Treatments (Eye) -Clarins - Sun Wrinkle Control Eye Contour Care SPF 30
dictatorprincess 7/29/2007 3:45:00 PM
Update April 2013: I still use this. The new formula and packaging hasn't bothered me or given me milia. While I never had problems with a white cast before because I am super pale and wearing other sunscreen anyway, I do think the new yellow tube formulation is slightly less white when applied. Other than that, 6+ years of faithful use- I buy around a tube a year in early spring. Ok, this is right up there with Laura Mercier's shimmer bronzer as my One True Love. I have (well had, will get to that in a minute) saggy, wrinkly eyelids because I am pale like that and had a lot of sun damage in my teens. I first saw this and thought it was pretty stupid to market sunscreen eye cream, but after having sunscreen melt into my eyes for two years I was willing to try anything. This stuff gives me sun protection around my eye area without irritating my eyes or contacts,it doesn't melt with sweat and get in my eyes, and it works as a decent base for my (admittedly minimal) eye makeup. If you wear sunscreen every day you should wear this if you are noticing crows feet as you approach thirty (like I do). The sunscreen in this cream is physical, not chemical, yet is is not goopy like other physical sunscreens. I do think it works because my eye wrinkles seem to be in a holding pattern this year rather than getting worse. At any rate, I use the regular Clarins on my face daily and the eye cream is a nice touch as it is fragrance free. I would not use what I use on my face near my eye, even though it is the same brand. Some users on other boards complained of a white cast when using this...I haven't seen that at all and i goop it on. This never leaves my makeup bag.
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Powder -Lancome - Dual Finish Versatile Powder Makeup
dictatorprincess 7/29/2007 10:43:00 AM
This is what I used as a teenager and every couple of years I keep coming back. The smell is so nostalgic and this is one of the few powders I can find light enough for me. A reliable product worth a shot for pasty girls. Hate the sponge though.
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Powder -Shu Uemura - VELVET PERFECT adjusting powdery foundation
dictatorprincess 7/29/2007 10:40:00 AM
This product was ok, luckily I got it for free. Pros: good coverage, nice and matifying, the packaging is great, like all shu products Cons: stinky latex sponge, color a smidge too dark and a smidge too orange for me, and I got the lightest shade Many dual powders out there do the job for cheaper, like Clinique Clarifying (which also includes stinky latex sponge) or Lancome Dual Finish, but I guess this is ok if you are loyal to shu products. If I got it for free again it's not like I would throw it aside in disgust, but I would rather spend my sixty bucks on two Cliniques (especially if both are going for the latex) or something completely different. A decidedly acceptable product worth using, but not HG territory and not for the price. Somebody please tell me who besides mac still does terrycloth sponges...latex=gross
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Lotions/ Creams -La Roche Posay - Hand Repair Cream
dictatorprincess 7/29/2007 10:32:00 AM
Decent product. I started using it in the fall but when my winter ezcema kicked in, I noticed this cream started stinging when I applied it. Several other French brands are cheaper and more effective, like Klorane and Mixa. However, if you don't have problem hands this is a good maintenance product. As the French would say, this is "correct" but nothing to write home about. I also don't understand why their hand cream would irritate my ezcema when another of La Roche Posay's products, Cicaplast, helps my ezcema. Confusing. Oh well.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -NARS - Nico
dictatorprincess 7/28/2007 5:54:00 PM
I used to use this until I found a similar product with less beige pigment (Chanel blush in Satellite, which I have reviewed as well). Like the previous reviewers have said, this is not a blush, even on pale people, but rather a highlighter. I am NC15 and can use this on eyes and cheeks, and Nico makes for a great cheek contour before blush or bronzer. I don't like it as much for my eyes, but to be fair that is not what it is made for. I also agree with the previous reviewers who said Nico should be repackaged to give it justice. It just is not a blush, and if white casper princess like me says it is too light for blush, it is too light for blush. However, it is a nice highlighter and I would buy it again, the last one I had lasted a year with daily use.
