Makeup Brushes -Bare Escentuals - Handy Buki Brush
kellywilson0 2/28/2010 11:41:00 AM
I really wish I had branched out from BE brushes a looooong time ago. This brush does give heavier coverage, and was my favorite BE brush for many years. It wasn't until I branched out to other brushes that I noticed how cakey this brush always made my MMU look. The brush is also incredibly scratchy, and more than once contributed to red, irritated skin on my face (I believe most BE brushes are natural hair...which for my skin is a no-no). There are far far superior brushes out there for much less money...my favorites now are from EcoTools and ELF, so there are some great deals to be had!
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Liquid -Revlon - PhotoReady Makeup
kellywilson0 2/22/2010 2:01:00 PM
Ugh...I really wanted this foundation to work for me, but alas it doesn't :-( I ordered this online (I couldn't find the 001 Ivory shade in any stores near where I live), and couldn't wait to try it out once it arrived! I had heard that this was one of the paler foundations out there (at least in the 001 shade), and since that's right up my alley, I figured I'd take the plunge and give it a shot. First, the good news: I like the light/medium coverage, and the sparkle isn't very noticeable in this shade...yay! Plus, the pump and the bottle are fantastic! It blended like a dream for me and gave my skin a very polished look. But the bad news: this isn't a good match for my super, super fair skin, with yellow undertones. I should have known better, since this shade isn't known for yellow undertones...but all of the other shades that do have yellow undertones are much too dark for my pale skin...I figured it was worth a try, but sadly it didn't work out. For my less expensive, everyday foundation, I've recently been using L'Oreal True Match in W1, as it's the palest, most yellow-based drugstore foundation I've ever been able to find...you wouldn't think that combination would be such a challenge to find, but I assure you that it is, as I've spent countless hours searching! I genuinely like it (even more so now), but wasn't married to it yet and thought I'd see if maybe there was an even better drugstore match out there for me...sadly, PhotoReady isn't it. This shade pulled much more of an orange/pinky color on my skin than my W1 True Match does. I took a few pictures comparing the True Match in W1 to the PhotoReady in 001 Ivory (since I couldn't find a comparison anywhere online), but I don't have my card-reader with me at the moment, so I can't get the pictures off of my camera...I'll come back and add them once I get them on to my computer! On an unrelated note, if anyone wants a bottle of 001 Ivory PhotoReady that has been pumped maybe 2 times ever, please let me know! :-)
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Conditioner -Sexy Hair Concepts - healthy sexy hair soy milk conditioner
kellywilson0 2/20/2010 5:56:00 PM
I'm really wondering if the formulation of this product was changed recently. After a particularly bad hair coloring experience at a salon a few years ago, my new stylist (the prior one ruined my hair, so I refused to go back) recommended that I give this a try. At the time, my hair was COMPLETELY fried - a botched hair color job, followed by an attempt to strip out the color from the botched hair color job, followed by highlights over top to hide the awful color that my hair ended up...ick. Anyway, at that time, this (along with the Healthy Sexy Hair Shampoo) was the only saving grace for my hair...it made my straw-like, brittle/breaking, frizzy hair feel soft and healthy...a miracle in a bottle. It also seemed to provide my hair with the nutrients/conditioning that it needed, as growing it out from that hair color disaster was much easier than I thought it would be...don't get me wrong, it still took time...but not nearly as long as I thought it would. I'm currently in a Redken kick lately (a combination of Extreme and All Soft), and when I was going to buy my typical Redken Shampoo and Conditioner last month, I picked up a bottle of this (and the corresponding shampoo) after reminiscing about how soft and healthy it made my hair feel way back when. Wow, what a difference this time. I only used this once, and it completely dried my hair out...such a disappointment! For reference, my hair is still very dry and damaged, with more breakage than I would like (due to a medication that I have to take). I'm not sure if the formula was changed, or if my hair is just different than it was several years ago...but either way, this is a definite no-go for me now :-(
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Shampoo -Sexy Hair Concepts - healthy sexy hair soy milk shampoo
kellywilson0 2/20/2010 5:22:00 PM
