Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - Embryolisse
jennyb 3/14/2010 3:22:00 PM
Embryolisse is the brand name; the two moisturisers it makes are called Lait-Crème Concentré and Lait-Crème Liquide. The products are essentially the same in terms of ingredients, but the Liquide, as the name suggests, contains a greater proportion of water. It comes in a 500ml pump top plastic bottle. The Concentré, sold in a 75ml metal tube, has a thicker texture - this is the one people usually mean when they talk about Embryolisse.
I like the Concentré as a summer moisturiser. It's easy to use, never irritates, and sinks in easily. And it makes a great matte base for makeup. Just a pea sized blob is plenty, so it lasts for ages. If my skin is bit dry, in winter for example, I prefer something heavier though. Although I personally don't break out from it, it does contain shea butter, which might be a problem for some people.
It's made in France, and currently costs around €11 for a tube or €16 for a bottle there. You can buy it online from the company's website, embryolisse.com, though they don't ship to all countries. If you're planning to buy it in France, I recommend you check locations on the website first, as it's quite hard to find. In Paris, Mogador Sante is convenient retailer, just behind Galeries Lafayette and Le Printemps on Rue Mogador. In the UK you can buy the Liquide from ScreenFace in Covent Garden for £25, and for US retailers check embryolisseusa.com
Ingredients:
Water, Mineral Oil, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Sterate, Triethanolamine, Beeswax, Cetyl Palmitate, Shea Butter, Phenoxyethanol, Steareth-10, Polyacrylamide, C13-14, Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Propylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Aloe Vera, 1,2 Hexanediol, Capryl Glycol, Tropolone, Parfum
37 out of 37 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Lancome - Oscillation Vibrating Infinite Mascara 
jennyb 8/28/2009 4:17:00 PM
I am such an idiot. I bought this before reading the MUA reviews. Never again! Beguiled by the possibility of reducing my crack-like dependence on false eyelashes, I dimwittedly imagined sticking a battery up a mascara's wazoo might be the answer to my prayers. No way. This is the most expensive and worst-performing mascara I have ever purchased. The formula is thick and gloopy, and the bristles so widely spaced they dump a ton of product on every lash. What the battery oscillation (optional) is supposed to do I have no idea. It just tickles. However much I wipe off the brush before starting, my eyelashes still end up looking like poor bedraggled birds caught in oil slicks. Plus it smudges. I simply don't understand why Lancome would want to compromise their reputation as the Rolls Royce of mascara makers with this rubbish. £27 down the drain.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -By Terry - Baume de Rose Crystal
jennyb 8/28/2009 3:58:00 PM
The previous reviewer is right. The pot version is so much better. Actually, I'm not even sure they're the same product. The stuff in the pot is a firm, vaseline-like balm; this is runny and oily and comes in an applicator tube like lip gloss. On the plus side, it's portable and easy to apply. It does moisturise the lips a little, and also has a light glossy finish. And like all By Terry products, the packaging is gorgeous and expensive looking and marks you out as one classy lady. But it's more of a cosmetic product than a treatment. If your lips need serious TLC, swallow the expense and plump for the pot version instead.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Prada - Infusion de Fleur d'Oranger Eau de Pafum Spray
jennyb 8/28/2009 3:45:00 PM
Why is everyone so down on this gorgeous scent? People are even saying "smells like dog shampoo" like that's a bad thing. Listen, if you work in an office full of pernickety perfume phobes like I do, you'll be delighted to wear a scent you can blame on the dog. So it's not the most original, complex or sophisticated fragrance out there. But its breezy, soapy freshness tells folk you're a clean, wholesome, trustworthy sort of girl, and way too focussed on your work to waste time with fripperies like perfume. And that you wash (never a bad thing).
Would I buy this product again? I already have.
I am proud to smell like dog shampoo. Proud!
19 out of 20 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Prada - Infusion d'iris edp
jennyb 9/14/2007 5:33:00 PM
First things first - this is not the same as the limited edition 'Iris' fragrance Prada brought out in their stores a couple of years back. This one barely deserves the name Iris, although there's a little in there. Orange blossom and aldehydes are its most striking components. Clean-scrubbed and asexual, it's for anyone who finds themselves too achingly hip to succumb to Estee Lauder's White Linen. It's surprisingly concentrated and long-lasting for a light fragrance, so buy the giant 400ml size and you can smell like a freshly starched shirt for the rest of your natural life.