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Blush -Chanel - Irréelle Blush Satellite 23
dictatorprincess 7/28/2007 5:44:00 PM
I added this under blush because that is what the packaging says (it is sold in the Irréelle blush line), but make no mistake, ladies, this is a highlighter, and a mighty fine one at that. The only reason I bought it is because I loved the color in the store, even though I wasn't sure what I was going to use it for. I am NC15 PPP extraordinaire and Satellite is what my face powder would be, with some sparkle, so how it could be blush on anyone is a mystery to me. Unlike Nars Nico, which shows up with beige pigment, Satellite goes on sheer and all you get is some coverage and sparkle. That said, this is the best highligter EVER. I use it as replacement eyeshadow (just like Nars Nico), I use it under my eyes to diffuse light, on my forehead...anywhere I need to diffuse light and impart a little sparkle (Nico was too pigmented for that and I only used it on my cheeks and eyes). I put on my concealer and e/s primer, then I run this above and below my eyes, concentrating on the outer corner, and then trace a line running from the sides of my forehead to under the apples of my cheeks. Because of its sheerness, Satellite WILL NOT WORK on anyone darker than casper, but for us pasty girls this is a great product as far as highlighters go. I can see Chanel discontinuing this or repackaging this as it sucks as a blush. Then it will be a sad walk back to Nars. Like Nars Nico, this needs to be repackaged as either a pressed powder or a highlighter, it does not get the attention it deserves as a blush. Satellite gets four lippies because like all Chanel blushes it gets a smidge hard, but it has five lippie love from me.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Frederic Fekkai - baby blonde shampoo
dictatorprincess 7/28/2007 5:10:00 PM
I love this stuff especially as a clarifying shampoo--I simply cannot afford to use this as a daily shampoo. In Switzerland, the price is around 30 francs, which is the going rate for Chanel lipgloss as comparasion. Yes, I can afford Chanel lipgloss but they last six months to a year and I go through a bottle of shampoo a month. So I use baby shampoo daily and then this a few times a month. The pros: very lightweight, cleans without overdrying, smell is pleasant. I have hair that, depending on your point of view, is either light brown or dark blonde. I do not color at all. This shampoo really does do stuff for my natural highlights and helps combat the brassiness. Also, my hair is baby fine, I use baby shampoo because that is what my hair is. Shampoo for me is very difficult as I need one nourishing enough for my hair without weighing it down as it is so fine (fine as in not coarse, not fine as in hot...I wish!) This shampoo fits the bill perfectly. Cons: price is a smidge high, ok really high. I also have no love for the bottle, which I find quite basic for such an expensive shampoo. If I can find it cheap on my next trip to the states, I will buy some more. If you can afford it, this is a good shampoo for fine hair that is blonde-ish. I just wish it was a little cheaper.
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Cleansers -Shu Uemura - Cleansing Beauty Oil Light
dictatorprincess 7/28/2007 5:01:00 PM
I said I would rebuy, but I am on the fence. To be honest, I find no difference between this oil (and I have used this oil in most of its iterations, even though this review is for the light) and Laura Mercier's in terms of effectiveness. The Shu Uemura smells better and I like the pump better, but the Laura Mercier (which I have used in light and rich) is slightly cheaper and I buy so much from her line that I usually get some kind of discount or other goodie when buying it. I have super dry skin and when I use cleansing oil in the summer I can get away with just putting eye cream on and dabbing moisturizer on my fine lines. This gets all my makeup off, including mascara. If you are not a Laura fan or you are trying to strategically work your GWPs, this oil is worth the shot. Speaking of GWP, I love the little bottles Shu Uemura gives of this oil that you get as samples. I keep them and fill them up when I travel, the head of the sample bottle being just wide enough that you don't waste product. UPDATE: I just scored another free full size bottle, I think I am in LOVE! Now it is going to be ten times as hard to actually pay for this or just buy Laura...
