Concealers -Guerlain - Issima Precious Light Smoothing Illuminator [DISCONTINUED]
emywong 2/20/2007 8:30:00 PM
With a swipe of this magic wand, both my eyebags are gone, gone, gone!
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Polishes -OPI - Opening Night Champagne
emywong 1/23/2007 7:41:00 AM
Absolutely love this colour, especially on the toes. This metallic peachy gold shade screams "look at me" without being racy or audacious. Best of all, it goes perfectly with my new Beverly Feldman sandals called Happy. The Pro Wide brush is a rave. Every nailpolish should have this brush as it makes application close to flawless. And OPI has always been known for its quality, long-staying laquers.
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Skincare - Body -Estee Lauder - The Body Oil Spray by Tom Ford for Estee Lauder Azuree Collection
emywong 7/28/2006 10:22:00 AM
Like bbayer, I bought 2 bottles of the Azuree Body Oil, mainly because I was told that stock of this product is running low here in Australia. It's winter at the moment for us, and I thought I would stock up for summer. A marketing ploy - but I couldn't help myself, I love it soooo much. But I think what's attracted me most to this product is the bottle!!! I love the gold and turquoise cap, and the champagne-coloured oil. I put it next to my Azuree bronzer palette on my dresser, and I've often found myself wasting precious makeup time starring unconciously in admiration of these Tom Ford's creations. The scent is delightful, conjuring up images of the beach because of the hint of "noix de coco". However, the emollient properties of the oil is only so-so, possibly because of the winter dryness. Then again, all of these light, scented spray-on body oil aren't really appropriate for really dry skin anyway. I wear the oil with Hermes Un Jardin en Mediterranee, which also has a coconut top note.
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Makeup Brushes -Kevyn Aucoin - Super Soft Buff Powder Brush
emywong 6/1/2006 10:46:00 AM
I love this. This is deee softest brush known to mankind, I reckon. The Kevyn Aucoin label is pretty new in Australia, so the stand-out posters caught my eye as I was browsing through Mecca Cosmetica (the only place whch stocks it). "Super Soft Buff Powder Brush... hmmmm" tried in on the back of my hand, and then compared it to the others instore. I was a believer! At first I was hemming and hawing over the steep price tag, but the SA convinced me that the quality and softness of the bristles makes the brush expensive. She made it a point to alert me of the fact that the Stila equivalent (i.e. #21) was heaps more dearer, hence emphasizing that the KA was really value-for-money. My next excuse was that the brush was made in China. The SA rebutted, informing me that only 2 places in the world produce squirrel hair for makeup brushes - China & Germany. Squirrel hair?!? The perfect excuse not to buy a brush made out of sacrificed animals. So I thought. Ahhhh, the clever SA immediately alleviated my ethical concern for lower life forms, by proudly reporting that squirrels are "combed", not culled, for their hairs. Hmmmm... imagine combing a squirrel. How does one make a squirrel hold still for combing, I wonder. More importantly, do squirrels mind being combed? Anyway my humane spirit was short-lived, I gave in, and now am happy to report that I own a KA, squirrel-hair, super soft buff powder brush. It is the perfect partner for my Bare Escentuals Powder foundation!
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Toners -Estee Lauder - Nutritious Vita-Mineral Energy Lotion
emywong 4/24/2006 11:31:00 PM
Don't know why I like this product... Maybe it's the colour of the bottle... Maybe because it claims to be loaded with vitamins... Maybe because it says that it was especially designed for Asian skin... (I'm quite a sucker, I know) It's a gel-like toner which feels like a light moisturiser when you put it on - good for us ppl in Australia where winter is approaching. I don't need to use a lot of moisturiser on top, which is nice. The high-alcohol content, which evaporates, leaves you with a bit of a glow (like all other toners, really).
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Scrubs -Origins - Modern Friction
emywong 4/1/2006 6:21:00 AM
Bought a dozen sample sizes of this Origins product from Ebay. It is quite a remarkable product - at least for my skin. Yes, it is pretty gooey, so I mix it with a bit of water before applying it on my face. The scrubby bits are really useless, so what I do is run a wet facial brush over my face, after applying the product. Then I leave it on for 5 minutes before rinsing it off. I was under the impression that this was a microdermabrasion/acid peel product, since it has that temporary sting. That's why I keep it on for a while before washing it off, to give time for the product to work its miracle. And it does work - I love the afterglow! My follow-up products are a spritz of Evian, then Estee Lauder's Nutritious Vita-Mineral Energy lotion.
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Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Un Lys
emywong 3/8/2006 3:03:00 AM
Un Lys reminds me of Estee Lauder's Pleasures Intense, perfect for springtime days, powder pink-dressing, parks and puppies (refer to EL's ads for the perfume). It's NOT as noxiously sweet as Pleasures Intense though, but on first application, it does smell as if someone has stuck a bouquet of lilies into your nose. I bought mine off an Ebayer in Germany, BNIB. Cost me 1/3rd of what it retails for in Australia. I still prefer Fleur D'Oranger.
