Liquid -Clinique - Superbalanced Foundation
stellar 8/28/2005 3:31:00 PM
Okay I must rant first. Clinique has such a poor color selection in their foundations. Up until a year or so ago, I was never able to find anything even close to my color. It seems to have gotten a little better, but even their lightest shades are usually too dark (or too ORANGE) for me. Now on with the review... I bought this in the lightest shade - Breeze. It's not that it's necessarily too dark for me, it's more that it's too orangey/yellowy. BUT, fortunately it's not so much so that I can't wear it. I just have to blend blend blend and not apply too much (which isn't a problem for me cuz I don't need a ton of coverage anyway). In the end, it ends up matching almost perfectly. I looooove show silky smooth this foundation applies! No problems with streaking or anything. I bought this cuz I have combination skin (duh) and needed something that will hold up in the extreme heat and humidity here. This stuff'll give me about 5-6 hours before I have any oily breakthrough, which is pretty darn good. And even then, I just use a blotting tissue and problem solved. It was also long-lasting, which is a huge plus for me. I don't know if I'll continue to wear this in the winter cuz my skin tends to be drier so I usually use a moisturizing foundation then, plus in the winter it just *might* be too dark for me. Not sure. But even if I don't wear it year-round, I'll probably repurchase/continue using it next spring and summer. It's really a shame that Clinique has such a poor color selection because they've got some awesome formulas. *sigh* UPDATE - I've been wearing this for a few weeks now and I love it! It gives me a great dewy, natural finish. I get compliments on this one! I still wish it wasn't so... yellowy, but since I have neutral undertones, I can pull it off.
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Foundations -Cover Girl - Clean Make Up
stellar 8/23/2005 4:42:00 PM
I was about to go out and buy a more expensive foundation but then saw a post and a bunch of raves for this stuff. As others have said, I used this back in junior high and high school and I do remember liking it. The fact that CG now has a fragrance-free version also appealed to me. While I love that clean, fresh Noxema smell, I don't especially love having my face smell like that ALL day. (Gotta admit I was tempted to buy that again though. lol) I used it for the first time again today and it's awesome! I love that it has very buildable coverage, yet remains natural-looking. It gives my face a glow that I've been trying to achieve with other way more expensive foundations. The only thing that worries me is I noticed that it contains mineral oil and sodium lauryl sulfate which my skin absolutely HATES. I break out big-time from that stuff. I can't use face washes that contain it. So we'll see what happens. Also, minor complaint - I had to get the lightest shade, Ivory, and it's still a bit too dark and orange-ish. But not even really to the point where it's noticeable once it's applied and blended. Oh yeah, and the glass bottle packaging kinda sucks. I'm afraid I'm gonna break it one of these days and have a huge mess! But hey, for $3-something, it's a great foundation. Glad I re-discovered it!
