Cleansers -DHC - Deep Cleansing Oil
GacktCamui 3/16/2005 12:22:00 AM
I'm not sure where to begin. . . I bought the smaller "travel" size to try it because it was on sale for $9. Originally, it's $11, so the two dollar difference didn't make too much of a deal, but the price always seems to sound better when it's under $10. So, I've been using for about 3 or 4 weeks now morning and night, and I'm about half-way done with the bottle. Since I've been using it, I've been breaking out MUCH less - as in about 90% less than before!!!! I used to get really bad breakouts, especially around my cycle, but after using this, I actually had none during the entire week. Once in a while I get really small bumps, but they go away pretty quickly. Also, I noticed my acne scars fading and my blackheads disappearing! I used to get a lot of zits on my forehead due to blackheads, but now there's maybe only one or two left. Takes off ALL my makeup. I mean, ALL of it! Even really tough mascara. I don't think you're actually supposed to really rub it around your eyes, but I do and the mascara just comes right off after a nice rinse. It does make my eyes a little blurry afterwards, but no stinging and no harm done. Once in a while, I use my La Vitton facial cleansing oil, usually in the morning, but the thing with the La Vitton one is that it doesn't emulsify so it feels like you're just pushing oil around your face with water when rinsing. ALTHOUGH, they just recently released a water soluble one. . . I think I may try that when I'm done with my regular La Vitton one. As for DHC, I will definitely continue to buy the Deep Cleansing Oil. Of course, it won't work for everyone, but I absolutely love it. Update: ARGH! I ran out of this for about a week, so I had to resort to my other cleansing products and what do you know? I BROKE OUT! It was awful. . . but I bought two more bottles of this stuff and my skin is starting to clear up again.
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Misc Beauty Tools -Clean & Clear - Oil Absorbing Sheets
GacktCamui 2/24/2005 4:13:00 AM
I guess I'm just one of those people who don't like this product as much as she could have. I thought they were super great when I first bought them, and although they did do the job of absorbing the oil on my face, it left a weird feeling. I like the material the sheets are made of and I actually love the color. But did you know that the second ingredients in the product is mineral oil? The worst thing known to all human skin? And to be listed second means there's more of it. Also, I don't think they're as cheap as other people claim. I can find great Japanese brands of oil blotting sheets for almost twice the count and $2 less! These things are pretty darn expensive! Also, it does disturb my make-up a little, even when I carefully blot - not wipe - my face. I'm beginning to think regular tissue works the best - sucks the oil right out and my make-up is left relatively in place.
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Skincare - Face -Clinique - 3 Step System
GacktCamui 2/22/2005 9:07:00 PM
Like most people who have used this system, it did absolutely nothing. The soap is like regular soap, the astringent does deflake, but it's really harsh, and the lotion is just too greasy. Of course, you can customize your system with their different products, but the most basic one just doesn't work. I think it did more bad than good for me.
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Scrubs -St. Ives - Apricot Scrub
GacktCamui 2/22/2005 9:02:00 PM
The silly thing is, I bought this twice, despite how much I didn't like it. At first, I thought it was alright. The scrub did make my face feel smoother, but then again, there are tons of other products that made my skin even smoother. It's a harsh scrub and did nothing for my blackheads. I liked the fragrance and the creamy consistency of the product, but I wouldn't waste my money on this again.
