Treatments (Eye) -Unlisted Brand - Dermaglow- Lash Enhance Growth and Conditioning Treatment
Calina_Oscura76 5/1/2011 11:55:00 PM
So, seeing as it is incredibly difficult to find any reviews on this product, i figured I would add it, and review it myself. :) My lashes. Oh, the horrible things I could say about them. Sparse. Short. Light colored. Practically invisible. Not to mention the gap I have on my right eye.. where I had NO lashes whatsoever. I tried L'oreals lash serum, and various other "lash enhancing mascaras.. all with minimal results.. So enter Dermaglow lash Enhance. I read One, count them ONE review on the product, which took me forever to find on the internet, and figured it was worth a shot.. $65 bucks (cad) a pop at your local Shoppers drug mart, I must have been mad.. or desperate. But I was getting sick of having every little thing make its way into my eye, I mean, lashes are supposed to protect your eyes right? mine were too short and skimpy to be of any use.. lol I started using the product March 6th so it has been almost 2 months since I started using it. I am still on the same tube... it has a tiny, Eye liner like brush for easy application.. I had absolutely NO irritation from this product, no watery eyes, no itching.. nothing.. you just apply at the base of your clean, upper lashes every night before bed. Now the product does say results in 2 weeks, and tho i noticed I was losing far less lashes ( before usage, I was could pull them out 3-4 lashes at a time.. ) I didn't notice anything dramatic. About a month into it however, I started noticing. alot. My lashes were getting fuller, the crazy bald spot I had on my right eye was filling in.. and now when I use mascara, it looks like I have false lashes on.. a big thing for me.. as I could never really wear mascara well.. it always clumped and looked awful.. my lashes are in great condition now, I may lose one a week.. tops.. and the best part, No rebound issues.. no sudden loss of tons of lashes like with other certain medicated products. All in all, it is a solid product that I personally have responded to well, But as everyone knows, we are all different, and we all respond differently to different products. For me, this was well worth the money, and I went out and purchased another package, as it was a BOGO free promo.. I will continue to use it for as long as they make it. :) worth noting, that my lower lashes have seen a bit of a change as well... slight change in length and a touch fuller.. it must transfer to the lower lid whilst sleeping, because I never applied it to my lower lashes. Apparently it can be used on eyebrows as well, but boy, I have no shortage of those.. lol.. I
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -L'Oreal - Voluminous Million Lashes
Calina_Oscura76 1/7/2011 2:05:00 AM
One of two mascaras I will actually re-purchase! my lashes like this stuff.. Most mascaras look clumpy on me, or they flake horribly ( like the falsies by maybelline.. threw that one out after one use) this particular mascara works well for me, rarely clumps, stays put all day and doesn't flake. I don't normally like the plastic brushes, but this one is "okay" tho a touch fat for my liking.. makes it hard to get into the corners.. For the record I use L'oreal lash serum before I use any mascara out there, i think it makes a great primer.. but I have also used this mascara without the serum and I get the same result. Either way, I will buy it again, hopefully it will be on sale.. it is a tad bit pricey imo. For those with clump issues, Might I suggest that the next time you throw an old mascara out, take out the brush first and was hit really good.. use it to comb through after applying your mascara.. works for me! Though surprisingly I don't even need to do that with this formula. Lucky I guess..lol.. That is why I love it so much!
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Liquid -Maybelline - Dream Liquid Mousse
Calina_Oscura76 1/3/2011 3:17:00 PM
I am not sure why I have not written a review about this stuff.. I LOVE it and always go back to it year after year.. my only complaint is I have to blend two colors to match my skin tone. kind of sucks but thems the breaks.. lol.. It makes my skin look fantastic, doesn't break me out at all, and as awful as it sounds, it has NO SPF! my face is not a fan of SPF in foundation.. or skin creams for that matter.. I always re-act to it.. :( I mix 5 quick pumps of porcelain Ivory with 1 quick pump of nude beige ( both are light 1 colors) I do this on the back of my hand and then apply with a foundation brush and the result: gorgeous coverage and a perfect match to my skin tone. I don't really like the fact that I have to buy to different shades to match my skin tone, but its worth it I guess as I always come back to this stuff..