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Powder -Cover Girl - Tru Blend Powder foundation [DISCONTINUED]
stellar 8/20/2005 1:47:00 PM
Okay, I know it's a little early for me to be writing a review on this since I haven't used it all that much yet, but I was so impressed upon initial application that I gotta say that so far, I love this stuff!! I got it based on the raves for it here on MUA. A few months ago, I decided I wanted to try powder foundation. I'd never had good experiences with them before - they always looked fake, cakey, too powdery, accentuated dry patches, etc. So I first started with a couple different mineral makeup lines. I loved how Bare Minerals made my skin look (except that it did nothing to hide my pores) but it made me itch like crazy and eventually broke me out. Aromaleigh was a great color match but it accentuated dry patches and just made my skin look kind of blah (which is easy to do since I'm so pale). Finally I gave up and went and bought a Clinique liquid makeup which I love, but I also wanted a formula that'd be better in the humid heat here. Luckily I happened to find a post about Tru Blend on the boards, then checked the reviews. I honestly didn't expect it to work for me, but holy crap, it did. I agree that the shades run light, but that actually works out to my advantage since I'm SO fair-skinned. I usually have to buy the very lightest shade in everything, but with this, I went with Classic Ivory. It even looked a little too light when I tested it on my wrist, but when I applied it on my face, it was fine. I dunno whether that was the whole "color adjusting" thing or what. I was so surprised to see how creamy smooth it went on and how perfectly it covered flaws. My skin looked soft, creamy, flawless, and perfeclty natural. And a huge plus - it didn't accentuate any dryness! Yay! Since I've only used it once and it was only for a few hours cuz it was at night, I have yet to see how well it'll hold up for me throughout the day, but based on the reviews, I think I can expect great things. I'll update if anything changes. =)
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Liquid -Clinique - Gentle Light Makeup ] [DISCONTINUED]
stellar 8/18/2005 6:33:00 PM
I love love love this foundation! I was searching for something that would give me a soft, glowy/dewy look, and this is pretty much perfect for that. When I first tested it on my wrist at the counter, I almost didn't get it because I could see little glitter flecks in it and I'm NOT a huge fan of glitter, especially when it's going to be all over my entire face. But after I tested it on my face, I couldn't see the glitter pieces anymore. It just gave a nice, soft glowy look. My only semi-complaints about this stuff are that it looks PERFECTLY glowy RIGHT after application, but then it kind of settles into the skin and loses some of it's glowiness. Also (and this isn't really a complaint but could be for some) it really doesn't provide a *whole* lot of coverage. That's pretty much okay for me though, cuz I don't have problem skin. And if you have oily skin, you'll probably want to avoid this one. I sometimes have problems with an oily t-zone and this can sometimes make it worse. But regardless, I love this stuff and am so impressed with it that I'm going to try another Clinique foundation. I could never use them before because the colors (even the lightest) were always way too dark for my very fair skin, but it seems that they've improved their color selection a little bit.
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Treatments -L'Oreal - ColorSpa Moisture Actif [DISCONTINUED]
stellar 6/30/2005 1:12:00 AM
I just used this in Cocoa (Medium Brown). I've been on the search for the perfect chocolatey brown (no red!) color for a few months now. My hair tends to pull red, so it's been pretty hard for me to find! Packaging was great, application was super-easy (not messy), NO BAD SMELL (yay!), quick developing time, rinsed out easily, and the conditioner smelled and worked great. The color I have now is basically what I've been looking for, but I'm sure that with washings, it's definitely going to fade (esp. since it's not a permanent dye). So I may have to try Espresso next time. My hair feels the same as it did before coloring (not damaged!) Would definitely try again.
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Styling Products -Alberto Vo5 - Vo5 Miracle Mist Heat Defense Style Spray
stellar 6/22/2005 7:04:00 PM
This stuff is AWESOME!! The best hair product find for me in a long time, and so cheap, too! I flat iron my hair usually 3 days out of the week, and sometimes blow dry. This stuff makes my hair soooooooo shiny and sleek-looking. Honestly I've never found a product that does that as well for me. It smells great too!! I will *definitely* be buying this again!
