Scrubs -Earth Therapeutics - Tea Tree Oil Cooling Foot Scrub
777designz 7/27/2012 7:20:00 AM
This is a really good 'scrubby' type of scrub. It leaves my feet looking very nice. It has a nice thick texture and isn't oily, which I love. The scent is a bit odd... a combination of tea tree oil, eucalyptus, and mint. Since it's for feet I guess it doesn't really matter. Last week I ran out of my beloved Tree Hut scrub and in a pinch used this all over my body. It felt nice and cool on a hot summer day and left my skin soft and smooth. I've done this a couple times since then and it seems like it's helping get rid of some bumps/heat rash that were on my back that wouldn't go away. I think it's from the tea tree oil, which normally really bothers my skin. Although the smell keeps me from using this as a body scrub on a regular basis, this could be a great product for someone with skin conditions.
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Polishes -Sinful - Love Nails
777designz 4/19/2012 9:02:00 PM
Oh how I wanted to love this polish.. In the bottle it is a gorgeous royal blue with electric teal shimmer running through it. But on my nails it just looks like any other teal nail polish. I don't get why it looks so blue in the bottle but not on my nails; maybe because it is so sheer? I suppose if I put on 5 or more coats it might start looking like the bottle, but this stuff takes long enough to dry as it is. Even using a quick drying topcoat my nails were very dentable after an hour. But my biggest complaint was the texture. It almost gel-like in consistency and was very sheer. At 3 coats I could still see my nails right through it. Next time I'm going to try layering it over another color to see if that helps. It seems like I have to do that with all my Sinful polishes. Hmmm....
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Other -Unlisted Brand - Melatonin
777designz 4/13/2012 9:25:00 AM
I've had terrible insomnia since I was a teenager. It seems like I can keep a regular sleep schedule for a few weeks and then either I can't fall asleep till a few hours later each day, or I have a few days where I can't fall asleep at all and it really messes with my life. I've tried over the counter medications and they do absolutely nothing for me. I even have gotten several prescriptions and they leave me half awake and groggy. They never make me really fall asleep and I spend half the next day feeling like a zombie. It wasn't until recently a family friend gave me a melatonin to try and it worked surprisingly well. What I love about it is I feel like I am falling asleep naturally. For anyone expecting it to knock them out they will be disappointed. I just close my eyes and relax and soon I drift off to sleep. I can wake up in the middle of the night and can think clearly and do not feel 'hung over.' The next morning I there is no grogginess; I feel like I do when I wake up normally. One thing I have noticed and I want others to be aware of is it can mess with your period cycles if used too much. When I first started taking it I used it every night for several weeks and when my period came it was super heavy. I did research online and discovered others have problems with their cycles coming earlier or later, having their period become heavier to completely disappearing. I've learned to avoid this only take it on nights when you absolutely cannot fall asleep (instead of taking it nightly like I did), and take the minimum you need to sleep. 3mg or less is a good place to start. If that doesn't work you then could try taking more. I was taking 6mg and I discovered I fall asleep just as well taking a half of a 3mg pill. Now that I take less and only when I need it (a few times a month) my period is back to normal.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Pacifica - Tahitian Gardenia Body Butter
777designz 11/25/2011 9:36:00 AM
I'm kind of surprised it's called a body butter. This is definitely thicker than your typical lotion but I think of body butters as being even thicker than this is. I can only use this during the winter because of how rich it is. I love putting it on my hands and feet much more so than on my body. It's so moisturizing. It leaves my skin feeling so silky after I put it on. So for texture and moisturizing I give this a 5. The scent... all I can say is WOW! It is so strong. I can smell it on me all day long, after I wash, and even on my clothes days later. You definitely don't need to use any perfume when you have this on. I guess this would be a good thing if you love the scent. For me, it's too floral-y and perfumy. Based on the description of it being "sweet, smooth and slightly citrusy aroma is reminiscent of Jasmine, Sweet Orange and Tea Leaves" I was expecting something a little sweeter, lighter, and a little fruity. I just smell straight heavy floral. For not matching the description I give it a 3. I know everyone's taste is different so I won't knock this product. It really is nice and moisturizing, so if you love Gardenia and floral scents I recommend this.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyes -Wet 'n' Wild - Color icon Brow & Eye Liner
777designz 11/22/2011 11:50:00 AM
I bought the purple on a whim since they were on sale for 69 cents. It's eyeliners like this why I stick to gel liners. I keep going over my eyelid again and again and barely any color shows up. I can't even get a complete line because it keeps skipping and tugging on my skin. The texture is just way too hard and dry. I was able to get decent color on my hand by pushing really hard and going back and forth multiple times, but I'm not going to do that on my eye. I'm pretty sure it's not because it's old because they sold out when they first went on sale a couple weeks ago and just got a new shipment. I'm really hoping I got a bad batch and they didn't change the formula since most people seem to love these. One thing I do like is they are very easy to smudge. I'm always looking for a good liner to do a nice smoky look with so I might get a dark color and use it just for smoky eyes. The color doesn't last though and definitely isn't waterproof. I wouldn't recommend this product, even at under a buck.