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Cleansers -Neutrogena - Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Facial Cleanser
Calina_Oscura76 1/3/2011 2:04:00 PM
This cleanser did dry out my skin ( though not near as bad as their "toners" ) So I had to stop using it.. So why would I buy it again? It is fantastic for cleaning foundation brushes..lol.. Really gets the make-up off of them. Which leads me to wonder what this cleanser strips off of my face when I use it. *shudder*
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Lip Treatments -Cover Girl - NatureLuxe lip balm in Marble
Calina_Oscura76 12/28/2010 7:55:00 PM
I do not generally wear lip stick, and I find many lip gloss products over the top shiny.. not my style.. So when I saw this product ... I figured I would give it a shot. I purchased cabernet, and I LOVE IT! Love the feel, never sticky, hardly notice it is on really, but it gives great color.. nothing over the top just a nice hint of color and a touch of shine, perfect for those of us who do not strive to look "made up" . I will be trying other colors at some point and cannot wait to do so! ;) Would totally buy this again and again! Price wise, it is okay.. no more expensive than other lip colors on the market yet i will get much more use out of this than normal lip color or gloss. so its all good.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -L'Oreal - Vive Pro Hydra Gloss very dry/damaged hair
Calina_Oscura76 12/4/2010 2:11:00 PM
I am trying to grow out my hair, and have been trying to find a decent conditioner that doesn't cost me an arm and a leg.. joico moisture therapy treatment helped well enough, but it is super expensive and not good for everyday use. I cannot use pantene as my hair falls out after a couple of weeks of use.. seriously.. So I figured after not using l'oreal in quite a few years I would re-introduce myself to their products.. So far, so good. I am yo-yoing between this stuff ( and the shampoo for dry hair ) and the vive-pro nutri-gloss ( the pink bottles) as I am trying to avoid product build-up .. plus i bought the pink bottles for my 5 year old, who has incredibly fine blonde hair.. concensus.. hair is mega soft.. doesn't feel weighed down, and mucho shine. I am trying to avoid straightening my hair every day but on the days that I do, I do not require any smoothing creams or serums.. this stuff works well on its own. Now the only thing that will be a waiting game for me is its effects on my scalp. That is my killer for drug store 'poos and cons.. reactive scalp. So we will see, and I will update when I know more! To save some time, the shampoo is awesome. Nice lather, don't need tons of product to clean your hair and my hair is not a tangled mess after rinsing. I personally love the smell of this line of products. :) I like the way it lingers. Anywho will purchase again if all goes well..
