Moisturizers -Neutrogena - Oil Free Moisture - SPF 15
vanbergc 12/3/2011 10:31:00 PM
A bit on the greasy side, even though I expected a more matte finish from an oil-free product. Sunscreen is fine. Would not buy again.
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Palettes -Too Faced - Matte Eye
vanbergc 8/27/2011 12:10:00 PM
First let me say that Too Faced is not marketed to my age group. I'm 50-somthing, and should be buying Bobbi Brown instead of Too Faced...I do adore Bobbi Brown eyeshadows, especially the matte shades. But Bobbi Brown is extremely expensive! And I've given up trading prestige for money...it's stupid in this economy (or ever). The newest BB Fall 2011 collection (Marrakesh) eyeshadows are $25 each, and that's just too much for me. So I saw this little kit at both Ulta and Sephora and was intrigued...never having used a single Too Faced product, I didn't know what to expect. Anyhow, I picked it up, and am so thrilled with the quality! Bobbi Brown, move over! The colors are similar to the muted, quiet BB line, with enough variety to make the pallete extremely useful. Out of curiosity, I priced Bobbi Brown's Tortoise Shell Sand collection to compare the value with Too Faced's Matte Eye. BB's pallete is 0.33oz for $60 ($154/oz), and Too Faced's pallete is 0.39oz for $36 ($92/oz). The other consideration besides price of course, is color choice and desireability, but I have to say that this kit is wholey equal to its Bobbi Brown cousins. I know Too Faced is not going to specialize in makeup for us older girls, but this kit is a great addition to my stash, and I am completely happy with my purchase. As a consumer, I would encourage all lines to offer some more "tamed" eyeshadow choices for those of us who are about more than just glitter. Thanks to Too Faced for this kit!
41 out of 42 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Neutrogena - Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Cream Cleanser
vanbergc 8/27/2011 10:23:00 AM
Jeez Neutrogena! I foolishly didn't look at the ingredients before I bought this...I thought it would be a creamy, non-foamy version of the regular grapefruit cleanser with that intoxicating fragrance. The first second I put this on my face I knew it had menthol in it. What's up with that? I absolutely detest menthol on my face. And when you expect a mild cleanser and end up with menthol burn, it's kinda disturbing. This does have some good ingredients in it...glycolic acid for exfoliation, panthenol, vit C, and of course, the salicylic acid. All good. I didn't find this to be drying, and would love to use it to help keep my aging skin gently exfoliated and radiant...but wouldn't even consider it with the nasty menthol. I'm returning this ASAP, and hope Neutrogena reconsiders the formulation. It's no wonder Olay does so much better in the drugstore...they would never put an irritant like menthol in any of their products. Lordy!
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Shampoo -L'Oreal - EverSleek Intense Smoothing Shampoo
vanbergc 8/16/2011 12:53:00 AM
You know how some women live in fear of trying a new product on their facial skin due to sensitivity reactions? I fear shampoos/condtioners for the same reason, only for my scalp. Anything that upsets it can leave me in agony for months. EverSleek Repartive Smoothing Shampoo destroyed my scalp in exactly 2 uses...I had sores I haven't had for years. I know it was the shampoo because I wash only my roots and condtion only my ends...seems to work for me. I've never been able to pinpoint what exactly in a shampoo harms my scalp, but it's not sulfates, silicones, or parabens apparently. Who knows...fragrance, harsh ingredients that replace the sulfates, some other thing? I obviously won't ever touch another L'Oreal drugstore shampoo (although I use the Kerastase line without problem). If you have a sensitive scalp, procede with caution.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Estee Lauder - Nutritious Vita-Mineral SPF 10
vanbergc 1/11/2011 7:24:00 PM
I think of this foundation as a tinted moisturizer, although, in fairness, it's a bit more. The finish is satin until it mixes with skin oils, then becomes much more skin-like. The coverage is light. Doesn't last a whole long time on me without touchups, but I like it anyway. I do feel it's good for my skin. At this point in my foundation usage, I either like a TM (and this will do fine), or something that's going to stand up to hours of neglect (like Double Wear). Very nice foundation!
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -American Beauty - Perfectly Even Natural Finish Foundation
vanbergc 1/11/2011 6:28:00 PM
I recently purged a huge amout of foundations from my stash. Got rid of Chanel ProLumiere, MUFE F&B, MUFE Matte, Dior Forever, etc...lots and lots. I kept Even Finish though...I like it. It reminds me somewhat of Estee's Double Wear, only a bit thinner, less coverage, and not as long lasting. It has that lovely satin finish though. Medium coverage. GREAT color choices...which makes a huge difference to me...no orange skin! This is a winner...I hope the rumour from below is not true, that Kohl's is going to get rid of American Beauty et al...
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Revlon - Colorburst (All colors)
vanbergc 1/11/2011 6:15:00 PM
I've bought several of the glosses, and if you don't look real hard, they all look the same. The pigment is low, the sparkle high. They're disappointing. Try NYX, Neutrogena, or Clinique instead. These are a miss...
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Concealers -Revlon - ColorStay Blemish Concealer with Soft Flex
vanbergc 1/10/2011 12:27:00 PM
Got this for concealing any active spots on my face. Didn't cover at all. Didn't help with clearing up spots. Threw this away after great frustration.
