hard product to a creamy highly pigmented stain that sets into a long-wearing and flatteringly textured rouge. Did not settle into my pores and seemed airy, almost translucent at the same time as so deeply pigmented. Worth three times what it's priced as anyone of any age could use this, regardless of skin type!
Overall Score: A+ I would recommend this product to EVERYONE. One of the best cream blushes I have ever used!
So that's it Fairy Fans, if you have any questions or comments about this article please let me know here or via PM! Stay tuned for next time, when I'll be reviewing "Neutrogena Naturals Face and Body Beauty Bar":
http://flowerbeauty.com/
Now I have not tried the entire line of products but I have been fortunate enough to have some extra pocket money, and picked up a few interesting things from her line. I've been wearing them for the last few days and I think I'm ready to share with you my thoughts about the line, and if it's right for YOU!
Drew claims that the line is "Department Store makeup at Drugstore Prices". Some people might say that's preposterous, but for us money-saving mavens out there, we say it's a dream come true! It's difficult to wade through the mindblowingly massive mountain of choices for drugstore makeup and find the rare hidden gems that give you quality without breaking the bank, and that's why blogs like this are so handy, because I can do some of the wading for you!
First off, the packaging to all the items looks young and kind of freshly pretty, perfect for the target audience of twenty-to-thirty somethings who are looking for relate-able but trendy packaging. It doesn't look or feel cheaply made. That's good because if you're anything like me, items with flimsier packaging gets less use because it stays in the train case instead of coming with me in my bag on-the-go. If you take it with you, you're more likely to use it more often, and that means you buy more makeup, so everyone wins!!
First Item up for Review is the "SkinCognito Stick Foundation":
Product Claims: "Glides on smoothly and blends easily for an instant, uniform finish. Translucent, “second skin” coverage allows skin’'s natural tone to show through."
The foundation stick cost about 9 dollars. Packaging is sturdy, and the lid fits very snugly without being so tight that it's difficult to get off, which is great if you're taking this product with you in your purse or bag and the twist-up function works smoothly. The foundation is odorless and you get a whopping 9 grams of product!
On my first trial I wore it without primer and applied it with my fingers. It's a very thick, almost dry cream which made it difficult to blend even when warmed on the back of my hand. Honestly I have to say that I'm a little disappointed about it's staying power and texture, most stick foundations are full to very-full coverage with a creamy texture that covers more severe skin conditions like deep acne scar pitting and large pores, but this stuff sinks weirdly into pores and really settles into the fine lines under my eyes and made me look older than I was. After just an hour the product's texture was visibly breaking down around my nose (which tends to be on the slightly oily side). On the second attempt I wore it with my ELF's Mineral Infused Primer and applied it using a damp sponge and found it did nothing to help it "wear" better. The third attempt at wearing it I used it with the Flower Beauty "In Your Prime Perfecting Primer" from it's own line and applied it with a stippling brush and saw that it still settled into my fine lines and pores in a very unflattering way.
Overall Score: D- Did not have stick-foundation-like coverage, settles into lines and pores, cosmetic integrity breaks down easily on even slightly oily skin. I would NOT recommend this product to anyone and would NOT purchase it again.
The next item up for shout-out is the "In Your Prime Perfecting Primer":
Product Claims: "A targeted primer that instantly resurfaces skin for a smoother and more even appearance. Apply to fine lines, large pores or rough spots for an immediate smoothing effect."
The Primer cost about 13 dollars. Again, the packaging is sturdy and the twist-cap feels snug enough to be trusted in a purse or bag. You get a whopping 28 grams of this product in one tube, enough to last months! The texture of the primer is thin and silky, almost a gel-lotion and spreads easily. It dries REALLY quickly, though, so work in small sections when applying. Sinks into skin completely and absorbs very readily leaving no greasy afterfeel. Smells exactly like Sunflowers perfume, which may or may not be great depending on how you feel about that scent!
The first application I was impressed by the texture of the primer and enjoyed how easily my skin drank it up. Once I let it sit on my skin for a few minutes, I noticed a "tight" sensation which may be the product's "tightening" formulation but found that it made my skin feel slightly dehydrated. Combination/Normal-to-Dry girls should NOT wear this primer, oily skinned divas will love it! On every subsequent application it did help hold the integrity of my various cosmetics and retained longer cohesion than without a primer but it did not out-perform ELF's Mineral Infused Primer on cost, texture or useability.
Overall Score: B- It worked as claimed for the most part. Oily skinned people will enjoy the pore-shrinking effect but normal-combination-and-dry skinned people should stick with something more hydrating. I would recommend this to any oily-to-very-oily skinned people who need a strong tightening primer to temporarily reduce the appearance of their pores and help maintain cosmetic integrity. I WOULD recommend this product to some people but will NOT be buying it again.
Next Item on the ole chopping block, "Win Some, Rouge Some Crème Blush":
Product Claims: "Conforms to skin for a soft “powder”-like finish. Blush transforms into a soft velvet veil on cheeks, deposits gentle color for a healthy glow. Perfect for layering to build your desired look."
The Product cost about 8 dollars and you get a decent 4 grams of product. Once again, the package is sturdy enough to slip into a bag or purse, the transparent cap snaps closed very snugly and it's another odorless formulation. Be AWARE, this product is VERY pigmented and easy to overdo. Use a sparing amount and layer color if necessary. The "set" cream-like texture melts easily with your body heat, turning it from a hard product to a creamy highly pigmented stain that sets into a long-wearing and flatteringly textured rouge. Did not settle into my pores and seemed airy, almost translucent at the same time as so deeply pigmented. Worth three times what it's priced as anyone of any age could use this, regardless of skin type!
Overall Score: A+ I would recommend this product to EVERYONE. One of the best cream blushes I have ever used!
So that's it Fairy Fans, if you have any questions or comments about this article please let me know here or via PM! Stay tuned for next time, when I'll be reviewing "Neutrogena Naturals Face and Body Beauty Bar":