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Moisturizers -Alpha Hydrox - 10% Enhanced Cream
777designz 11/20/2011 7:00:00 AM
I got this as a replacement for my beloved but long-discontinued Clean & Clear Soft Moisturizer. I knew I'd eventually have to find a new AHA product, but I've scared because so many creams make me break out or irritate my sensitive skin. Well I'm happy to report this works beautifully on my picky skin! Just like the Clean & Clear lotion, this leaves my skin baby soft within a couple minutes of putting it on. I really love the texture. It's rich and creamy without being oily. I've never found any other oil-free cream feel as moisturizing as this one. It makes my skin so smooth; my makeup literally glides on now. I'm getting less break outs and dry flakiness I always seem to have on my face has gone away completely. I don't notice any change in pore size or less fine lines, but because I was using an AHA lotion before it makes sense I don't see much difference. I think some of my old acne scars are lightening too. Oh and even though it's marketed towards face care, it's amazing on hands and feet. It works great for getting rid of rough, overgrown cuticles without being as harsh as so-called cuticle removers. It may be because my skin is so sensitive but I can't wear this product during the day. Even with sunscreen on my skin gets burned really quickly. I only wear this as a night cream. I use it nightly but I really recommend if you're new to alpha hydroxy products that you start out using it every couple days for a few weeks to see how your skin responds. If it really stings or makes your face red and irritated I suggest mixing it with a plain moisturizer so it's less concentrated. Once your skin is used to that you can add more Alpha Hydrox and less lotion until you work up to using just the Alpha Hydrox. Another trick is to wait at least 15 minutes after washing your face to put this cream on. If you put it on right after you wash your face it can irritate your skin more as your pores are open and oils removed from your face. One drawback I've found is the packaging. It's it a jar which you have to stick your fingers in. I think this is very unsanitary. For a while I used plastic spoons to scoop some out. Recently I picked up a empty plastic squeeze bottle from the travel product section of Wal-Mart, and I put the cream in that. So much better that way! It's not a huge hassle but I wish they offered this product in a squeeze bottle like they do the Enchanced Lotion.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Masks -Mario Badescu - Healing and Soothing Mask
777designz 11/11/2011 7:19:00 AM
This product is a Godsend to anyone who has cystic acne. I've tried so many topical treatments, masks etc... and nothing has made much difference. I found out that if I leave it on overnight it dramatically reduces the redness and swelling of cystic acne. I don't really care for using it all over my face because it is a bit drying. I just use it for spot treatment. Because it has an open jar instead of a more hygenic squeeze tube I dip a new q-tip into it and then just dab it on any spots I might have on my face. I think it might be a little too harsh for my face because if I use it daily it seems to irritate my skin, making it look worse. So I use it for a couple nights and then skip a night or two. I love alternating using this with Queen Helene's Mint Julip Masque. Although it doesn't completely get rid of acne, it makes a huge difference in making them less noticible and going away quicker! Highly recommend!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Wet 'n' Wild - Color Icon Trio - I Got Good Jeans
777designz 11/9/2011 12:30:00 AM
This is one of the better quality Wet N Wild trios. All three of the colors have good pigmentation, nice texture, and are very blendable. I guess my only problems with this set is the grouping of colors and how they look on vs. how I expected looking at them in the pan. The highlighter is a light silvery blue. On my eyes however it looks like an ordinary shimmery silver. I was hoping it would have a little more blue to it. The eyelid shade is a rich warm gold. Although I loved it on me I could see this not working with some skintones. The crease color is a dark navy shimmer. This is the main color I bought this set for and I am disappointed. In the pan it looks like a beautful navy blue with lighter navy shimmer. On me though it just looks like a boring charcoal shade. Where'd all the navy shimmer go? It looks so flat on me and I'm shocked it doesn't look blue. The pairing of these colors is rather odd. The dark blue is way too dark to go with the lighter blue. It definitely needs a middle shade to help blend them together. The gold looks odd with the dark gray looking blue and blended together makes a strange looking color. The gold also looks weird next to or blended with the light silvery blue. Although these colors work fine paired with other eyeshadows, they work poorly with each other. As long as you are fine with the blues being more gray/silver toned than they appear, and you'll use them with other colors you have instead of as a trio, this would be a great set. I'm not recommending it however because I was looking for some blue eyeshadows.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Cover Girl - Cheekers Blush in Rose Silk
777designz 10/27/2011 6:06:00 AM
