Mascara -Nivea - Eyes Wide Open
danai 9/29/2008 1:42:00 PM
I never got this particular mascara expecting dramatic, sex-goddess results. I wanted what it was advertised to be: something to open up my eyes in the morning and make them look bright and awake for work, therefore I bought the brown version. And it delivered just that: gave me soft and natural looking, yet volumised and curled lashes (and I never use eyelash curlers). Used it every morning for the past two years, and even some evenings, even though I initially didn't intend to. It doesn't smudge or cause racoon eyes. Get this if you are going for a soft, natural, a bit wide eyed look. *E D I T* Ladies, I'm giving this the fifth lippie because I have come to realise I don't want to be without it. Started using it again after a month's break and I find it even more awesome now. It actually curls lashes all by itself (still no curler), plus two or three layers of it really give me volume. I'll keep rebuying as long as they make it, and for the price, I say do give it a try.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -J. Lo - Glow
danai 9/29/2008 1:27:00 PM
I wore this for some time when I was 17 - 18 and today I can't really remember why. Maybe the celebrity name made it attractive back then. Let me start with the positive: This comes in one of the prettiest bottles I've seen. Other than that, I personally don't like it one bit. It somehow smells soapy, but not clean. I find it a bit headache inducing, yet not at all original or memorable. Wouldn't buy or wear this again.
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Lotions/ Creams -Queen Helene - Cocoa Butter Hand and Body Lotion
danai 9/29/2008 12:22:00 PM
I have recently somehow turned into a body moisturizer junkie, so I desperately had to try this even though it's not sold where I live (Athens, Greece). So I bought it online, which means I paid $25 for it ($23 was the damned shipping cost!!!), and not the $3 and under you lucky ladies in the US get this for. But believe me I don't regret it one bit. First and most important, it sinks in immidiately. Seriously almost everything else I have tried - be it lotion, milk, butter, creme or whatever - will take more than 5 - 10 minutes to completely sink in, if it ever does, and as I am a rather impatient person, I get my clothes sticking to my skin all the time, which is not a good feeling. This one I put on and reach for my clothes right away. In addition to that, this is not greasy at all; in fact it is one of the very few lotions I feel comfortable with on hot summer days - maybe even the only one. Does its job perfectly - my skin feels soft, smooth and velvety. It has never clogged my pores or caused bumps to appear - other lotions have. I see many of you complain that it's too loaded with chemicals, but surprisingly to me it feels more soothing than more sophisticated, expensive, natural-ingredients-only stuff. The smell is just right. Pleasant but subtle. The packaging is simple but fine with me. I don't use it on my face because my skin is on the oily side, but it has helped heal one or two chipped spots around my nose and mouth without any problems a couple of times. All in all this is something I plan to keep around for a long time. Thankfully I found out that it is indeed sold in Athens, not in the mainstream cosmetic stores, but only in a few shops that specialise in African hair products, for about €5, so getting it is not going to be a problem any more:-))) *U P D A T E* Because the winter cold in my city has been unusually harsh those last few days, causing my oily facial skin to get dry to the point of flaking, I finally gave in and used a small amount of this as an emergency facial moisturizer. I am SO glad I tried it: it sank right in, did not leave my face greasy or shiny or anything of that kind, healed the dry spots and made me feel comfortable and protected when I got out in the cold. So far not one additional pimple. As time goes by I love this lotion even more.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Tinted Moisturizer -Nivea - Visage Young Be Beautiful Tinted Moisturiser
danai 9/19/2008 2:30:00 AM
Normally I don't wear any kind of foundation except for concealer, but I found a sample of this and just tried it on. And I don't even know where to start. This is supposed to be moisturizer, not foundation, however I am absolutely sure you can find cheap foundation much lighter and better than this. It went orange/brown on my skin - isn't it supposed to somehow adjust to your skintone? It was so heavily pigmented you can still see it on my hands after having washed. I ended up with my face looking like a brownish mask, which is exactly what you try to avoid at all costs when using foundation. I tried and tried to blend it into my hairline - and we're talking moisturizer here. Of course it didn't cover a thing, my blemishes still totally visible, except brown/red instead of plain red. And last but not least, spent ten minutes removing it - facial wipes, toner, water and I still have traces of this on. All in all, why call this tinted moisturizer when it is just old school,cheap, bad foundation. Get yourself a regular foundation instead, one of those light, illuminating ones people use these days and actually get coverage without having to forever blend brown stuff into hairlines.
