That stars will shine on you! (Stargazer (in general))

Member Name: LRWade

Product:	Stargazer (in general)
Date:	06/07/09 (57 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: High pigment products, kind to sensitive skin, uncountable colours.

Disadvantages: Not many foundation shades for darker skin.

*BACKGROUND*
Stargazer is a cosmetic company that produces cruelty free, highly pigmented cosmetics. It began as a stall in a London market and has become a staple in the make-up bags of goths, punks, emos, alternatives, clubbers, and more recently in mainstream fashion, being sold in New Look stores. They do not have a shop, choosing to operate as an online retailer only at http://www.stargazer-products.com where you can purchase as an individual customer or enquire about wholesale. Prices range from £2 to £6 for cosmetics, maximum of £7 for make-up brushes and around £20 for wigs. I have been using stargazer as the bulk of my make-up bag for many years now, and regularly use most of their products (with the exception of hair dye and wigs).

*PRODUCTS*
It is my intention to write in-depth reviews of individual products so I will keep this section brief.

Foundation: the pro-foundation comes in 8 shades ranging from translucent (my shade, far paler than the palest of most mainstream brands) to dark. The foundation comes in a pump tube, it is creamy and goes on flawlessly without sinking into pores. I rarely use any other foundation. The pro-stick also comes in 8 shades from light flesh (my choice) to soft copper. I tend to use this as a concealer and to cover red cheeks on hot days. It is buildable from light to heavy coverage. There is a pure white foundation also which comes in a glass bottle. This is used for a white face but can also function to tone down other make-up and as a base for customisation.

Powder: all the foundation needs to be set with powder for a long lasting finish. The face powder comes in five shades in both pressed and loose. The powder is very fine and easy to use. Some shades are matte and some are shimmer, I use all shades for contouring and highlighting. The white powder is highly versatile, don't be afraid to try it because it won't make your face chalk white unless used with the white foundation.

Coloured products: there are several types of coloured product, ranging from powder to cream to stick, shimmer and matte, loose and pressed, you really need to experiment with all types to find what you like. There are natural, bright and even neon shades for use anywhere you wish. All are highly pigmented. My personal favourite is the velvet eye shadow in 12 shades, it is fine powder which goes on even and can be a hint of colour or really bright.

Pencils: the pencils are for use both on eyes and lips. I like this, the only differences in lip and eye pencils are the colour for most brands, and stargazer do not dictate what colours you should use where, they leave that up to you. They are glide on smooth and can be sharp or smudged. highly versatile.

Liquid liner: this is the only product I have issues with. I find that the liner goes on thin and patchy, however I have discovered that the built in brush is the problem, not the liquid, since using a different brush I have had no problems with this.

Lashes: I LOVE the mascara. There is only one type in multiple colours, it doesn't claim to volumise/lengthen/curl, simply colour your lashes, and it does that well with all shades. Since the range is originally targeted at the "alternative" community, they have a wide and varied range of false lashes. When wearing false lashes you want your natural lashes to blend into the base, and allow the false ones to shine through. The mascara is perfect for this, and without false lashes your lashes will be coloured individually, no clumping or alteration, and they are left soft, not stiff.

Lips: there are countless colours of lipstick, like the eye-shadow there are many finishes, glitter, shimmer, matte, glossy. It goes on smooth, doesn't dry your lips or need re-applying every hour. The lip gloss is thick and conditioning without being sticky. My personal favourite is candy!

Brushes: The brushes are synthetic due to their animal friendly policy, but don't let that put you off. They bristles are soft and fine and apply makeup evenly. I have the brush roll set (with all the brushes) and it is absolutely a brilliant investment.

Others: there a many other products, none of which I have found fault with. I do not want to make this too long so I will cover them (and the products above) in their own reviews at a later date.

*WEBSITE, ORDERING AND CUSTOMER SERVICE*
The website is attractive and easy to navigate, purchasing is easy (as well as cost friendly!) and delivery is cheap and quick-UK £2, Europe £4.69, Rest £5.08-no matter how may items you buy. Delivery is quick, I have always received my order within 2 days. My only problem with the site is that it is irregularly updated, so while everything is there,there are remnants of discontinued products. You can't order them but the listing is still half there. Also when you add something to the basket it takes you to your purchases, it can be irritating when ordering multiple items.

*WARNING*
Many eBay sellers offer stargazer buy it now listings, but in many cases they are far up to 50% more expensive than the stargazer site, and that's before postage costs. I would strongly advise if you are interested in stargazer to purchase at http://www.stargazer-products.com and never on eBay.

I hope this has been informative and useful, feel free to comment!

© L Wade 2009 - submitted only on dooyoo.

Summary: Stargazer makes the bulk of my makeup bag, good quality at a good price.