I'm really wondering if the formulation of this product was changed recently. After a particularly bad hair coloring experience at a salon a few years ago, my new stylist (the prior one ruined my hair, so I refused to go back) recommended that I give this a try. At the time, my hair was COMPLETELY fried - a botched hair color job, followed by an attempt to strip out the color from the botched hair color job, followed by highlights over top to hide the awful color that my hair ended up...ick. Anyway, at that time, this (along with the Healthy Sexy Hair Conditioner) was the only saving grace for my hair...it made my straw-like, brittle/breaking, frizzy hair feel soft and healthy...a miracle in a bottle. It also seemed to provide my hair with the nutrients/conditioning that it needed, as growing it out from that hair color disaster was much easier than I thought it would be...don't get me wrong, it still took time...but not nearly as long as I thought it would. I'm currently in a Redken kick lately (a combination of Extreme and All Soft), and when I was going to buy my typical Redken Shampoo and Conditioner last month, I picked up a bottle of this (and the corresponding conditioner) after reminiscing about how soft and healthy it made my hair feel way back when. Wow, what a difference this time. I only used this once, and it completely dried my hair out...such a disappointment! For reference, my hair is still very dry and damaged, with more breakage than I would like (due to a medication that I have to take). I'm not sure if the formula was changed, or if my hair is just different than it was several years ago...but either way, this is a definite no-go for me now :-(
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Powder -Bare Escentuals - Bare Minerals ALL
kellywilson0 2/16/2010 11:59:00 AM
I'll start out by saying that, after a long and exhaustive search, I've finally managed to find both a liquid foundation, and a powder foundation that match my skin, and do not cause breakouts! However, Bare Minerals is certainly not the powder foundation that I ended up choosing! During my search, I tried the following mineral makeup brands: - Bare Minerals - Their lightest color is still far too dark for my pale skin tone, and it seems to have orange undertones...weird. Plus the Bismuth really irritates and dries my skin out; it also makes it burn when I sweat, and contributes to cystic breakouts for me. I also wasn't a fan of the 'glow' that you get when you put this on your skin...I prefer a more matte finish (I believe they now offer that as an option, though!). That 'glow'' also seemed to sink into my pores and make them look huge with continued use. And as far as I've been able to tell, the BE brushes are natural hair, not synthetic...which also caused skin reactions for me. On the plus side, this stuff did have excellent staying power for me - I remember one day in particular where my friends and I decided to go hiking...for about 8 hours...in 90 degree temps last summer. I was sweaty, don't get me wrong, but as soon as I used a napkin to blot the sweat off of my face, my makeup still looked amazing. So I have to give props for that. - Mineral Basics - I broke out in hives from this one...although the product may have been contaminated in the mail or something (it had a strong smell, that, from what the company told me, shouldn't have been there), but I'm still not willing to give it another shot, since it took over a week for the hives to go away. The samples here were a bit lacking, so it was impossible to try a product more than once. - Everyday Minerals...despite all of the matte/semi-matte/original glow/intensive formulas, I couldn't find a coverage formula that I liked...the selection of colors was great, but I couldn't find one that matched my skin with the correct undertones...on the positive side, they do offer great samples to try out before committing to a full-sized product. - Laura Mercier Mineral Powder - Some of the shades contain Bismuth, while others simply say 'May contain Bismuth.' This powder is exquisitely smooth, but had I realized that it contained Bismuth prior to purchasing, I never would have used it. Once again, I couldn't find a color match that was pale enough, and had the correct undertones. - Mineral Hygienics - No Bismuth...yay! But no color match either...boo. - Aromaleigh - Excellent selection of very pale shades...and they seem to have almost every undertone under the sun covered. Unfortunately, after finding a good color match (a mix of 1Y and 2Y), I started to notice how the powders weren't blended properly...so when you'd go to buff the minerals on to your face, you'd end up with a streak of red pigment smeared across your cheek...not good. - Meow Cosmetics - HGHGHG! Finally! Excellent coverage (they offer 3 formulas with varying coverage levels); No Bismuth; an incredible selection of undertones and color depths; and large containers (a good value for the money); they also offer $1 samples so you can try out many different options before committing to a full size. I'll say that I did initially get frustrated, as there are so many color options to choose from, and as the website isn't laid out in a very user-friendly way...but now that I've found my HG powder foundation, the aggravation was all worth it! Wow, I didn't mean for this review to be a running commentary of my trials and tribulations in finding a suitable powder foundation...but for me, it's helpful to compare several brands when evaluating how well one performs. I'll say that Bare Minerals was my HG foundation for several years, and that it was my first foray into mineral makeup (as I think it is with many ladies)...the color issue wasn't a huge deal to me at the time, since I had never found a foundation light enough and with the correct undertones for my fair skin (until recently...yay!!)...but the more I used this product, the more irritated my skin became. My oily skin turned dry, flaky, dehydrated, and dull (even with moisturizer), and I started getting cystic breakouts regularly. I know that many folks swear by this makeup, so if you really want to give it a try, there's nothing wrong with doing so. But if you have Bismuth sensitivities, and/or find that this doesn't work for you, please give one of the other brands a try...there's a whole world of mineral makeup out there beyond Bare Minerals :-)
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Powder -Laura Mercier - Mineral Powder SPF 15
kellywilson0 2/15/2010 2:56:00 PM
The texture of this powder is absolutely AMAZING...I've found that to be the case with all of the LM powders that I've tried - they just feel like pure silk. There's really no comparison between this and some of the other mineral foundations I've tried (Bare Minerals/Escentuals; Everyday Minerals; Mineral Basics, etc.). The other pro is the container - it's very sturdy, and has a special top over the sifter to keep the powder from going everywhere if it isn't stored right-side up. Unfortunately, Laura Mercier doesn't offer a color that's pale enough and that has the correct undertones for my super pale skin. It's a shame too, because this truly is an exquisitely smooth powder. The only other issue I had with this powder is that some of the shades contain Bismuth, which is a big no-no for my skin...I think that was part of the reason that Bare Minerals killed my skin the way it did. Back when I purchased this (mid-2009), I seem to remember reading on the LM website that all of the shades contained Bismuth...I just went and checked (as I got ready to write this review), and now it only lists Bismuth as an ingredient in the Natural Beige and Soft Porcelain shades. For all of the other shades, it simply says "May Contain Bismuth." Not sure how they can really get away with that, but buy at your own risk if you have Bismuth sensitivities. If you're looking for mineral makeup that doesn't contain Bismuth, try out Meow Cosmetics (my absolute HG powder foundation!!)...there are a few other companies that don't use Bismuth (Aromaleigh, Mineral Hygienics, Everyday Minerals, etc.), but unfortunately they didn't work for my skin for various reasons.
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Cleansers -Freeman - Good Stuff Organics Foaming Facial Cleanser
kellywilson0 2/15/2010 11:23:00 AM
Sorry to say that I'm going to be the voice of dissent here. A bit about my skin: Oily (lately, more combination, though); very reactive/sensitive; acne/clog prone...I know, great combination. For reference, I used this cleanser for about 2 weeks: by itself in the A.M., and with my Clarisonic in the P.M. I'll start off with the Pros: - This is probably THE ONLY cleanser I've ever tried that didn't dry my skin out and make it feel tight after I washed it. - It smells yummy - I love the pump and the foaming action of the cleanser. - Doesn't contain sulfates, synthetic dyes, or parabens. - Contains great natural extracts and aloe vera...very soothing to the skin (my skin usually turns red after I wash it, but it didn't with this cleanser). Now on to the Cons: - I don't know if something in this cleanser clogged my pores and caused breakouts, or whether it just didn't clean enough of the makeup and dirt off of my face every day, but I got major breakouts after using this cleanser. Even though I have more Pros than Cons on my list, the clogging the pores and making me break out was the deciding factor for me...even though I liked many things about this cleanser, I can't use it without enduring breakouts...so it's a no-go for me, unfortunately!