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Misc Beauty Tools -Shu Uemura - Eyelash Curler
GacktCamui 2/22/2005 4:14:00 AM
Let me mention the one negative about this eyelash curler before I get to the good stuff - the price! I bought it at Sephora for $16.50, which is 3 to 4 times the price of a regular eyelash curler from the drugstore. BUT, I honestly and fervently think the money was well spent. The packaging is sophisticated and actually reminds me a little of the way Apple packages iPod accessories. The eyelash curler is in a white rectangular box with Japanese instructions on the back and English instructions on either side. On the front, there is a side-view of the actual eyelash curler. The curler comes in a small plastic bag with an extra curling pad. Doesn't look much different from a regular curler from the drugstore, huh? Hold it up to your eye and give it a gentle squeeze. The difference is ENORMOUS. It doesn't pinch the delicate skin around your eyes, it gets all the lashes, and it curls to just the right angle. I'm not sure what it is about the construction and design of the Shu Uemura curler that makes it stand apart from all other eyelash curlers. I've been using it religiously for about one and a half months when I forgot to bring it home for the weekend. In my make-up case, I had my old Lacrosse eyelash curler. I figured, hey, maybe I had imagined the perfection of my Shu Uemura curler after all and Lacrosse was really the same. I picked it up, put it to my eye, gave the same gentle squeeze I use with my SU curler, and immediately teared up. My lashes were hideously uneven and I was in PAIN. It seemed that the Lacrosse version catches my lashes so deeply in the crimping part that my skin gets caught in it also, hence the sharp pain when I squeeze. SU actually fits around my eye and not on or in it to give a nice, almost natural-looking curl - without the pain and the 90-degree-angle lashes. Lesson learned - I will never stray from my SU curler for the rest of my life.
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Powder -Bare Escentuals - Bare Minerals ALL
GacktCamui 8/18/2004 10:04:00 PM
My general conclusion is that Bare Minerals is not a bad product. I've only been using this for about three days, but I like it as much as my Mac StudioFix. I think the coverage matches that of Mac and the shade matches my Asian skin tone perfectly (I'm a light 1.2). I have to admit that it is a little "shiny," meaning there is a faint metallic sheen, especially when used on my forehead. I have medium sized pores, especially on my nose, and it doesn't make them look bigger. I've read other reviews saying that it's very difficult to use, so what a surprise when I was began randomly experimenting with the application and found no problems! The whole process of tapping out the foundation into the cap is a little bit of a hassle, but the application was no problem for me. I find that I don't even really have to swirl and tap as the instructions say. I don't use very much of the mineral foundation - very little at a time - and if I need to cover more, then I'll use a little bit more. It gives really nice, even, natural coverage. I break out - not heavily - but the redness is really reduced with the product. It looks quite natural on me, moreso than Mac StudioFix. As for the Mineral Veil, I think it's an okay product. I'm not sure if you're supposed to use more of Mineral Veil than the foundation, but it does reduce shine. I may have to experiment with the amount of product to use for this one a little bit more. The foundation (and probably the Mineral Veil, too) does slip off. Oddly, it slips off more with the Clean & Clear oil blotting tissues than with regular facial tissues. Everything is a tad on the expensive side, but there are sites out there that offer good deals. Again, my conclusion, give it a shot. I did, even after I read all those critical reviews, and I'm continually growing fonder of BE. Update: I can't live WITHOUT this stuff. It gives my skin an airbrushed look and feels as light as a cloud! I can't feel it at all when I wear it. It's also a great concealer (I don't have the concealer brush, so I just use my finger). I use it to cover acne and acne scars as they heal. Works like a dream. I really think the trick to it is to BUFF. BUFF BUFF BUFF! Don't just dust it on, smooth it on, fluff it on - BUFF it on!
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Lotions/ Creams -Palmers - Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula
GacktCamui 8/8/2004 4:06:00 AM
WOW! First off, I love the smell, but then again, I love all things chocolate. Secondly, it moisturizes really well! It's a little on the greasy side, but it does absorb well. I have some weird skin condition where the skin on the top of my thighs and the back of my arms are bumpy. . .some of it from ingrown hairs? But yeah, after using the lotion, the skin feels a TON smoother and softer. Definitely buy it again. -Edit- Well, the only reason I'm updating this is because I realized there is MINERAL OIL in the ingredients. Apparently all my lotions have them, and I think that's why they all feel greasy. Hmm, I still think the moisturizing factor is great though, but I won't buy it again.
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Powder -MAC - Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation
GacktCamui 8/8/2004 3:35:00 AM
I was introduced to Studio Fix through my roommate, and it works incredibly well. I do have oily skin, so by the end of the day, my face does get really slick. The saleslady said that it's not meant for touch-ups or else your face will end up like a mask, and I've tested it true. It does feel kind of heavy, but the coverage is AMAZING. PLUS, this still lasts FOREVER! I use it practically everyday, and for more than a year, I still have enough for maybe 2 more months. I don't really recommend it for dry skin, but of course it's always a good idea to use moisturizer beforehand.
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