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Hair Color -L'Oreal - Preference Shine Extending Hair Color
stellar 6/20/2005 9:06:00 PM
I was very pleased with this! Out of nowhere I got on this crazy hair-coloring kick. First I dyed my hair with Nutrisse, but it left my hair feeling kinda dry and the color wasn't very vibrant. A month later, I decided to try Preference Mega Browns in Chocolate. I was wanting a deep, rich, chocolatey brown, so I figured that'd be perfect! Well, I was stupid and didn't check to see what was used as its base... I loved the brown I got from it, but it had this reddish/purpley cast to it that I wasn't too crazy about. When I checked the base, it was red and purple. Derrrrr. So that was my own fault. Then I decided I'd use One 'N Only Colorfix to remove the color and dye over it. That stuff dried my hair out all to %!#$. Not only that, but it left my hair a coppery color. I was sooooo scared to dye my hair again out of fear that it'd just start falling out, but I just conditioned the crap out of it for several days, and then re-dyed using Preference in Light Brown (neutral base). Thanks to that, I'm back to my natural medium brown color, and it totally didn't damage my hair at all (at least, not to the point where it was noticeable). In fact, it actually felt BETTER than before I dyed it. (The same thing happened the first time I dyed with Preference - my hair felt so soft!) It smells pretty strong, but I expect that from haircolor so it didn't bother me. I'd definitely buy again!!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair Color -Garnier - Nutrisse Permanent Creme Hair Color
stellar 5/11/2005 8:28:00 PM
I just dyed my hair with this stuff last night. First time I've dyed my hair since 8th grade! I actually love the natural color of my medium brown/auburn hair, but I was in the mood for a change. I bought this in Chocolate Caramel -"Medium Golden Mahogany Brown." I was mainly wanting to make my brown richer and my red a little more noticeable. My hair actually turned out almost exactly like the color on the box, except that it's a little more red, which may fade with washings. The color is very pretty and I have gotten several compliments on it so far, but I do wish it had a little bit more chocolately brown to it. My overall take on it - the packaging wasn't bad. It was easy to mix the solution. The smell wasn't AS bad as I remember the dye being that I used back in junior high, but it was still kinda strong. I guess that's probably to be expected though. Not a real big deal for me. It didn't make my scalp burn or itch, which I was happy about cuz I already have a somewhat sensitive, sometimes itchy scalp. I guess my only complaint about it is that it did leave my hair feeling fairly dry, even though I've used the included Avacado Oil Conditioner VERY generously twice (once after dying and once today when I showered) and it hasn't helped a whole lot. I wouldn't say my hair feels like straw or anything, but it's definitely more dry than before. Luckily I'm due for a trim now anyway, so hopefully that'll take care of most of it. I will probably repurchase, unless I decide to go with a semi-permanent dye to avoid major hair damage. ETA - It's been a week and a half since I dyed my hair, and the color *has* toned down some, which to me is a good thing. Also, I've been using my deep conditioners everyday since, and my hair feels MUCH better - even softer than it did before I dyed it (and I haven't even gotten my hair trimmed yet). I would definitely repurchase, although probably in a different shade (thinking of going darker brown now).
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Suave - Daily Clarifying Shampoo
stellar 4/13/2005 9:44:00 PM
I've always been a salon-product-only girl, thanks to my mom. lol I recently moved and am on a somewhat tight budget, so when I was looking for a good (cheaper) drugstore clarifying shampoo, I picked up this one. It was the cheapest I could find and I remembered hearing good things about it. I'm very happy and surprised to say that I actually really like it! It has a nice clean scent that's not overwhelming, and it really does deep-clean my hair. My hair is medium length with tons of flippy layers, so I use quite a bit of styling products. I use this once a week to prevent my hair from getting too weighed down to style. Doesn't seem to dry out or strip my hair. (I use a good conditioner afterwards.) Also, I have a problem with itchy scap (not dandruff, just itchy scalp) and this actually seems to be the only shampoo that helps with that, that I've tried, and believe me, I've tried a LOT. I saw from a review below that it doesn't contain SLS, so that's probably why. I could buy enough bottles of this to last me 2 years for what it would cost me to buy ONE bottle of professional-brand clarifying shampoo! Will definitely repurchase!
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Moisturizers -Nivea - Nivea Simply Glowing
stellar 9/21/2004 2:14:00 AM
I seem to be in the minority with this product! I actually like it so far. I've only used it once, but it seems pretty decent! I wouldn't exactly say that it gave my skin a glowy look, which I know is what it's supposed to do. But it did seem to even out my complexion a little! Gave it a smoother look. And, so far, it seems to moisturize my skin just enough! The smell IS pretty strong at first, but I found that it dissipated fairly quickly. My main concern is of it possibly breaking me out in the future. I'll update!