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Powder -Aromaleigh - Glissade [DISCONTINUED]
kellywilson0 2/5/2010 4:38:00 PM
I have to hand it to Aromaleigh for having one of THE BEST collections of colors for fair-skinned gals...I've tried my fair share of mineral makeup, but had never (at that point) found a foundation that was light enough for me...at Aromaleigh, they actually had shades that were too pale for me...I couldn't believe it! Over the years, I've tried BE (bismuth = burning, red skin; absolutely no color match for me either); Mineral Basics (irritated skin...but excellent color selection); Everyday Minerals (no color match for me; poor staying power; tried the O-glow, semi-matte, matte, and intensive); Lily Lolo (couldn't find the correct undertones to get a good color match); Aromaleigh (tried both the Voile and Glissade formulas; see the review below); and finally Meow Cosmetics (my one and only...I'm so glad to have finally found this company!! Perfect color match, no irritated skin, excellent prices!). Anyway, back to my original review! After ordering countless samples (I think I ordered every undertone in all of the lightest-colored shades that they had) in both the Glissade and Voile formulations, I finally found a great color match: a mix of 1Y and 2Y. However, like so many other mineral makeup brands, this one irritated my skin, and turned it all red and blotchy :-( The other problem I noticed with this brand was that the foundations didn't appear to be blended thoroughly...when I'd go to buff the minerals on to my face, I'd get a streak of red/yellow, etc. pigment randomly showing up across my face...definitely not a good look, and not something I've ever had happen with the other mineral makeup brands that I've tried...that problem has definitely been unique to Aromaleigh. If you're searching for very pale shades of mineral makeup, I'd say give Aromaleigh a shot, since it might work out for you...just be careful about the blending issue. However, I highly highly highly recommend Meow Cosmetics (and no, I'm in no way affiliated with this company!)...I'm absolutely in love with their mineral makeup, and I've finally found my long-sought HG, perfect match powder foundation...and I couldn't be happier with it :-)
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Powder -Aromaleigh - Voile [DISCONTINUED]
kellywilson0 2/5/2010 4:37:00 PM
I have to hand it to Aromaleigh for having one of THE BEST collections of colors for fair-skinned gals...I've tried my fair share of mineral makeup, but had never (at that point) found a foundation that was light enough for me...at Aromaleigh, they actually had shades that were too pale for me...I couldn't believe it! Over the years, I've tried BE (bismuth = burning, red skin; absolutely no color match for me either); Mineral Basics (irritated skin...but excellent color selection); Everyday Minerals (no color match for me; poor staying power; tried the O-glow, semi-matte, matte, and intensive); Lily Lolo (couldn't find the correct undertones to get a good color match); Aromaleigh (tried both the Voile and Glissade formulas; see the review below); and finally Meow Cosmetics (my one and only...I'm so glad to have finally found this company!! Perfect color match, no irritated skin, excellent prices!). Anyway, back to my original review! After ordering countless samples (I think I ordered every undertone in all of the lightest-colored shades that they had) in both the Glissade and Voile formulations, I finally found a great color match: a mix of 1Y and 2Y. However, like so many other mineral makeup brands, this one irritated my skin, and turned it all red and blotchy :-( The other problem I noticed with this brand was that the foundations didn't appear to be blended thoroughly...when I'd go to buff the minerals on to my face, I'd get a streak of red/yellow, etc. pigment randomly showing up across my face...definitely not a good look, and not something I've ever had happen with the other mineral makeup brands that I've tried...that problem has definitely been unique to Aromaleigh. If you're searching for very pale shades of mineral makeup, I'd say give Aromaleigh a shot, since it might work out for you...just be careful about the blending issue. However, I highly highly highly recommend Meow Cosmetics (and no, I'm in no way affiliated with this company!)...I'm absolutely in love with their mineral makeup, and I've finally found my long-sought HG, perfect match powder foundation...and I couldn't be happier with it :-)
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Makeup Brushes -Everyday Minerals - New Flat Top Brush
kellywilson0 2/4/2010 5:46:00 PM
I think I'm one of the few people that this brush just doesn't do much for. It is super soft, but honestly, I prefer my EcoTools and ELF Studio brushes to this one. I tried using this brush to apply my mineral makeup, and I just can't make it work - it seems to pick up/apply way too much powder, giving me that awful cakey look; it also seems to apply the powder unevenly...it's like the bristles are too close together or too stiff or something, so I can't really work the product into the brush when I swirl it in the minerals in the lid of my container...so it all sits on the top of the brush and doesn't spread evenly when I buff it on to my face. Plus, the fact that the brush is white/light-colored on the ends makes it difficult for me to see how much product is actually on the brush...that's just a nit-picky personal preference of mine though haha. For my mineral foundation, I used to use the Bare Minerals Handy Buki brush (loved the coverage from that one, until I realized their brushes were natural hair...which for me = irritated skin), and I've also tried the ELF Studio flat top brush, as well as the new EcoTools Bronzer brush...and the ED Minerals is my least favorite out of the bunch. I love the ELF Studio Powder brush for applying my liquid foundation (never thought I'd go back to liquid until I applied it with this brush), but honestly the best brush I've found for applying my powder foundation is the new EcoTools Bronzer brush...it works amazingly well for me! The curved shape of that brush makes it easier to work the powder into the brush; and creates a flawless finish on my skin after buffing. All in all, if you're on the fence about this one, I'd say at least give it a try - it's pretty inexpensive, and it seems to work beautifully for a great number of people...unfortunately I'm not one of those people, so mine is sitting unused in my makeup drawer.