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Lip Gloss -Bourjois - Eau de gloss 
danai 9/17/2008 7:14:00 PM
Pros: 1. Not sticky at all. Won't mess up your hair if it touches your lips. This is why I bought it in the first place and it didn't let me down at that. 2. Feels extremely cool on the lips, which is great for hot summer days. Cons: 1. Won't stay on for more than 30 min. No matter what. 2. Not at all pigmented. I kind of expected that since I bought probably the most natural color of the bunch (mocha frappe I think). But still much less color shows up than I expected. 3. Somehow gives my mouth a weird taste no matter how hard I try not to get it past my lips. 4. Outrageously expensive for what you get. (L'Oreal Color Riche Star Secrets was only about €1 more expensive than this!!) 5. It doesn't seem to moisturize that well - definitely not for the 4 hours it's supposed to. All in all I suppose it could work for the hot summer months (but in a less sheer, much stronger colour) since I do enjoy the cool tingling sensation, so I'll probably be tempted to buy again. But at that price and with no staying power at all... well I probably won' t:-(
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Lotions/ Creams -Korres - Kings & Queens Body Butter
danai 9/15/2008 8:11:00 PM
You would expect a body butter to be thick and greasy. Well this one is rich, very moisturizing, absorbs immidiately and is surprisingly not greasy at all - which I didn't think possible for a body butter until I tried this. I have the Nefertiti Honey one, which smells absolutely heavenly, I seriously wish it was edible, I put it on and sniff myself all the time. It comes in a variety of other fragrances which are also to die for, you just have to smell them for yourself. Really cheap - around €7 in Greece, which makes it much cheaper than the regular Korres butters. Plus the "beauty secrets of ancient queens" concept is quite interesting. If you haven't discovered these yet, get out and get them. (The line also includes shower gels, body lotions and shimmery body lotions)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -L'Oreal - Color Riche Star Secrets - 714 Blush Scarlett
danai 9/11/2008 11:37:00 AM
I'd been searching for the perfect pink lipstick for me - even though I'm not that much of a lipstick person - and I'm quite sure this is it. The color is gorgeous on me (fair complexion, blond hair) but I can't iimagine it looking bad on anybody. It's rather natural and understated, even though it does contain a little bit of shimmer. The texture is creamy and nice and goes on rather smooth. Doesn't seem to dry out lips at all. I only have to complain about two things: first, it doesn't stay on that long. Second, the smell, which is the same on any L'Oreal lipstick I've ever tried. It's exactly what most ladies in MUA describe: strong, old-lady-flowery, a bit sickening. I just can't imagine why L'Oreal make their lippies smell like this; I mean, what's the point of a lippie smelling like granny parfume? Other than that this is one of the very few lippies I like wearing.
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Lotions/ Creams -Korres - Vanilla Cinnamon Body Lotion
danai 9/11/2008 11:17:00 AM
I have used this product on and off in the past, and I'll probably go back to it as soon as I'm through with the try-every-lotion-available phase that I'm going through right now. Pros: - It smells absolutely delicious; I have a thing for cinammon biscuits and it smells exactly like that. It actually makes me crave them desperately. (Although I have met people who hate the smell of cinammon or vanilla.) Probably best for fall/winter because the scent is on the warm side. - It sinks in smoothly and immidiately - which, from my experience, not a lot of lotions do. - It leaves behind a silky, "powdery" feeling just like the bottle indicates; it's pretty much the opposite of greasy. - It moisturises pretty well, although my skin is not very dry, so I suppose if yours is, better go for some cream or butter instead. - It is supposed to not contain any petroleum extracts; even though they don't really bother me, i guess it's nice to have a break from mineral oil once in a while. Cons: - The pump bottle just won't let you use up every drop of the product, which I find quite annoying. If I'm happy with the stuff, I'll want to use all of it before I'm out to buy it again. - I understand that, depending on the country you buy this, it can get a little pricy; however where I live (Greece) it's not (about €9). All in all this is one of the nicest lotions I've tried; and I have tried many. Would definitely recommend it.
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Fragrance -Burberry - Burberry London For Men
danai 9/11/2008 10:50:00 AM
Well I came across this totally by accident and I'm so glad it happened. I was killing time browsing perfumes in a store and at some point it occured to me I'd never tried Burberry London - the female version of course, so I went for it. Only I accidentally picked up this bottle instead of the women's one, so I ended up spraying myself with Burberry London for men. And I landed in heaven. it smelt so good I just couldn't stop sniffing myself so I walked around with my wrist attached to my nostrils like an idiot for the rest of the day :-D I knew I h a d to get this for my bf asap. So I did and he fell in love with it too. It is masculine, rich, sexy, smart and seductive all at the same time. Now my bf is going through the third or fourth bottle and he keeps buying it again the moment he runs out. This is simply divine.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Thierry Mugler - Angel
danai 9/11/2008 10:33:00 AM
This is my favorite perfume by far. I have yet to find anything that smells as sexy, outstanding and unique as this, plus it stays on very long. Yes, it is indeed rather strong so a little bit goes a long way, plus if you are not familiar with the smell, you need to wait a bit for it to dry down before you can appreciate it. Even though I love it from the very minute I spray it on me, I understand that it's strong enough to make people nauseous when they come across someone that has too much on. It seems more suitable to wear in fall/winter, preferrably on special occasions. I don't think you can easily get away with wearing this in the summer heat, plus I think it's way too sexy and rich to just spray on and head to work (though I have to admit I have not been able to resist the urge to wear this at work a couple of times in the past). But if worn at the right time and place and in the right quantity, imho this can turn into seduction potion;-) Only downside is the price which I find a bit exaggerated; I couldn't really afford this myself but mom and aunts know it's my fav so I get it as a gift all the time. All in all gorgeous stuff to me, way too rich, unique and sexy to be called "Angel" indeed. I guess it is one of the things you will either love or hate. You'll never know till you try.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Nivea - Creme
danai 9/11/2008 9:51:00 AM
Now I know this is a staple to so many people, my mom used to use this a lot in the past too, but I just can't see anything really special about this. It is way too thick and greasy; it just sits on my skin and almost refuses to ever sink in. I have no doubt it moisturises pretty well, but so do many other products with lighter consistency. The worst thing about this however is the smell; flowery yet not at all pleasing. Really, could this possibly smell any stronger? It does come in a nice, unusual and classy blue metal tin though. I'll use it up as a foot cream or something, but most probably won't buy again.