Rose Silk is a very pretty pink with just a touch of peach to it. I think it would be flattering to most complexions. Although with a few swipes it can be very apparent you are wearing blush, it never looks clown-like. It is pretty pigmented. Unfortunately it isn't the most blendable blush, so being as pigmented as it is it can leave a noticible line if you aren't careful. I really recommend using a stippling brush to avoid harsh edges with this blush. It has some shimmer but isn't too obvious or glittery. There is a perfumy or maybe it's a soapy fragrance that I don't like. I have a few other Cover Girl blushes and this one has the strongest scent of them all. Thank goodness it fades fast and I don't notice it much once it's on my face. So would I get this again? No, because I feel it's nothing special. It's a nice color and affordable, but I'm sure there are many other similar blushes that are more blendable or not as shimmery.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Cover Girl - Classic Color in Natural Glow
777designz 10/27/2011 5:33:00 AM
This is not the blush for anyone who wants an obvious "I'm wearing blush" look, the cool-toned, or those that aren't pale. This is, however, perfect for us pale ladies who want our complexions to look naturally perked up or like that no-makeup look. The color is a slightly peachy beige, very close to being a foundation color. I think this is a big reason it does not look like you're wearing blush, more like your skin is glowing. I was scared it would make my skin look muddy, which all beigy blushes have done so far, but it's very flattering. It's not very pigmented so make sure you use this with a dense brush. There is a slight shimmer but it's not glittery. The shimmer makes this work nice too if you want to use it as a subtle highlighter on your brow bones or top of your cheek bones with a more obvious blush below it. It is extremely easy to blend, I just love the texture. There's only 2 things I dislike - there is a soapy or perfumey scent I don't care for, but thankfully fades quickly. The compact is very bulky and I found it confusing to put together at first. When I open up the package I thought the lid was missing! I finally noticed this edge sticking out of the bottom that wouldn't swing out. With tons of fiddling around I figured out you need to slide the lid underneath the package to the other end, then push the end up till it clicks. After that you can swing foward and close it. Whew!
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -Maybelline - Baby Lips lip balm
777designz 10/25/2011 8:09:00 AM
I've been using Baby Lips for about a week and a half now. Although on the package they state it will improve your lips in 4 weeks I can usually tells after a few days if a lip balm is making my lips better or drying them out. So far what I notice is they make my lips feel nice while it's on, but after it wears off there isn't any lasting affect. My lips aren't in any better condition, but at least they aren't any worse like what happens with so many chapsticks I've tried. I purchased Grape Vine and Quenched. Grape Vine is the darkest color of the collection, but it's barely noticible on me. I was hoping it would leave a nice berry tint on my lips. Maybe someone with really pale lips could see it on them. This has a very sweet candy grape scent which reminds me of grape cough syrup. Oddly enough it doesn't have much of a taste. Quenched is clear, has a slightly fruity scent and also little taste. Both of them have a slick, moist texture. It doesn't feel waxy, which is great because it's one thing I hate about most chapsticks. The texture reminds me a lot of Lip Smackers. It leaves a moist sheen on your lips but is not as shiny as lip gloss. While I like the way they feel on my lips and the cute packaging, I'm not wowed by them. They're not a substitute for chapstick but they're fun to wear instead of lipgloss. I feel they're a bit overpriced at over $4 at CVS. I'd probably like these better if I bought a color that was more pigmented. All in all I'd say these are just ok.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Physicians Formula - Shimmer Strips Gel Creamliner - Glam Collection - Blue Eyes
777designz 10/25/2011 5:47:00 AM
For some reason the Glam Collection of the Shimmer Strips Gel Liners seem to have texture and pigmentation problems. Like the previous collection I bought the shimmery colors just won't go on smoothly or show much color but the black is flawless. The silver does not have a lot of color but it does go on evenly. It looks very foily and sparkly. If you want a glittery light silver you will love this. The medium blue is the problem child of the bunch. I could not get this to make a nice even line. It goes on patchy and won't blend smooth. It seems like when I try to brush it on it skims over my skin and doesn't want to stick. This was the main color I bought this set for because it's hard for me to find a drugstore blue eyeliner that isn't too loud of blue. So disappointed. The black is described as having silver shimmer. Actually it appears the have multicolor shimmer and I see bits of pink, green, and blue in it. The black has a very creamy texture and just glides on. It makes a perfect line the first time you apply it without any skipping or uneven patches. If you let it dry for a minute and then use a finger or q-tip to go over it, the sparkles become even more apparent. Out of all the Physician's Formula black eyeliners that have shimmer in them, this one has the most visible shimmer. It's too bad this is the best color of the set because black looks pretty harsh on my pale skin. The only eyeliner in this whole set worth getting is the black. If you're willing to pay $12 just for that then that's up to you. I wouldn't recommend buying this because I think when you buy a set of 3 eyeliners, all of them should be good quality and useable.