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Fragrances -Crazylibellule and The Poppies - Vanilla Fruit Sorbet
kellywilson0 1/30/2010 11:32:00 AM
I'm very sensitive to fragrances, and very prone to migraines, so I've had difficulty finding many scents that I can wear without enduring a massive headache later in the day...that having been said, this is one of my favorite perfumes, if not my absolute favorite!! Last spring I went in search of a new, lighter perfume to wear for the warmer months (my winter go-to has been Burberry Brit for a few years now, and I still wear it frequently when the weather turns colder...although I find myself reaching for my Vanilla Fruit Sorbet year-round lately!)...I'm honestly not sure how I even stumbled upon this brand, but I was browsing on the Sephora website one day, and became intrigued. I figured a solid perfume may not be as overpowering as a spray perfume, so I made a special trip to Sephora after work (not an easy feat, considering it's in the opposite direction from where I live, and in a ridiculously congested part of town...at rush hour nonetheless...that's how badly I wanted to check out these perfumes!). At first I couldn't even find them in the store, and after endlessly wandering the perfume section of my local Sephora (I couldn't remember the name, and had forgotten to write it down, unfortunately), and after countless SA's trying to sell me on LAMB or some other fragrance that I wasn't interested in, I finally pulled out my Blackberry and pulled up the Sephora website...promptly walked up to one of the SA's, showed her the screen of my Blackberry, and asked 'where do I find this??' They pointed me to the little section of travel-sized goodies by the registers (a tip for anyone looking to find it in the store!). I took some time to smell all of them (my store had quite a few), and absolutely fell in love with this one. It's sweet (I adore the raspberry notes) and has what I can only describe as a sort of powdery-smell, which is unusual since I typically don't go for 'sweet' fragrances...but it's one of the most yummy scents I've ever smelled. Since I wore it all last summer, anytime I smell it now (even in the dead of winter!), it takes me back to sunshine-filled days and flip flops :-) I definitely wear it when I need a lift, and it definitely delivers. The good thing about it being a solid fragrance is that you can really control how strong the scent is...it definitely isn't for anyone who wants a very strong scent that arrives in a room before they do...it's for the lady who only wants people to be able to smell how delicious she smells when they come in close :-). It also doesn't leave a residue, and doesn't go on sticky...the only downside is that the scent isn't very long-lasting (at least on me). But I keep one in my purse now for touch-ups! Bottom line, if you're looking for a light, sweet scent to make you smell feminine and give you a pick-me-up, give Crazylilbellule and the Poppies a shot...even if the Vanilla Fruit Sorbet scent isn't for you, give one of the others a try - for someone who's sensitive to scents, I can honestly say that none of the ones I smelled assaulted my nose in any way :-) This really is a great brand, and I'm surprised that it isn't more popular in the U.S. than it is!