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Lotions/ Creams -Queen Helene - Cocoa Butter Creme
danai 9/11/2008 9:35:00 AM
I bought this because I instantly fell in love with the scent: it smells like white chocolate to me and I adore white chocolate. However this is really greasy; probably the greasiest body cream I have tried, and I have tried many. Its consistency is nice and thick and it seems to moisturise well, but it takes forever to sink in and sometimes it just won't no matter how long I wait. In addition to that, in the summer it literally melted to the point that some orange liquid somehow emerged to the surface of the cream and just stood there. Not at all a good thing to see. I actually removed the liquid and put the tub in the fridge where I intend to keep it until I'm done with it. I'm not giving up on it yet though; I'll try it on cold winter days on very dry areas of my body and I'll try to keep in mind that a little bit goes a veeery long way. I don't see myself buying this again, but I say, if you have really dry skin, give this a go. It might work on you much better than it did on me, plus the smell and consistency are quite tempting. *U P D A T E* Well I tried this cream again recently on a couple of days when the winter cold was really harsh and even though it still leaves me greasy, it does do an excellent job moisturising dry winter skin. So from now on I'll use it as a treatment on days when I need extra protection from low temperatures, and for that it certainly deserves one extra lippie.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Body -Johnson & Johnson - Baby Oil
danai 9/11/2008 9:17:00 AM
Like many have said before me, I think every lady should own a bottle of this. It seems like every other day I discover a new use of it. It is an excellent make up remover - even though I use it as one only when I unexpectedly run out of my regular wipes, as my skin is oily and prone to breakouts. I use a couple of drops in my foot bath and it really helps soften extremely dry areas on my feet. It removes wax residue in an instant and seems to soothe the waxed areas too. However the best use of it by far is as an all-over body moisturizer. I am a body lotion/cream/butter junkie and let me tell you, almost nothing moisturizes as fast and well as baby oil does, and nothing will leave your skin less greasy, provided you use it the right way, which is: a tiny quantity, like two or three drops, on wet or damp skin, followed by gently wiping. On cold winter days I just slather this on wet, just showered skin in the comfort of my steam filled shower. On extremely hot summer days it seems to be the only thing that doesn't leave me with oily residue all day. It also has a nice subtle smell, so it won't interfere with your perfume. As for the "mineral oil is bad" idea, NOT everything that comes from petroleum is the same, as petroleum is processed to produce thousands of radically different things that range from fuel to plastic, fabrics and basic cosmetic ingredients. So I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that baby oil is poison because of its origin. All in all if you haven't tried it yet, do so, it is very likely you will find a new staple. It's so cheap you don't really have much to lose anyway.
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Palettes -L'Oreal - Star Secrets Kit - Laetitia Casta
danai 9/10/2008 5:48:00 AM
When I first came across the Star Secrets kit range I was thrilled at the idea of a complete set of shades that are more or less guaranteed to match each other and compliment specific hair and eye colors (AND have a celebrity name written all over them :-D). Since I have blond hair, hazel eyes and fair complexion I wasn't sure wether to choose this one or the Doutzen Kroes one, so I finally got them both, which I am really glad for:-) Now this one includes three eye shadow shades, blush and lipstick. The eye shadow is quite shimmery and comes in light pink, beige and light mauve, not very pigmented, rather sheer but none the less gorgeous, plus it really stays on all day. So does the blush, which is a natural rosy color. The lipstick is a natural darkish pink which goes on beautifully but doesn't last long, which is ok with me because I tend not to use lipstick anyway. The set is supposed to be designed for light brunettes with brownish/hazel eyes and fair skin, however I think it would look absolutely beautiful on pretty much any fair skinned person. The packaging is totally gorgeous and elegant. The case actually looks like a small,slim book. It closes with what seems to be some kind of magnet, so you most likely won't get anything spilling out. You can even find a little picture guide on how to use the different shades inside. As for the price, I got this for about €17-18, but drugstore brands generally seem to be a bit more expensive where I live (Greece) than in other countries. To me it was well worth it anyway. All in all, I really love this, use it for both day and night all the time and would definitely recommend it. The reasons I took a lippie off are the not-so-long-wearing lipstick and the fact that the kit comes with no brushes at all. Other than that to me this is almost perfect.
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