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Fragrances -Guerlain - Samsara
dictatorprincess 7/28/2007 5:21:00 AM
Samsara is so strong and immediately recognisable- I smelled a woman walking down the street the other day wearing Samsara...in the middle of July. I can't pull this off as a summer scent, it is simply too strong. I am so going to get strung up for this, but Samsara reminds me a lot of Giorgio Red (oh the blashphemy!). It's like the love child of Red and Boudoir, all ylang ylang and sandalwood, in fact, I have actually layered Samsara with Boudoir. If you're not sure about Samsara, give it another shot in the winter. This is one of those perfumes that is not universally flattering and not everyone can wear it all the time. I find it hard for Samsara to be a signature scent due to its overwhelming factor in hot weather.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - J. Del Pozo Halloween EDT
dictatorprincess 7/28/2007 5:17:00 AM
My husband bought this for me on a trip. He loves it in the bottle and loves it on me, but I have mixed feelings about it. I normally go for either musk or chypre, and my rare "fruity floral" perfumes (like aqua allegorica) have enough chypre to balance it out, and I never, ever, ever wear anything even remotely marine. I smell a lot of lily of the valley in Halloween, which is fine in something like Rumeur, which balances out the lily with some chypre, or L'Instant de Guerlan, which balances it out with some amber, but this one dries down to something foody, yet at the same time marine. In fact, it is the marine drydown which does not mesh with me. I have to be in the right mood to wear this, as Halloween forces me to notice it (kind of like my husband lol).This is a complex, weird scent. Strangely I like it more in winter, I guess in hot weather the marine gets to me more, although this does not come to mind as a winter scent. However I do like the bottle, which is solid and not cheap, which is more than I can say for my Guerlain bottles. I also think this scent is well crafted even if the drydown does nothing for me. If you like a weird mix of lily and marine, go for it.
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Fragrances -Lanvin - Rumeur
dictatorprincess 7/28/2007 5:08:00 AM
I got this as a gift from my brother in November after smelling it on a whim. It is just powdery enough to wear it all year round, but the more I smell it, even after wearing it exclusively this winter, I am convinced this is more of a spring/summer fragrance, although I got away with it and got positive feedback throughout January and February. The top notes are, as a previous commenter mentioned, "stingy" but the dry down reminds me a lot of the drydown of L'Instant de Guerlain minus the gourmande foodiness. I don't get NR at all. I get a little Chanel no 19 minus the cloying sweetness when I smell Rumeur. Rumeur also smells similar to a not well known Spanish perfume Halloween or even White Linen, but again, minus the sweetness. The top notes of Rumeur are SHARP! I will definitely buy this again (or get my brother to hook me up again, snort) because I think it smells classy, polished and complex, and, most importantly, the dry down is strong enough to be noticed. It is not my HG (which will always be my one true love, Cristalle) but it is a perfume I plan to keep on my shelf for a long time. As an aside, the body lotion IS moisturizing, and get your SA to give you some samples if you buy Rumeur, the samples are HUGE (I can not bring my bottle and do a week vacation with one full sample). Also if you are wary in the store, the samples give you a long time to "think" about it.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Chanel - Equinoxe glossimer
dictatorprincess 7/27/2007 10:53:00 AM
Like Imaginaire Glossimer, this is super scary looking in the tube but goes on quite sheer. I don't even see the plum in this one, it goes on a slightly pinky gold with the slightest teeniest touch of berry with high shine on me. It has a lot less berry than Imaginaire, and more glitter. I actually love looking at the tube, the little blue glitter mesmerises me. Don't worry, you don't see the blue on your lips. I need to know where the rest of the people here are buying equinoxe, because I would love to have this in its "true to tube" form...all the reviews are talking about how dark it is, and mine is dark in the tube but just glitter and gloss on the lips. I'm so jealous! My new rule with Chanel glossimers (and lippies for that matter) is to just go ahead and buy the dark ones because they are all