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Liquid -Estee Lauder - Double Wear
vanbergc 1/9/2011 8:33:00 PM
There's something to be said for quality. Double Wear is quality. It leaves the skin looking air-brushed without an overabunance of silicone. The pigment is beautiful...the colors are natural...and the finish is quite exquisite. This is a lovely foundation.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Concealers -Maybelline - Dream Mousse Concealer [DISCONTINUED]
vanbergc 1/9/2011 8:25:00 PM
Like most products, they're great if you have perfect skin. I'm old and have the start of undereye creasing, fat bags and shadows, etc. I need some help. I've been trying tons of department store products lately and thought I'd give this a go. You know how moussey products find every single crack and embed themselves in it, emphasizing, rather than camoflauging the line? Well, this is what the Dream Mousse Concealer does...emphasizes ever crease under it. If you test it on the back of your hand, you can see where it settles in the fine lines of your hand, and can't be buffed out. So if you have any wrinkle, line, or pore issues, (or if you NEED a concealer) skip this. Stick with Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown, or Cle de Peau for your concealer. Only use this if you don't need it.
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Crème -L'Oreal - magic smooth souffle
vanbergc 1/9/2011 8:07:00 PM
Another miss from L'Oreal. No need to try another product from them...ever. This foundation, while having a beautiful texture, has such an unnatural grey-based (cheap) pigment. It wouldn't matter which color I tried, it would never have looked real. The foundation is much more like a primer than a foundation...it does the silicone, mousse, air-brush thing, but like most silicone products, melts in short order. I have normal skin, and this melted within several hours...red patches showing through, etc. You know, drugstore products are really making great strides in quality...often surpassing the high-end market now, but L'Oreal misses the mark over and over again. I'm done with them.
4 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Shu Uemura - Cleansing Beauty Oil Premium A/O
vanbergc 1/15/2010 1:44:00 AM
I know why they call this a "skin Purifier"...it's cause you have to scrub your skin clean off to get the residual mineral oil off your face. I'm used to makeup removers that emulsify and rinse off completely and cleanly with water. This does not. It's as bad as pure vegetable oil. I bet I could only rinse a quarter of it off with water. I had to wash my face 3 times to get the rest of this junk off my skin. Finally went in with my Dermalogica oil and cleaned it up. Finished with my most drying cleanser...a bar of sulfer soap I save for breakouts. I finally felt like my skin was clean again. And believe me, I detest cleansers that are drying. Then I ran to see if I was using the "Shu" for something it wasn't meant for, or wondering if I was using it incorrectly...but no. It's just the worst thing I've ever put on my skin. I can't believe this crap is sold at this ridiculous price...and for mineral oil...and for a non-emulsifyable mineral oil. What a bunch of fools we are. Needless to say I'm taking the trial size I bought at Sephora back.
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Lotions/ Creams -Dermalogica - Body Hydrating Cream
vanbergc 12/23/2009 11:33:00 PM
The finish of this lotion is superb. It will leave your skin feeling like silk. It contains only one silicone...Cyclopentasiloxane, which adds to the silky finish, but I think the magic ingredient is the Potato Starch. It makes the skin ubber soft and touchable, and the finish lasts and lasts. It's also full of numerable botanical extracts which add to the delicious scent and condition of the skin. Another amazing effect of this lotion, is that it's an exfoliator. It's got glycolic acid (from sugar) and apple (malic) acid, plus a little lactic acid. This keeps uncovering new and healthy skin, and exfoliating the dry cells. The lotion is only moderately moisturizing, but it's enough for normal skin. I think it would work over a heavier cream to double up on moisture, but I haven't needed to do that even though it's winter. I use it right out of the shower while my skin is still moist, and it works fine at keeping my skin hydrated. I've only got the 2.5 oz tube of this, and am scouring the net trying to find a cheap full-size version. It's hard because this is super expensive...wish I was independently wealthy! I can see myself going through it relatively fast too because I love it so much and don't want to have to be frugal with it. Treat yourself and try this...it's wonderful!
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Treatments -Dermalogica - Multivitamin Hand and Nail Cream
vanbergc 12/23/2009 11:03:00 PM
I've been using Dermalogica for about 2 months now. I adore this hand cream...it's the best I've ever used for smoothing and softening my hands. I use this always before bed and usually in the mornings, and am addicted to the finish it leaves. I know it has some silicones, so it leaves the skin silky soft. This admittedly is not the heaviest or moistest lotion I've used, but the finish is so yummy, when my hands are ubber dry, I put on a "wetter" hand cream underneath with this over it. I still get that smooth, silky finish. When I forget to put this on as I'm running out the door, I've had to use other creams left over in my purse, etc, and the impact is just not the same. I'm now disappointed with products I used to love. Dermalogica products in general have spoiled me and I no longer want to use anything else. They're just fantastic! The only con is the price...Dermalogica products are super expensive...replacing them is going to be a challenge. However, while I still have this at my disposal, the condition of the skin on my hands is slowly improving...the tone of my hands is becoming lighter and more even...not an easy task for my sun-spotted skin. Gotta love this lotion!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Alberto Vo5 - Moisture Milks Passion Fruit Smoothie Moisturizing Conditioner
vanbergc 12/15/2009 12:34:00 AM
The only thing worse than this conditioner is the paired shampoo. Awful! (There's a reason it's only $1)
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