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Mascara -Maybelline - Great Lash mascara in brown/black
stellar 9/21/2004 1:57:00 AM
How this mascara is rated as the #1 mascara is beyond me. I just bought it a couple weeks ago when my regular mascara had run out and I was wanting to try something new. After seeing it advertised as the #1 mascara, how could I resist?! Alas, this mascara fell very short of my expectations. It didn't lengthen or thicken. It didn't separate my lashes very well. Didn't really make them stand out at all, except that it gave them a little color. Plus it took forever to dry, so when I blinked after applying, I had it on the skin under my eyes. I suppose this would be an okay mascara for someone with naturally long and thick lashes; unfortunately, that's not me. :P I need all the help I can get. Would not repurchase.
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Mascara -Maybelline - volum express washable mascara curved brush
stellar 9/21/2004 1:47:00 AM
I really like this mascara! I've tried quite a few other drugstore mascaras before and have found that my favorites are Maybelline Full'n Soft and CG Super Thick Lash. When I ran out of my Super Thick Lash a couple weeks ago, I decided to try something new. I ended up buying Great Lash and Volum' Express. Needless to say, I liked the Volum' Express the best. It does a surprisingly good job at lengthening and thickening my lashes. Plus it really holds curl a lot better than most mascaras I've tried. And this stuff *stays put*! Doesn't flake or smudge off at all, and at night when I wash my face, my facewash dosen't even get the mascara off! I have to use a separate eye makeup remover. And I didn't even get the waterproof kind! Also haven't had any problems with clumping. The curved brush took me a few days to get used to, but I've got the hang of it now and I really like it. I would definitely repurchase this mascara!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Estee Lauder - Electric Intense LipCreme - Conga
stellar 8/26/2004 3:24:00 AM
This is a gorgeous lipstick! I had gone to the counter to buy Quite Nude but it was sold-out, just as it always is everytime I try to buy it! So I tried a few different lipsticks instead. I fell in love with this one! It's a very flattering glowy light/medium frosty peachy/apricot shade. Looks amazing with a tan, but looks just as good without! It literally brightens up my face. I'm not a big fan of the packaging - it comes in a square "tube" rather than a round one. EL seems to have a thing for unnecessarily big, bulky packaging. But the product itself is definitely worth it!
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Treatments -Clearasil - Clearasil Ultra
stellar 8/20/2004 1:10:00 AM
I never ever get breakouts, but when I got a huge under-the-skin, extremely painful zits when I was PMSing, that showed no signs of going away on its own anytime soon, I bought this to speed up the process. It was so painful I just couldn't stand it anymore. I have some majorly mixed feelings about this product. Positives: It really *does* clear up (dry up) zits. And super-fast, too! Which is awesome. By day 3, my pimple was about 1/4 it's original size and not sore anymore at all. Negatives: It is soooo extremely drying. I only used it for two days, twice each day, and by the third day, my skin on and around the zit was SO dry and flaky that I had to stop using it. Not only was it dry, but I seemed to have an itchy rash on that area, too! It wasn't horribly, horribly bad, but the itching was very annoying and it made the area very red, which made it stand out more than if I had just left the zit alone. Word of warning - don't expect to be able to wear concealor after applying this stuff! My skin got so dry and flaky that concealor would have looked totally fake and obvious. They do have a tinted formula, maybe that would have been better. I'll keep the tube I have on hand, just incase another one of those huge zits appears and will only use it once a day if that happens. I don't know if I'd repurchase. Although it *is* effective, I think I'd rather try something a little less potent.
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Foundations -Sally Hansen - Airbrush Legs- tan glow
stellar 6/3/2004 9:35:00 PM
I've been self-tanning this spring and for some reason, my last tan ended up splotchy on my legs. I picked this up in hopes of evening out my legs till this tan fades. Unfortunatlely, it's a little too light on my legs but it looks great on my neck. I have some spots on it that don't take the color of STers but this evens it all out. Seems like it really stays put too. I'll definitely be picking up the darker shade for my legs. The color *does* look like it's gonna be orange but it fades into a nice, natural tan color. Really does make you look airbrushed.
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