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Fragrances -Clarins - Eau Ressourcante, Rebalancing Fragrance
emywong 2/3/2006 8:50:00 PM
I love this fragrance. It reminds me of the beach. Every time I wear it, I imagine I have woken up at dawn for a swim in the ocean (something which I have never done in my life!!!). Eau de Traquility is a great one to spritz on in the mornings as it smells clean and fresh. But what amazes me is that the scent lasts throughout the day on me, even though its an EDT.
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Treatments (Eye) -Jurlique - Herbal Recovery Eye Gel
emywong 10/29/2005 10:44:00 PM
Out of all the products I've used in Jurlique's 5-step program, this one's the best in terms of value for money. AU$98 for 30 ml in a glass pump bottle. You only need a tiny bit to cover both upper and lower lids of both eyes. Which makes me wonder when I'm ever going to finish using my bottle of eye gel...(boring!) It's not a miracle eye product, but it does tighten the skin around the eyes, without feeling heavy.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Body -Jurlique - Deodorant spray
emywong 10/29/2005 10:38:00 PM
One word - USELESS.
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Toners -Jurlique - Rosewater Balancing Mist
emywong 10/29/2005 10:37:00 PM
I love this product to bits! Gives you a "lift" because it is, essentially, scented water. Much more fun to use than plain old Evian spray. Problem is that the 100 ml is packaged in a heavy glass bottle that makes it purse-unfriendly. If it wasn't so pricey, I would have one stored at home, at work and in my car.
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Skincare - Face -Jurlique - Daily Exfoliating Cream
emywong 10/29/2005 10:32:00 PM
I've always loved skincare regimes with lots of steps. That means I get to use more products, which means more fun in the mornings, and more reasons to get out of bed to make myself bee-u-tee-ful! I'm vain. I admit it. OK, back to the product review... Jurlique's Face Wash Cream is step numero three in it's skincare program. It's a gentle scrub, a mixture of natural grainy bits in a cream base. You're meant to turn the cream into a paste with wet hands, then press the paste onto your face gently. How's that ever gonna work? Having used microdemabrasion products before, I'm rather ruthless with this Face Wash Cream, scrubbing, rather than pressing, to get the maximum exfoliating effect. It's actually quite lovely, but if you are an exfoliating freak like me, maybe sit this one out. Use sand paper instead (hee hee hee). Despite its lack of exfoliating power (IMO), it does smell delish, and it will give you that Jurlique glow. Two thumbs up! Reference: Oily/Combo skin
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Jurlique - Lemon/Lime Aromatic Hydrating Concentrate
emywong 10/29/2005 10:20:00 PM
I'm using this as part of Jurlique's 5-step skincare program. Not sure if this AHC has really been helpful to my skin, but it sure does wonders to my psyche. I am NOT a morning person, but since starting the program, I actually look forward to waking up in the morning just to splash my face (or "compress" - the proper Jurlique way) with the AHC mixed in some warm water. Don't like the bottle though, the drops take ages to dispense. Oh, and in case you were wondering, I've got oily/combination skin.
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Cleansers -MAC - Cleanse Off Oil
emywong 8/28/2005 8:39:00 AM
Thank you for all the reviews for this wonderful product! Having read the reviews here, weighing out the yays from nays, and considering the scores, I decided to purchase the MAC cleansing oil for the very first time today. I have used a cleansing oil before by Erno Laszlo, but I found that particular one to be very gluggy. Sure, the Erno Laszlo oil did the job of removing even the toughest of waterproof mascara, but I didn't appreciate the heaviness and viscosity of the oil. This is where the MAC cleansing oil won my heart. It's very light, yet effective in removing makeup effortlessly. A beautiful scent too, may I add. Also the fact that it does not contain mineral oils is definately a big plus! I love the idea of the pump bottle, however the pump squirts a wee bit too much at a time. BTW, I have been classified as having an oily/combo complexion, but I have a feeling that this product will work in my favour. After using the oil, my next followup step is to tissue off and then use a foaming cleanser to get rid of any traces of the oil. I use the Chanel Precision Purifying Mousse, which is highly recommneded in another post on MUA. My overall verdict is that I love this product and will consider repurchasing in future.
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Moisturizers -Clinique - Superdefense SPF 25 Age Defense Moisturizer
emywong 8/19/2005 10:15:00 PM
My quest in searching for the perfect daytime moisturiser with SPF for oily/combo skin has ended - Clinque's Superdefense (Normal/Oily) is IT! When first applied, my skin appeared a tad too dewy. But moments later, the product became absorbed leaving a comfortable matt-ish finish. The moisturiser seals the flakey bits of my skin, allowing makeup to glide over, in a good way of course, for a flawless complexion. I simply adore it! My only two gripes are: (1) that it comes in a tub (message to Clinique R & D dept: please provide us with a spatula in future!), and (2) the price (but I have to say, it's well worth the moolah). I'm using my second tub atm, but I suspect Superdefense and I are headed toward a long-term relationship.
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