BB Cream -Clinique - Age Defense BB Cream SPF 30
Elle_B 3/25/2012 9:02:00 PM
I like this product. I was looking for a product that would streamline my morning routine. I have sensitive skin with rosacea and shade 2 neutralizes much of the redness. The spf is wonderful. I'd classify this as medium coverage. Better than the tinted moisturizers I've tried. If I'm especially red for whatever reason, I'll add a light dusting of mineral makeup. Perfect for the humid climate I live in.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Dermalogica - Ultra Calming Cleanser
Elle_B 3/25/2012 5:47:00 PM
I have very sensitive, reactive skin, as well as rosacea. I've been using this cleanser for a few days now and have a red blotch on the center of each cheek (think: Pikachu) -- BUT KEEP READING -- this is a huge, huge improvement from the all-over redness I've been living with for the past 10 years or so. No redness on my forehead and chin (except the broken capillaries from the rosacea). I've tried a lot of redness reducing products over the years, some better than others, but I really like this cleanser. It's non-lathering and can be rinsed or tissued off (I rinse because I try not to "handle" may face much, but it's nice to know tissuing off is an options if I'm somewhere with questionable water quality). I personally find that it is quite effective in removing my makeup, including mascara. Because it does not leave my skin feeling 'tight,' at first I wasn't convinced that it was removing all the dirt and make up. A couple of swipes with my Paula's Choice alcohol-free toner on a cotton ball proved otherwise. This product is quite pricy (approx. $34 for 8.4 oz and $51 for 16.9 oz) but a little bit goes a long way. I'll be purchasing the full size soon.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Dermalogica - Ultracalming Mist
Elle_B 3/25/2012 5:28:00 PM
Nice, but kind of gimmicky, in my opinion. This came in a kit and I find that it does provide momentary soothing and redness relief, but no long-lasting results. I have rosacea so I'm prone to "blushing" after a glass of wine or eating spicy food -- neither of which I'll give up entirely. I spritzed some on my face after sipping on some wine and I feel like it did BRIEFLY help with the redness. Personally, I wouldn't spend the money on this product , but I think it'll come in handy on my upcoming airline flight.
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Eye Shadow -NARS - Habanera Duo
Elle_B 6/21/2009 12:52:00 AM
There have been so many great reviews on this eyeshadow that I feel I have little to add, but this... I love the versatility and blendability of these colors. When I applied the plum with a subtle wash of mint on top, I was left with a lovely not-quite-as-boring-as-gray smokey shade. My favorite way to wear it is with the plum on the upper eyelid, and the mint in the inner V of my eyes. When I want to amp it up a bit, I'll wear the mint as a subtle 'wash' under my lower lashes. A good mascara ensures it won't look too 1980's. I have hazel eyes and this combo makes the gold 'pop.' I have a medium skin tone, very oily skin. It's not the most longlasting shadow I own, but I can usually pat it back in place after several hours. So easy to blend, much more 'wearable' than one might initially guess. Love this eyeshadow - I'm impressed with the versatility.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Clinique - Different Lipstick - Tenderheart
Elle_B 1/19/2008 12:21:00 PM
I tend to favor glosses right now, but when I do wear a lipstick, Tenderheart is it. It's very close to my natural lip color (I have quite a bit of pigment in my lips) so it's me, but better! I find it doesn't dry my lips like so many other brands have in the past and it has no discernible odor.
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Primer/ Corrector -Clinique - Pore Minimizer Instant Perfector
Elle_B 1/19/2008 12:17:00 PM
I like this product a lot. I have oily skin, rosacea, and large pores. This really smooths things out without irritating my face. A very nice little primer, and I find a little goes a long way.
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Hair Color -Clairol - Natural Instincts Hair Color
Elle_B 1/15/2008 3:43:00 PM
My natural haircolor is med/dark brown with about 30% gray - maybe a bit more now. I'm "root intolerant" so I color my hair more often than I should. I do not use permanent hair colors because I have had problems in the past with the 1/5" of hair closest to my scalp turning bright orange! This has happened several times with different brands (over-the-counter brands and salon brands). The other reviewers are correct that the shade pictured on the box is much lighter than what you'll end up in real life. I believe this is due to the fact that this product doesn't lighten your own color so new color (dye) is deposited over existing color (your own). Most people will find their hair feels "dry" or "rough" immediately after coloring. The hydrogen peroxide and other ingredients open the hair cuticle so it can receive the color. The conditioning process seals the cuticle. People with extra delicate or damaged hair may find that they need a deeper conditioning. I've used almost every one of the brown shades at different points, most recently Suede. I just switched to Brass Free Brunette formula, though because I find it covers my gray better. I wash my hair daily and find that the overall color fades in about 3 weeks. It fades much faster on my grays (about 2 weeks). I'm pretty hard on my hair (daily use of a flat iron, daily shampooing), but I don't feel that this product has damaged my hair.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Diesel - Fuel for Life
Elle_B 1/15/2008 11:08:00 AM
I went to the fragrance counter at Saks a couple of days ago and mentioned that I was looking for something fruity or floral for Spring. I usually gravitate toward oriental or 'food' scents (chocolate, vanilla). Fuel for Life was one of the samples the associate gave me, along with Flower Bomb, Scent of Peace by Bond No. 9 and a few others. On me, Fuel for Life doesn't smell at all like Flower Bomb - perhaps it's my body chemistry. One reviewer described Fuel for Life as the love child of Flower Bomb and Angel -- that I can see. I used to love Angel - it was my winter scent for several years, but suddenly this year, I developed an aversion to it. Fuel for Life reminds me of Angel minus the cloyingly sweetness. Fuel smells rather woodsy on me. Not unpleasant at all, dries down to a more fruity scent. Long lasting, which I appreciate. Hubby likes it, but the real test was my 5 yr old. He would not hesitate to tell a person that they stink! (We're working on his diplomacy skills.) Fortunately he really liked this scent. I'll purchase it to replace Angel, and continue wearing my Burberry Brit until I find a more summery scent.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lips -Freeze 24/7 - Plump Lips
Elle_B 1/22/2007 5:23:00 PM
I love the clear. I'm 41, with average sized, naturally rosy lips. This product made them seem a bit plumper, and noticeably smoother for at least a couple of hours. I like the texture (not to globby or sticky). The taste was fine and the product tingled. Sort of strange feeling, but not uncomfortable. As much as I love the results I'm still undecided about buying the full size, unless I can find it for less than its retail price.