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Scrubs -St. Ives - Apricot Scrub Blemish and Blackhead Control
Calina_Oscura76 12/4/2010 2:02:00 PM
Well, I have used apricot scrubs on and off since my early teens, as it was an effective exfoliant and dirt cheap.. especially for a young teen who had little to no money. fast forward into my early 30s, and I found myself picking this up on a whim once more.. tho this one has S.A. (I usually used the normal formula.. remember the one in the big tubs?) Anywho, my skin has gone up s***creek over the past 5 months or so, incredibly dry, more hormonal break outs than i can shake a fist at and dull, not to mention slow healing .. ( A.K.A pimples that refuse to give up the fight.. ) seems my present health problem is more problematic than I thought it would be.. I digress. So I try this scrub after all of my other scrubs are failing me miserably, and the first night all those dry, flaky patches are smoothed over considerably, a nice change of pace for me. I was not expecting miracles with the acne control but what a pleasant surprise a week later, my skin is clearing up some and I have only had 2 new pimples.. where by this point in the month I would have at least a dozen if not more.. Maybe my skin just needed a change of cleansers and scrubs.. I don't much care as long as it is working. For the record, I never found apricot scrubs too harsh for my skin, I just might be lucky in that respect.. I love the feeling of these scrubs and my face is baby soft afterwards.. :) I just hope the results stick around for awhile.. Either way, if my skin improves with this tube, I will re-purchase. Update: Almost a month later and my skin is 95% cleared up. Just waiting for a few stubborn spots to heal .. ( again with the rather slow healing) I purchased a tube of the original to use in tandem with the S.A tube and this works out wonderfully for me. Will continue using this product for as long as it works for me! ;)
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Vichy - Aqualia Thermal Mat
Calina_Oscura76 8/25/2010 2:01:00 PM
I always seem to have that "shiny" problem .. especially in the summer.. yet I am also prone to dry patches, acne and everything else under the sun.. and all at the same time. yes, blessed with crappy, irritable cranky skin. I recently tried a matifying lotion from garnier and found it to be "too" drying.. well over the top.. my make-up would look chalky over this lotion, so I discontinued use. As I was flipping through reviews and knowing Vichy had this Aqualia line, I kept coming back to this products reviews and realized that it was worth trying. it runs 36 dollars ( CAD) here, but there was 20 percent off so I purchased. I am so glad I did, barely a scent to it.. very light and fresh and smooths on like a dream. A little goes a long way, so I will have this bottle for a while as I only use it during the day ( unless my skin feels really parched.. then I will double up on it) I love the gel like texture and consistency is great and the pump is nice in my opinion.. as I can well control the amount that comes out. My make up goes on well over top and the lotion sets in quickly, so there is little waiting time from moisturizing to make up app. The BEST part? it actually controls my shiny areas.. nose, cheeks and forehead.. and chin.. my make up stays fresh looking longer and doesn't melt off of my face. My skin likes it too, no reaction thus far in fact it seems to be helping it even out some. I will totally buy this again. I love it. :)
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Liquid -L'Oreal - Visible Lift Serum Absolute Advanced Age-Reversing Makeup
Calina_Oscura76 7/26/2010 7:03:00 PM
I absolutely love this foundation. I have tried many L'oreal foundations and this is the first I have wanted to use every day since they discontinued Translucide. This fondation kind of reminds me of Translucide with the exception that it does not make my skin look oily, but that was a small flaw I was willing to put up with before they discontinued. I digress... I purchased this in Nude Beige. An absolute perfect match for me ( I actually matched it to Revlons PhotoReady, as that was the closest match I could ever find for my skin ( Shell). This particular foundation matches me even more,and it does not oxidize on me at all ( bonus points). If there are illuminating particles in it, I don't notice them on my face and I figure there are not as much of them as in the PhotoReady, So this make me happy. Visible Lift with Serum goes on smoothly, much smoother than the other foundations in the visible lift line, which I despised. My skin is not reacting to it nor the SPF in it which tends to me a huge problem for me. I usually opt for an SPF -free formula, but I figured this one was worth a shot and I am really glad I tried it. My skin actually looks fairly decent bare lately and it has pretty good lasting power ( even throughout the night on those evenings that I fall asleep before washing my make-up off. My bad.) All in all, a decent foundation, good coverage without looking cakey or fake-y. nice texture and if you do happen to have some acne, it does nto make it stand out like a sore .. pimple. I will totally buy this again and in my books, this is about as close to HG status I am going to get. Guess I can chuck out the other foundations collecting dust in my bathroom cabinet. :)
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Matrix - Sleek.look conditioner
Calina_Oscura76 7/19/2010 2:28:00 PM
SO far I love this conditioner. It is nice and light, yet does the job. I chose to wait a good 3-4 weeks before writting a review because I had read many reviews adressing a "build up" problem after using the shampoo and conditioner for a longer period of time. Personally, I have not had this problem and I am even using the styling creme. I was quite skeptical of this product but the salon I purchased from said i could return it if I was not happy, and she even went as far as not recommending it, but I chose to try it anyways. I like the fact that I can get away with not straightening my short-ish wavy hair every day now ( I am trying to grow it out) because its not a frizzy frenzy anymore. When I do straighten and go outside in our rather warm, humid climate ( Ontario is "getting the heat and tropical waves this summer) my hair did not go wavy or kinky at all. Rather impressed by this. I like the smell, its not strong at all, pleasant really and it doesn't linger at all.I got the litres on sale in my local area and it was worth every penny. I must note that my hair loss has decreased, but I think this is because I stopped using Pantene. ( I am not bashing the product, it just doesn't work well for me, but its wonderful for my daughters Incredibly fine long blonde hair..) Either way, I will totally purchase again.. I hope I continue to get the results I am getting right now, because my hair never felt better! :) Soft, smooth, really shiny. Love it!