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Concealers -BeneFit Cosmetics - Lemon Aid
kellywilson0 1/28/2010 4:00:00 PM
I'm actually amazed with how well this product covers eyelid discoloration. I'm incredibly pale, but the skin around my eyes is easily 2-3 shades darker than the skin on the rest of my face. I also have a birthmark over one of my eyes which I always cover with concealer prior to doing the rest of my makeup...and this product even neutralizes/covers that better than I thought it would! I'll start out by saying that I dislike using concealer on my eyes (both to neutralize and cover up my birthmark) because it always seems to irritate my eyes (as the ones I've used so far have been rather difficult to blend). This product is incredibly creamy, and blends like a dream! I agree with one of the reviewers before me - this is not an eyeshadow primer...it's an eye-lid primer to cancel out discoloration and give you a 'clean slate' so to speak before applying your eye makeup...so I think it's unfair to review the product for a use that it's not intended for. Before I do any of my makeup, I apply a tiny bit of this to each eye with a patting motion (you don't need much of this stuff, so don't cake it on!), and then set it with a little bit of my Laura Mercier Translucent powder. Voila - no more discolored eyes or unsightly birthmark! I've yet to try this on my under-eye circles, but I'm certainly willing to give it a shot! The staying power has been great for me so far, so I have no complaints there either. I took off one lippie because I want to give this a bit more time before I rate it a 5 (I've only been using it for a little over a week so far)...and because I have a heck of a time opening the compact without chipping the edges of my nails...but that may just be me :-) All in all, a great product, and I encourage you to give it a try...if it keeps performing the way it has so far for me, I'll definitely be repurchasing!
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Eyeliner -Wet 'n' Wild - Mega Eyes Creme Eyeliner - Eggplant
kellywilson0 1/22/2010 2:30:00 PM
I stated that I would buy this product again...while the product itself is great (excellent consistency; awesome price; ease of use; doesn't run or smudge, yet comes off easily with eye make up remover when I want to take it off), I'm not sure I would buy this particular color again, as it wasn't exactly what I was looking for. I recently found the L'Oreal HiP liner in Eggplant, and although that one is more expensive than this one, I much prefer it...mostly for the color. The HiP liner pulls more of a red purple/plum/eggplant color on me, whereas this Wet & Wild liner pulls more of a violet/blue purple...and my green eyes definitely look better with the former. I'd imagine if your eyes are cooler toned, and more of a green-blue color, this eyeliner would look amazing! Mine tend to be more to the warm green end of the spectrum, though. I swatched both colors right next to each other, and the difference in color was pretty crazy, since they both look 'eggplant' in the container...see the 2 swatch pictures above (not sure if you can see the labels, but in each of the 2 pictures, the L'Oreal HiP liner is on the left; and the Wet & Wild liner is on the right). I gave this product a good rating, because the product itself is great, and it's a steal for the price. However, just be advised if you're looking for a warmer purple color, you may not achieve it with this product.
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Liquid -NARS - Sheer Matte
kellywilson0 1/14/2010 1:11:00 PM
I realllllllllllly wanted to like this...unfortunately, even Siberia isn't the right color for me...it's not a terrible match, and it's almost light enough, but the undertones just aren't right. And the shades that have stronger yellow undertones are much too dark for me to wear...sigh. Anyway, from a usage standpoint, it's pretty difficult to get the product out of the bottle (ah hem...NARS - if you're going to charge $42 for a foundation, please please please include a pump...it honestly amazes me that all foundations aren't sold with pumps nowadays as a standard practice), and it seems quite thick. Coverage is sheer to sheer-medium...I can't speak to whether or not it clogs pores, since I only used it once, and once I saw the color match in the daylight, that was it for me! I didn't have any difficulty spreading/blending it, but I usually mix some moisturizer into my foundations to sheer them out and cut down on the cakiness factor...so that may have been why it spread so easily for me. I hope everyone has better luck with it than I did...mine will be returned, unfortunately.
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Deodorants -Tom's of Maine - Natural Deodorant
kellywilson0 1/9/2010 6:18:00 PM
I decided to give this a try after reading a lot about how aluminum in deodorants isn't good for you...I bought the Apricot scent, and it actually smelled quite good! Unfortunately, it did absolutely nothing to control odor or sweating. I tried it out on a day when I was working from home (in the winter; literally just sitting in front of my computer all day), and I couldn't believe how little it did...I don't usually sweat excessively, but this stuff definitely didn't work for me...I typically have very good luck with Dove's deodorant, so I'm going back to that!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No