9 out of 15 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -By Terry - Blackstar Black Sapphire
jennyb 9/2/2007 11:21:00 AM
The By Terry Blackstar eyeliners are by far the most long-lasting pencil liners I've ever used. They're very hard, and drag a little on application. You can't really afford to make any big mistakes - once they're on, they're on. So I would rank them as slightly tougher to use than most pencils. But they really do last all day - even as an inner eye liner - and won't come off except with a good waterproof eye make up remover. They also stick to contact lenses, so you need to be careful. They come with a brush on one end, which I don't use, and a very good sharpener, which offsets the high cost just a little.
Black Sapphire is a really deep navy shade. It emphasises my green eyes, though perhaps not as much as the Midnight Mauve shade, and makes the whites look whiter as well.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -By Terry - Blackstar Midnight Mauve
jennyb 9/2/2007 11:18:00 AM
The By Terry Blackstar eyeliners are by far the most long-lasting pencil liners I've ever used. They're very hard, and drag a little on application. You can't really afford to make any big mistakes - once they're on, they're on. So I would rank them as slightly tougher to use than most pencils. But they really do last all day - even as an inner eye liner - and won't come off except with a good waterproof eye make up remover. They also stick to contact lenses, so you need to be careful. They come with a brush on one end, which I don't use, and a very good sharpener, which offsets the high cost just a little.
Midnight Mauve is a nearly-black shade, with just a hint of aubergine. Pushed into the lashline, it really brings out my green eyes, and doesn't look at all purple.
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Highlighters -By Terry - Colour Skin Enhancer
jennyb 9/2/2007 11:05:00 AM
Another amazing product from the jaw-droppingly costly By Terry line. This product is a sort of cross between a primer and a tinted moisturiser. It smooths out the skin and provides the barest hint of colour.
I have shade #9, Peach Vanilla, a lurid chalky orange in the jar. I thought it would look clown-like on my pale skin, but it's so translucent it just perks up my rather corpsey complexion and makes me look more human. Most shades would suit most complexions - the idea is that you use for colour correction. So the Peach Vanilla I chose is good for pale lifeless skin, the mauve for sallow skin, the Apricot for ruddiness, etc.
The light cream texture dries rapidly on the skin, with a slight mattifying effect. Tiny lines disappear, pores seem less crater like, the overall colour is more uniform. It doesn't look remotely like I'm wearing makeup, even in a magnifying mirror. And it's so easy to apply - just apply with fingers like a moisturiser, but without rubbing in. It's virtually impossible to mess it up. I use this on its own on the rare occasions when I'm feeling naturally stunning, or under foundation or powder otherwise. It has a strong and lingering expensive peachy-floral scent which I love, but others may not.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Treatments -By Terry - Baume de Rose
jennyb 9/2/2007 10:34:00 AM
Wouldn't you know it? The best lip balm around has to be the most expensive. This doesn't look or feel hugely different from any other product out there - in fact it's like a tiny tub of slightly pink, slightly hard vaseline with a gentle rose scent. But I can feel it moisturising the second I apply it, and leaving it on overnight has a near-miraculous smoothing and plumping effect. If it makes you feel any better, at 10g it's twice the size of the average 4-5g lip balm stick, so to compare like for like, you can cut its £29 price tag in half. Although applying with fingers can be a little wasteful, fingers are easier to clean thoroughly than brushes, so at least its more hygienic. It may be pricy, but it's so effective at least I don't feel that I'm wasting my money on this.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -By Terry - Light Expert
jennyb 3/4/2007 12:33:00 PM
Like a giant Touche Eclat, this new product from By Terry combines foundation and applicator brush in one package. By pressing a button at the end, foundation is pumped from inside the handle on to the integral brush. Although this has the advantages of convenience and portability, it also has the same drawbacks as Touche Eclat. Namely that the brush applies rather streakily, it's hard to clean, and wasteful of product.
The foundation itself though is marvellous stuff. Ultra light and expensively fragranced, it provides enough cover to even out skin tone without ever looking cakey or mask like. I apply by dabbing on with the brush, then smoothing out with my fingers. The finish is fresh and glowy, very natural. It blurs out tiny lines and even softens the look of my huge pores.
I chose shade 02, Apricot Light, which is a true apricot shade, not a 'real skin' tone. But like the By Terry loose powders, the finish is so sheer that the product just acts like a colour corrective primer, counteracting dullness and greyness in the complexion. It's not enough to conceal major flaws, but perfect if you like a tinted moisturiser type base. I would strongly suggest trying all shades before purchase - I think all of them will work on a variety of skin tones, so the one you pick will depend on the effect you're after.