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Treatments -Neostrata - Skin Renewal Peel Solution
Calina_Oscura76 4/20/2010 1:13:00 AM
*Edit May 05th 2010*: My skin just keeps getting better and better as time goes on. I have reduced usage to about 2 times a week ( maybe 3 if needed) and I use the resurfacing duo afterwards and my skin has improved a great deal in regards to break-outs. incredibly impressed and I will never stop using this product. I cannot believe that I have never tried this before. I have suffered from acne more in my adult years than at any point in my teens ( hormonal would be my guess) and of course I am (un)lucky enough to scar easily. I have used this peel for the past 3 nights,one night even using the resurfacing duo and the level 3 day lotion right after the peel and only experienced an itchy tingle from the lotion, but this is something I always experience from the lotion, so no biggie. I LOVE the little cotton pads the product comes with: they are quite thin so you are not using too much product, great texture and they do not pill. the peel solution really doesn't have a profound scent, and it feels surprisingly gritty when applied. ( shake it well first! lol) My skin felt absolutely amazing after the first treatment, and I have had no purging so far from my skin So it is getting the chance to clear up finally! My makeup is going on much better, no freaky little dry patches everywhere. I will never stop using this. 73 CAD at the Shoppers in my neck of the woods, and IMO worth every penny. I will update at some point if there are any changes ( be it positive or negative) in regards to this product. :)
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -Revlon - PhotoReady Makeup
Calina_Oscura76 3/18/2010 1:35:00 PM
Edit: May 5th 2010 : I stopped using this to rule out whether it was irritating my skin or not. I started getting cystic acne and this tends to happen with foundations with SPFS in it. ( why I have no idea) I am now using maybelline and no issues, so this may have been the culprit. Too bad, because it goes on great and has great coverage. :( Will test the theory in the future. maybe. I was really on the fence as to whether I should try this foundation or not. I have not had alot of luck with anything revlon, much less any foundation with SPF, as the SPF usually makes me look "ghostly". I must say I was pleasantly surprised when I finally broke down and bought this foundation. I bought Shell ( 03 I think?) which ended up being the perfect shade for me. ( Revlon really needs to provide testers.. grrr.) I like the coverage, great lasting power, and my skin doesn't look like an oil slick by the end of the day. It has a nice consistency and is easy to blend. Most importantly of all, I have not broken out from this and my skin is not reacting to the SPF ( yet another problem with SPF that I seem to have) I do not get that "whittish look" from the SPF in it either, which is a bonus. I can tolerate the sparkles, though they could probably tone it doen a touch. I purchased the pressed powder as well, but find it is over-kill in the sparkle department, so I use the pressed powder with other foundations for a nice glow. This stuff makes my skin look pretty decent in almost any light ( of course I refer to fluorescent tube lighting.. nothing looks good in that light..lol) So that being said, I will most likely re-purchase. Worth noting, no funky smell to the foundation, yet another bonus! :) Update: I had to stop using this. Irritating my skin and the sparkles were just WAY over the top, especially when you get to the half way point in the bottle and have issues with shaking the bottle before using..lol.. Either way, my skin just did not do well with this long term and it started smelling funky after a few months.. oh well.