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Lip Gloss -Burt's Bees - Burts Bees Lip Shimmers
Elle_B 2/15/2006 6:05:00 PM
I own Raisin and Merlot. My lips have a lot of natural pigment so the lighter shades look weird on me. I love that this doesn't feel sticky. It doesn't last very long (that's why I subtracted one lippie), but it's so easy to carry in a pocket. Nice moisturizing properties, too.
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Treatments -Advanced Skin Technology - Green Cream by AST
Elle_B 1/16/2006 10:54:00 PM
This is an early review. I've been using GC for about a week now...it's all the rage here in the New Orleans area as the dermatologist who developed it is from here, and therefore, it's easy to find in most of our local day spas. A friend used GC3 and tried moving up to GC6 but it was too much for her sensitive skin. Since I used Renova until recently, and she was looking to get rid of her GC6, I thought I'd give it a try. I'm glad I did. I use it every other night on my 40-year old, oil, rosacea- & acne prone skin. I do not experience any irritation or discomfort - just some light flaking, which I don't mind since I could use a good exfoliant. (I use Image-C Skincare Hydrating Enzyme Mask to keep peeling to a minimum.) My breakout are gone for the first time in over 25 years. If you were to rub your hand on my face, it would feel *smooth* rather than bumpy from my breakouts. My pores are noticeably smaller and I seem to be producing less oil. I only have a few fine lines so I haven't noticed a big improvement there, but this is the least of my worries. I'm very optimistic and will update again later.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Clinique - Brush-On Cream Liner in Black Honey
Elle_B 12/16/2005 7:39:00 PM
This is my HG eyeliner! Too bad it's a limited edition. I hope Clinique re-introduces it and adds other shades. My skin tone is medium w/ rosacea, my eyes are hazel (mostly gold). I fell in love w/ the tester at a local dept store in La. but they were sold out and not expecting more. I found it at a different store in Va. so I bought two, then ordered two more from yet another dept store. I know there's a shelf life for unopened makeup, but I'm hoping the these will last a long time. On me, the shade looks like a raisin color - almost brown, not really plummy, not really reddish. Not harsh at all. I love the shimmer! I wear a lot of muted eyeshadows so it's nice to have a little sparkle. It's not too over-the-top, though. The staying power, on my oily lids, is terrific. I also bought the Black Honey Kohl liner, thinking that if I line my lids w/ that first, then use the brush on liner, I can extend the life of the gel. Last time I checked Clinique.com, the gel eyeliner wasn't even listed anymore. I do hope they'll bring it back! I love this stuff!
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Skincare - Face -Avon - Anew Clinical Micro-Exfoliant
Elle_B 10/25/2005 3:03:00 PM
Finally - a scrub w/ microfine particles and a lot of them! I'm at the age (40) where my beloved apricot scrub is too harsh. The particles are too large and I'm a little heavy handed. Most microfine scrubs I've tried seem to have far fewer scrubbing 'beads' so they didn't do me a bit of good. The Clinical Micro-Exfoliant is chock full of little beads! I use this every 3 days and my skin looks better than it has in years.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Avon - ANEW Clinical 2-Step Facial Peel
Elle_B 10/25/2005 2:57:00 PM
I'm 40 w/ normal to oily, sensitive, rosacea-prone skin. I only occasionally break out, have very few lines (whew!) but I do have some flakiness around the lower cheek/jaw area. I use the two-step peel every 3rd day and it really keeps the flakiness at bay. I previously used the MD Skincare two-step peel and found the Avon provided comparable results at half the price. The packaging is awful - the pads have a tendency to dry out. Fortunately, I was able to find some large empty plastic jars with tighter lids at the Walmart cosmetic dept (near travel sized products). I switched out the packaging and found it lasted much longer.
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Fragrances -Thierry Mugler - Angel Garden of Stars Lily Eau de Parfum
Elle_B 10/25/2005 2:27:00 PM
First of all, I *love* the original Angel - I get more compliments when I wear it than any other fragrance I've worn in the past 25 years. I love how long it lasts on my skin. However, it can be a bit heavy at times. When I received the mailer announcing the three Garden scents, my first thought was, why mess with a good thing? However, I picked up a sample of Lily and I have to say I'm very impressed. On me, one spritz lasts all day (which is a good thing, given the price). It is softer than Angel, but there's no mistaking that it's from the same family. Upon dry-down, my chemistry picks up a pleasant floral note, which to my surprise, I like (I'm usually a foodie-scent person). I've also received a lot of compliments on this scent. Violet didn't work with my chemistry at all, and Peony was okay, but on me, it wasn't *special*. Lily will likely become my new signature scent and I'll save the original for special occasions. Bottom line, if Angel never quite worked for you, or if you love Angel but are craving something different, it seems Thierry Mugler has something for (almost) everyone.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No