Needless to say, being By Terry, it's outrageously expensive at £38 for just 17.5ml (a quarter to a half of what you get in most foundations), and half of this is going to be wasted by cleaning the brush. But it's so much better than anything else out there at the moment, I have to reluctantly concede that it's worth it.
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Makeup Remover -Mavala - EYE-LITE Remover Gel
jennyb 2/26/2007 9:50:00 AM
Although this is a gel, it is not oil-free, and I find it can leave my eyes blurry and my lids a little greasy. However it really does the job of removing waterproof eye make up well without irritation, and needs very little rubbing. The instructions suggest you use on a damp cotton pad, and I strongly advise doing this, as it's both wasteful and less effective on a dry one. It's rather pricy for a small tube, and doesn't last too long. I suspect on a cost per use basis, it's probably up there with Chanel and other premium brands. It's hard to find in the UK, but professional makeup stores such as Charles Fox and ScreenFace carry it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Rimmel - Extreme Definition
jennyb 2/23/2007 10:27:00 AM
This is not the easiest mascara to work with, but now I've worked out how best to apply it, the results on my short, sparse lashes are spectacular.
I first used it by applying straight from the tube, as it came. Big mistake. Tons of gloop everywhere, clumpy bedraggled lashes.
I then tried wiping the comb off on a tissue before application. This is very wasteful, as you really need (I discovered) to remove about 3/4 of what's on the comb. But what's left is plenty to make a thick, glossy coat on the lashes. Which sticks them together. So the next step is to comb and comb and comb, more times than you've probably done for any other mascara. Eventually the lashes start to separate out beautifully, and the end result really is like the ad. I get length, thickness, and definition, so I couldn't ask for more. And it stays on all day without flaking or smearing too. It's a little tough to remove, but a waterproof mascara remover will deal with it. If you have puny lashes and don't mind a little hard work, this is a great mascara to try.
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Deodorants -LUSH - Powder Puff Deodorant Powder
jennyb 2/4/2007 8:47:00 AM
Although this is sold as a deodorant, in reality the ingredients are very similar to a typical dusting powder, so it's not really a substitute for a proper deodorant. The scent is exquisite - a turkish delight blend of citrus-accented rose - and surprisingly strong. A pleasant alternative to Lush's Silky Underwear (which has a similar ingredient base) for warm days. One quibble - why is is half the size of Silky Underwear but only £1 less?
Ingredients: Cornstarch (Zea mays), Kaolin, Magnesium Carbonate, Rose Petals (Rosa centifolia), Rose Absolute (Rosa centifolia), Citral, Limonene, Perfume.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bath Treatments -LUSH - Still Life Ballistic
jennyb 2/4/2007 8:31:00 AM
This one really ought to go by the old name of bath bomb, because it explodes on impact, releasing an inexplicably large number of tiny sad brown leaves into the bath water. Are there people who enjoy sharing their bath with a pile of debris? I don't, so I had to spend an aggravating five minutes picking them out. And I wasn't overkeen on the yellowy tint to the bath water either. The scent is nothing special - a pleasant sweet lemony-citrus, reminiscent of lemon meringue pie - certainly not worth braving a swim through the autumnal detritus for.
Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Perfume, Lemon Oil (Citrus limonum), Bergamot Oil (Citrus bergamia), Sweet Wild Orange (Citrus dulcis), Sunflower Petals (Helianthus annuus), Marigold Head Dried (Tagetes erecta), *Citral, Limonene, Linalool, Gardenia Extract (Gardenia jasminoides).
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Bath Treatments -LUSH - Temple of Truth
jennyb 2/4/2007 8:16:00 AM
This swirly white bubble bar looks just like a meringue, and has a similar sweet and gentle scent. Just half a bar gave me loads of bubbles, despite hard water, and when I use it again, I will probably skimp and use less. It makes the bath water look and feel milky, and the subtly sweet scent is so soothing it encourages lingering. I notice the ingredients include cinnamon derivatives, which some people can find irritating, though my sensitive skin had no problems at all. Not a spectacular look at me bubble bar, but one for those quiet moments when you just want to relax and wind down.
Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Cream of Tartar (Tartaric Acid), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Lauryl Betaine, Perfume, Cocamide DEA, Sandalwood Oil (Santalum album), Guiacwood Oil (Bulnesis sarmienti), Rosewood Oil (Aniba rosaeodora), Cinnamyl Alcohol, Cinnamal, Coumarin, Eugenol, Limonene, Linalool, Hexyl Cinname Aldehyde, Colour 42090.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No