Eyeliner -Bobbi Brown - Gel Eyeliner
kitty62 2/14/2010 10:56:00 AM
I have struggled with these liners for years and have returned or thrown away several as the quality and performance have varied with each one I've purchased. I now own three -- Chocolate Shimmer, Black Plum and Black Ink. They each have a different texture, with the Black Plum being the driest. The Black Ink, my most recent purchase, is far softer. On my first use, I jammed my brush into it, expecting it to be like the others, and got quite a surprise. It's possible these have been reformulated lately, with the switchover to the clear glass jar. How else to explain the radical difference between the Black Ink (clear glass) and the others (frosted glass)? Though BB's reps insist no changes have been made other than packaging. I prefer the drier texture as I find it easier to use and less messy for tighlining. If you draw a line, you'd probably prefer the creamier texture -- but who knows what you're going to get? My advice is this: If you hated these before because you found them too dry or too hard, give them a try again and see if they seem different to you. My bet is you will. Both formulas stay put all day and then some, and the colors I have (which I will review separately) are deep and rich. One gripe about the newer, clear glass packaging: The label on the bottom is extremely difficult to read. If you have several that are close in color, you'll probably have to open the jar to see which one you've grabbed, or come up with your own way of identifying them, like a little sticker.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -L'Oreal - EverPure Moisture Shampoo
kitty62 2/1/2010 7:00:00 PM
This is just as good if not better than the other sulfate-free 'poos I've tried. It's better in that it doesn't leave my hair feeling dry and snarly the way Cloud 9 and a couple others did. But that may not be saying much. My bottom line: Sulfate free just doesn't clean my scalp well enough, though it would probably be fine if I were willing to shampoo everyday. I am not, mostly because I also heat style and doing that everyday is just too time-consuming, impractical and potentially damaging. I shampoo on gym days, generally 4 times a week. This was my experience over a week, using this and the matching conditioner: First wash, just great. Amazing, in fact. Hair is light and swingy with lots of volume and the velvety texture I love. Second wash, not as much volume at the roots but the rest of the hair looks and feels good. Third wash, I'm starting to feel a buildup on my scalp that washing doesn't remove, and my hair flops right after blow drying. Fourth wash, shampooing twice this time, my scalp is itchy and my hair is totally flat to it. I went back to a sulfate shampoo for a week, then, in the spirit of experimentation, went back to this and had the same experience. I use very light styling products in minimal amounts and they have never tended to build up on my hair. The problem here is with my scalp, and even with two shampooings, this doesn't clean it well enough to be my primary shampoo. I will keep it in my rotation, perhaps using it every other shampoo, because I do think it helps protect my single-process reddish brown color.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Carol's Daughter - Almond Cookie Shea Souffle
kitty62 1/21/2010 3:14:00 PM
This is a very effective moisturizer for my winter-parched skin. I wouldn't call it lightweight, as CD does on the label, or a souffle. The texture is like buttercream frosting -- thick and creamy. But it melts immediately on contact with skin and spreads easily. (Rub it between the palms before applying wherever.) I received this as a gift in a set with two other souffles and the Almond Cookie is the only scent I liked enough to continue using. Groove was cloying and Mango Melange had a sharp edge to it. I gave those away. To each her own on these. It's obvious I'm in a tiny minority judging by Almond Cookie's rating, but I love the warm, sweet, slightly woody, slightly powdery marzipan scent. What would keep me from buying a vat of this after my 4 oz. jar runs out is that after it's been on for awhile, I sometimes notice a cooking-oil smell that's potentially embarrassing. I keep wondering if anyone around me is going to ask who's eating french fries. I pick it up with all three of the souffles, not just the Almond Cookie. I didn't see anyone else mention this after scanning reviews here so maybe I'm delusional. Give it a try before you buy. Sephora will happily scoop you out a sample to take home.
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Hair -Klorane - Dry shampoo
kitty62 12/30/2009 1:47:00 PM
I bought the non-aerosol pump, which is a very strange thing. You squeeze the plastic bottle and out comes a puff of powder. It's tough to control, with clouds of powder flying all over the place. It's impossible to see how much I'm using, and I end up inhaling a lot of it. It works quite well, though. Has a very light, unobtrusive scent and, if I don't use too much, it leaves no detectible residue on my dark hair. If I do use too much, it can make my hair stiff and tangly and too hard to brush out. It does a great job to absorb oil and restore volume, maybe even better than the Oscar Blandi Pronto powder version. That's a mess, too, but at least I could control how much I was using, and where it was going. I'll go back to that one rather than buy this again. I'm glad I tried this, and if Klorane packaged it like the Blandi, it would be a winner. P.S. Try this as a root lifter if you have light-colored hair. The effect is amazing if you don't brush it out but just work it through lightly with your hands.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Chick Flick Cherry
kitty62 11/18/2009 10:34:00 AM
The pix above represent this well. It's a beautiful red creme -- rich and deep but still vibrant and cheery. A bit brighter in the bottle than on the nails, and highly recommended as a pedi color for the fair skinned. It looks great year-round and always seems to be appropriate. I prefer it to Malaga Wine, which turns garishly bright on me in sunlight. This color is one in my small collection of never-fail reds, which also includes Got the Blues for Red (darker, more blue-toned) and Red Red Rhine (warmer).