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Gels/Soaps -Dr. Bronner's - Peppermint Castille Soap
777designz 10/25/2011 5:23:00 AM
Like several others have mentioned, this soap is very drying. Because of that I can't use it on my face or hair. It leaves my hair a tangled mess and my scalp dry. My face started flaking and peeling after a couple uses, and the peppermint bothers my eyes (and yes, I don't use it near my eyes and I keep them closed). I even find it too drying on my body most of the year. So why would I buy this again? During the summer when my skin is oilier it doesn't bother me. In fact it being drying helps keep me feeling comfortable in the hot weather. But the main reason I like it is the peppermint feels so cooling and refreshing during a hot summer day. I haven't found any mint soap that has such a strong cooling sensation. It also feels amazing during a foot soak for tired aching feet. If you have dry or sensitive skin I would recommend avoiding it. Those wth oily skin should have no problem using this. For the rest of us with "normal" skin I'd say if you get this just don't use it when your skin is dry and be sure to dilute it like they recommend.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Wet 'n' Wild - Color Icon Trio - I'm Feeling Retro
777designz 10/24/2011 6:05:00 AM
This is a very interesting and colorful trio. It consists of a very glittery white shimmer, and pinkish-purple shimmer, and a blue-teal shimmer. I like several of these colors, but I don't care for them together as a trio. The white is very sheer and leaves lots of sparkles. For me it's a bit too sparkly but that's just my taste. It would work well as a hightlighter on the browbone or in the corner of the eye. The glittery-ness of this color seemed a bit out of place with the more velvety shimmer of the other two colors. I'd probably only wear this with other eyeshadows. The pink/purple looks like it's more purple in the pan and like it would be duochrome, but it is not. It goes on looking very pink on me. I wish it looked more like the color in the pan. I still really like this color though. It has a nice smooth texture and is very buildable depending on how bright you want it to look. It is very soft and seems a bit crumbly when my brush goes across the top. The blue/teal is another color that looks a bit different in the pan than it really is. It appears that it would have a teal duochrome, but it looks mostly vibrant blue on me. It is very pigmented and has a very buttery texture. It goes on so effortlessly. The quality of this color is just amazing; I wish more eye shadows were like this. The only negative I could say is that it's very soft and almost crumbly like the pink shade. Although the colors blend together nicely I don't quite like the colors together. I felt that the blue and the pink next to each other looks a bit off and almost clownish on me. I think the next time I wear this I might put a bit of purple eye shadow between the pink and blue to help them look better together, or might just wear the two colors totally separate from each other and just with other colors I have. I'd recommend this trio if you like bright colors, but I'd suggest you don't wear the colors together like they say to.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Wet 'n' Wild - Color Icon Trio - Silent Treatment
777designz 10/24/2011 5:34:00 AM
This trio consists of a peach highlighting shade with subtle shimmer, a very shimmery taupe lid color, and a dark brown with gold microglitter. While I loved the way this set looks in the pan it didn't really work on me. The peach color has a nice texture but it's almost invisible on me. It's just way too close to my skintone. I think if your skintone is quite a bit different from this color than it might not be a problem for you. Just note that it isn't super pigmented so even if you were a lot darker for example, it would still look very soft and subtle. The taupe color I really love. It has such a wonderful buttery texture and blends just beautifully. It is amazingly pigmented too. It goes on looking a bit more warm on my skin than it looks in the package, almost a soft brown. I do wish it was less shimmery but it's not a deal-breaker for me. My only complaint with this color is it is super soft. It practically crumbles when my brush touches it and after I use it there's a lot of loose powder remaining. I can see a potential mess and going through this color very quickly because of this. The dark brown color goes on looking black on me. The gold microglitter seems to disappear on my skin. Although it doesn't go on the smoothest, it does go on nice for a black eyeshadow and thankfully isn't chalky. My big problem with this color is that it is way too dark to go with the other 2 lighter colors. When I use this trio I substitute the dark brown for a lighter brown or taupe that doesn't have as big of a contrast with the taupe. Because of poor pairing of the almost black with the other colors, and the too light and unpigmented peach, I wouldn't recommend this trio. However the taupe is very nice and if you're willing to buy this just to have taupe, I guess $3 isn't that bad even for just one eye shadow.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No