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Treatments (Eye) -L'Oreal - Lash Boosting Serum
Calina_Oscura76 1/23/2010 6:21:00 PM
I bought this on a whim after spotting it at the pharmacy in my small little town.. lol.. anywho, It was a mere 15 bucks (CAD) and after seeing the hefty price tag on the rapidlash and knowing latisse will not be an option ( here in canada anyways, don't think it has been approved yet) I figured it was worth a shot. My lashes break easily and shed even worse.. they are thin and scrawny,, yes, scrawny is a good descriptive word.. anyways, It has been 10 days into using the serum 2 times a day and I have to say so far I am impressed. My lashes feel softer, I lose less of them per day and they are not as prone to breakage, so when I look at my lashes now, they are definately fuller. Definately healthier. this product does require patience, it is not an overnight change, but it is worth the wait, and I am only 10 days into it, So I will continue to use this faithfully. For me personally it is nothing short of a small miracle as my lashes were not fantastic to begin with. YAY for L'Oreal. hee hee.. oddly enough, i do not like any of their mascaras.. but this stuff is wykid..
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair Styling Tools -Unlisted Brand - Generic Value Products-GVP 1'' Hair Straightener
Calina_Oscura76 1/11/2010 6:13:00 PM
I purchased this flat iron in May of 2009, after returning an ION flat iron.. which I was not impressed with at all, but that is a whole other review. I really do like this iron.. it heats up quick, and the only issue with heat is if you do have it set too high, you hair will become fly-away and a static nightmare.. a much better alternative than heat damaged.It is incredible for doing flips due to the beveled edges and the plates are super tough.. they will not chip. I have used this on my daughters baby fine blonde hair and no problems. my big gripe is the placement of the temperature control. It is a round dial and it moves freely.. so it is easy to change the temperature of the iron without knowing you did it. maybe if they came up with something to lock it in place or place it elsewhere then it would not be a concern. Which leads me to my next issue. I just finished packing up the flat iron and shipping it out to Texas ( I am in canada) to get a gift certificate in return as the heating elements are at a point where I can only get heat if I crank the temperature to near 400 degrees.. something I really don't feel like doing not only to the flat iron but to my hair. I have no idea if this is a common issue with most flat irons?? but i will buy a replacement of the same brand because I really do like it. It did take a few drops ( kittens like the cord apparently, usually I have it wrapped up but they always find it when they shouldn't..lol_) so maybe there was damage to the heating elements. Otherwise a decent iron for those on a budget.. I will not be able to afford a babyliss or anything like that anytime soon.. so this will do for now. I did get the extended warranty ( after many run ins with crappy irons). I returned it before the first year is up and then the sallys coverage will start after the GVP warranty is up ( 1 year) )
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Treatments -Revlon - Calcium Gel Nail Hardener
Calina_Oscura76 10/3/2009 5:22:00 PM
I credit this nail treatment for saving my nails. After a rather awful run in with gel nails and then removal of said gel nails, my natural nails were even worse then before ( considering I wanted the gel nails for strength). I had recalled my Mom mentioning that Revlon made a good treatment but she did not remember what it actually was called, so I took a stab in the dark and bought this at the Shoppers in my area. I have been abstaining from nail polish so I could use this hardener religiously ( abstain and religiiously in one sentence. lol) and it has paid off in a big way. my nails are thicker, stronger and they are not splitting, breaking, weak.. etc.. in fact I can open a can of soda with them and they do not even bend! Maybe I am the minority.. maybe not. I will never stop using this. So far, it has been my saving grace. Bonus points for masking ridges.. smooths the nail surface right out. The product itself is a milky white and on the nails looks natural enough.. just a touch of milkiness but I rather like the look of it. Not too shiny. stays on for days as well I notice minimal chipping, however i did not like it as a base coat, which is why I choose to abstain from polishes at this point. will definately purchase this again when needed.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No