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Scrubs -Clinique - Sparkle Skin Body Exfoliating *Cream*
kitty62 8/7/2009 9:34:00 AM
Extremely effective for those bumps on the back of the arms. You know if you have them. And if you do, you need this. This scrub isn't going to moisturize -- there aren't any of those wonderful skin-silkening oils that most sugar scrubs have -- and it has a medicinal smell along with a menthol chill. Consider this one a real workhorse for stubborn, congested areas and spots where rough skin builds up. The creaminess of the base makes it spread easily while clinging to the skin. (It doesn't fall to the shower floor like some oily, coarse-grained sugar scrubs.) Unlike the sugar and salt scrubs, the granules don't dissolve so it can be easy to overdo the scrubbing. I recommend keeping it away from sensitive areas. I can't use this on my chest, for example, and I would avoid using it on my legs just before or just after shaving. But my feet and elbows love it. And if I use it consistently, a couple times a week, those little arm bumps stay away.
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Styling Products -Aveda - Universal Creme
kitty62 7/29/2009 2:04:00 PM
I love the combination of smoothing, shine, velvety texture and control this gives. Similar things I've tried succeed in some of those categories (B&B Brilliantine, for example, doesn't really control or help hold) but this is the only one that does it all. So why wouldn't I buy it again? It is heavy and very easy to overdo on my hair, which is thick and mixed coarse-fine, mid-neck length and very layered. Also, the spicy scent, while pleasant, is overwhelming. It sticks with you the entire day. I can see this being a holy grail for someone with long, thick, curly/wavy hair with long layers that can take a heavy amount of product. Try to get a sample or try it in-store and make sure you love the scent.
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Styling Products -Aveda - Brilliant Universal Styling Cream
kitty62 7/29/2009 2:02:00 PM
I love the combination of smoothing, shine, velvety texture and control this gives. Similar things I've tried succeed in some of those categories (B&B Brilliantine, for example, doesn't really control or help hold) but this is the only one that does it all. So why wouldn't I buy it again? It is heavy and very easy to overdo on my hair, which is thick and mixed coarse-fine, mid-neck length and very layered. Also, the spicy scent, while pleasant, is overwhelming. It sticks with you the entire day. I can see this being a holy grail for someone with long, thick, curly/wavy hair with long layers that can take a heavy amount of product. Try to get a sample or try it in-store and make sure you love the scent.
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Hair Color -Revlon - Colorsilk Root Perfect [DISCONTINUED]
kitty62 7/22/2009 2:04:00 AM
Sponge bottle applicator makes this MUCH easier to use than the Nice 'n Easy one. Cheaper, too, and less messy. Unfortunately there aren't as many color offerings. My hair is professionally colored a medium-dark warm chocolate brown. Because of availability issues, I've used three different shades of this -- the dark and medium brown versions as well as the medium golden brown -- and haven't noticed much of a difference in the results. That could be because I use it just on a very small area -- along my hairline, at the temples and the sides of my forehead (Yes, I have to toss a lot of it.) It covers my resistant gray pretty well and if I use it at the 4-week mark, I can stretch my pro dye job to 6 weeks. I sense this product is getting harder and harder to find in stores. Even Revlon's web site indicates fewer shades than were once available (no more medium golden brown, looks like), so stock up, ladies!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Sally Hershberger - Shagg Spray
kitty62 6/22/2009 2:58:00 PM
I hate hairspray, and I'm getting to really dislike gooey texturizing products. I have a ton of leaning-toward fine hair that needs a little lift and hold help, and since I've had variations on a Sallyesque layered cut for years, this spray seemed like an answer to a prayer. I inherited this from a friend who didn't like it. I used it once, following the directions and the video on Sally's site, and didn't think it made any difference at all. It just seemed redundant, and I wasn't looking to add any time or products to my routine. But one day I decided to try it as a second-day blow-out reviver and it won my heart. I spray it not on my whole head, but just on the sections that need work -- enough to get it damp but not saturated, then hit it with the dryer. And poof! No stiffness, just soft, natural-looking lift and swing with some separation and piecyness, without having to use a texturizer or pomade-type product afterward. The only drawback is that it doesn't seem to hold up to humidity, but I haven't really found anything that does. And be careful using it on bangs -- in my case they come out looking too separated, and that's a look I don't really like. I will probably buy again when it runs out. I'm eager to see how it works with the Shagg primer, which I just purchased for half-price at Walgreen's ($6.29).