light and sheer anyway. If the scary dark ones are this sheer, I would hate to try the ones that are light. I still will definitely rebuy this one as I can stare at the glitter in the tube for hours, it's really hypnotic, I just think it looks so pretty in the tube. Wish it showed up the tube color on my lips but showing up similar to my HG is good enough. Update: I find Chanel glosses do not have a lot of product in the tube. Thought I would throw that out there for those of you who like a lot of gloss...I have had this a month with only semi daily use, and it is already a third gone (say three or four applications a day four days a week). I have had my latest Dior for three months with the same type of use, and I can't even see a dent. I don't mind because I am paranoid about throwaway dates and I won't feel bad throwing away an empty gloss this way. Paradoxically, this makes Chanel a more likely repurchase for me as I like to finish products.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Estee Lauder - Pure Color Crystal Lipstick- Crystal Rose
dictatorprincess 7/25/2007 2:04:00 PM
Let me get this off my chest...on my friend this is slightly iridescent, but in the tube I bought the iridescence is almost nonexistent. I also don't see much of the mauve...this reminds me of a pinkier, "rosier" version of Laura Mercier's Brown Sugar stickgloss. My friend uses this as her signature lippie, and as we have almost the same coloring, I kept admiring it and always said to her, "we are the same color, so if it looks good on you, it looks good on me, I have to get it." After like six months I finally did. I am not normally an Estee Lauder fan which is why it took me so long. Like the LM stick gloss, I find this lipstick rather nourishing for a lipstick, which is surprising. Staying power is good too, I had it on about three hours before reapplying. Ok, that said, this is a very nice YLBB shade for me (NC15, green eyes). I would buy this again, but only this color again, because I have noticed that it tends to feather a bit on the edges, and I normally don't need lipliner, so that is bad, which is why I only give it four lippies even though the color is close to perfect on me. And to be fair, because it is truly YLBB I am probably the only one who notices it feathering. I would never buy this formulation in a darker or redder shade. Don't let the feathering bit scare you, this is a cute, wearable YLBB color for pasty girls. Still don't see the mauve or the iridescence though. Again, I have to repeat how moisturizing it is for a lipstick, which may be worth it just for that.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Body -Nuxe - Huile Prodiguese Or
dictatorprincess 7/25/2007 9:38:00 AM
Like the original oil, I love the product and hate the packaging. There is silicone (dimethicone) for all you silicone haters out there. I'm not one of them, so on with the review. I was hesistant to buy this at first because the shimmer looks OTT in the bottle, but after reading reviews here and elsewhere I decided to give it a shot, if only for my hair. The shimmer is more discreet than the packaging would lead you to believe but shows up nicely on my dark blonde hair. I have not used it on my face but I do use it on my arms, and again, the shimmer is barely visible (which for me is a plus) but there. Unlike the other reviewers, my bottle seems to smell differently than the regular oil, there is a chalky smell to it which I like. I will continue to buy the original oil but the jury is still out on this one. I am satisfied but not overly ecstatic. I do like the little extra shimmer in my hair though. Update: I'm NC15 and this is a smidge dark on my face unless I blend well. The shimmer is not OTT on the face, it is just too dark for me. Love it in my hair though. I keep petting my hair today. If I were darker I would wear this on my face without hesitation, like I do with the regular nuxe oil.
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Treatments (Eye) -Vichy - Oligo 25 eye treatment stick
dictatorprincess 7/23/2007 2:12:00 PM
Ok for puffiness.Ok if you have tired eyes and you need a short term pick me up (I keep it at work for when I have stared at the computer too long) but as your daily eye cream? Not moisturizing, no significant work on circles or lines. As the French would say, this is nothing more than a gadget. The only good thing is the short term cooling effect. It also made my makeup crease, and that was the first time in twenty or so eye creams that I had that happen.
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