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Olay - Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum - Fragrance Free
kitty62 5/22/2009 12:26:00 PM
I've just finished my first bottle of this, using it once a day, at night, under a moisturizer. This definitely isn't a miracle worker, and I always feel I should boycott companies that make outrageous claims for their products, but I do think this serum has improved my skin, if only modestly. The biggest benefit I have noticed is that it seems to increase my skin's ability to absorb and retain moisture. My skin feels and looks healthier -- smoother and more hydrated. I think the serum is also slightly irritating because I have a rosy glow when I get up in the morning. This is a good effect in my book. More sensitive skins won't agree. I love the texture. It's not heavy and syrupy like some other silicone-based serums, but more like a light, silky gel. It absorbs immediately. Paula Begoun rates this serum very highly yet she says its touted active ingredients -- niacinamide and palmitoyl-pentapeptide-3 -- are present in too-small amounts to have a very significant effect on skin. Still, the results for me have been worth the price. So if your skin is not highly sensitive, proceed with realistic expectations and you might be pleasantly surprised.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Masks -Paula's Choice - skin recovery hydrating treatment mask
kitty62 5/6/2009 2:22:00 PM
This is the only PC product that I tossed before finishing. It didn't do anything for my skin (combination leaning toward dry) as a mask. It did no harm, but it was just a time-consuming extra step. As a moisturizer, it never absorbed completely. Paula's Skin Recovery Moisturizer and Hydrating Treatment Cream are both more effective for me. I imagine it may be nice for something to put on your face while soaking in the tub -- the steam might help it penetrate better. (I say imagine because I don't have a tub. Just a shower, unfortunately.) Definitely get a sample before purchasing.
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Treatments (Eye) -DERMAdoctor - Wrinkle Revenge Eye
kitty62 5/6/2009 12:05:00 PM
If you want to try this $68 cream, get a couple sample packets from Sephora. If you like it, get more sample packets and hoard them. A jar is not the way to package an eye cream. Everyone knows the potential for contamination but we still keep buying these products. Vote with your purses, MUAers, and don't buy eye creams in jars! And certainly not expensive ones with highly touted ingredients that would deteriorate each time the product is exposed to air. I like this as a moisturizer. It makes the skin under my eyes look and feel smoother and more hydrated and leaves a nice canvas for concealer. But I would not buy it expecting anything more than that. In fact, I haven't bought it at all but have used up quite a few sample packets. I can nurse one through a couple of weeks, squeezing a tiny amount through a small hole in the pouch, then putting it into a zip-lock baggie.
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Treatments -Paula's Choice - Skin Perfecting 1% BHA Lotion Exfoliant [REFORMULATED]
kitty62 4/30/2009 3:52:00 AM
Paula's BHA products have been a staple in my skincare routine for years. They're a must for controlling breakouts and keeping my pores degunked. I've tried most of the formulations and strengths, and this 1% lotion is my favorite. It's effective but doesn't sting, irritate or dry me out. I can even use it the night after eyebrow/facial waxing with no problems -- in fact I think it actually helps soothe inflammation. This formula is also the most wearable under makeup since it absorbs quickly and is pretty close to imperceptible. The gels and 2% liquid leave a sticky film which, in my opinion, makes them suitable only for nighttime use. Paula reformulates her products often -- sometimes successfully, sometimes not. So every time I run out of this I keep my fingers crossed that my new bottle will hold the same great stuff. This one still contains parabens, which means it hasn't been redone in awhile. Ingredients as of 4/09: Water, Cetyl Alcohol (thickener/emollient), Butylene Glycol (water-binding agent), Salicylic Acid (beta hydroxy acid/exfoliant), Allantoin, Bisabolol (anti-irritants), Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone, Dimethiconol (silicone slip agents), PVM/MA Decadiene Crosspolymer (film-forming agent), Sorbitan Stearate, PEG-40 Stearate, PPG-14 Butyl Ether (thickeners), Propylene Glycol (slip agent), Laureth-7 (emulsifier), Polyacrylamide (water-binding/film-forming agent), C13-14 Isoparaffin (thickener), Sodium Hydroxide (pH balancer), Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Diazolidinyl Urea (preservatives).
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Sunscreen -Hawaiian Tropic - Hawaiian Tropic Oil-Free Faces SPF 30, Sheer Reflections Formula [DISCONTINUED]
kitty62 4/27/2009 2:03:00 PM
My trusted sunscreen for quite sometime -- I use it for face and body and I've purchased it again and again and again. Leaves a matte finish with no white cast at all, doesn't sting, doesn't pill and works fine under makeup. The newer bottles don't say "reflective" on them, but I believe it's the same formula that has been around for years, just relabled and repackaged. I don't detect any differences in how it feels, looks or performs. It still has the same terrible pump bottle. I love pumps, but this one stops drawing up the product when there is still a ton left in there. Unscrew the cap shake it out. Messy but worth it. So one lippie off for that. Fix the packaging (and maybe even sell this in a larger size) and it gets its fifth lippie.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No