Fragrances -Prescriptives - Flirt
Emily0816 11/7/2012 10:32:00 AM
This smells like dog pee mixed with wet laundry.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Lolita Lempicka - Si Lolita de Lolita Lempicka
Emily0816 11/6/2012 5:38:00 PM
I like this, and didn't expect to. It starts off strong and floral, like walking into a room full of well-kempt old ladies. BUT, it settles down into something subtle and interesting, with a sharp, woody note that tempers the initial floral attack. It's sweet, and not particularly sophisticated, but I would wear it to a picnic on a summer afternoon. It may have headache-causing potential to those who are sensitive.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
BB Cream -Maybelline - Dream Fresh 8-in-1 BB Cream
Emily0816 11/5/2012 11:14:00 AM
I bought this as emergency drugstore makeup after evacuating from Hurricane Sandy, and was pleasantly surprised. I'm a TM snob (La Mer and Laura Mercier) and found this comparable to LM, even though it's not a TM. I'm very pale and the lightest shade blended very well into my skin. The yellow-based tint is great for pink-toned Irish girls like me. It's thick enough to minimize the appearance of pores, and gives skin a healthy glow without looking greasy. You may want to use a primer on any dry areas, because it does drag a bit if skin isn't smooth. I'll use this instead of LM in the future, as it doesn't settle into pores the way that LM can. I've been using it for a few days and haven't had any breakouts; it also feels lovely on skin (not too heavy). Most important, it doesn't look like makeup; it looks like great skin.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Chopard - Casmir by Chopard
Emily0816 10/25/2012 2:14:00 PM
I fell in love with this fragrance on a trip to visit my grandmother when I was 10. She bought me a sample of it and I loved the sweet, sexy, vanilla notes. About 20 years later, I repurchased it and was surprised that it smelled sharper, without the balance of the sweet, soft, vanilla that made it so delicious when I was 10. My advice for wearing Casmir is to give it time. Don't spray it on and immediately smell your wrist; you'll be confronted with an inharmonious blend of ... ick. The dry down is heavenly, and worth waiting 30-45 minutes for. I wouldn't wear this in the summer because it's spicy, but it's perfect for a cold evening.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Christian Dior - Miss Dior
Emily0816 10/24/2012 5:41:00 PM
I wanted to like this, but it reminds me of something a grandmother would wear. I think you might be able to get away with it as a teenager (or a grandmother), but the sweet, floral, powdery notes don't have any seductive or professional connotations, and I think fragrances for young women should fall into one of those two camps. It also smells very "perfumey" and seems likely to induce a headache. I can understand why people like this, because it smells "nice," like a flower, but it's not for me. I do enjoy some floral fragrances like Coach Poppy, which has a more delicious and sophisticated edge.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Biafine Emulsion
Emily0816 10/19/2012 2:32:00 PM
Just to clarify what other users have written, you CAN buy Biafine emulsion without a prescription in the US. I got a very bad sunburn, was written an Rx for Biafine, given Prutect (generic), and ran out before insurance would cover a refilll. Generic Biafine is $87 for 45 grams at the drugstore. I got real Biafine (93 grams) for $68 (plus 5 free beauty samples!) from beautystoredepot.com (without an Rx), overnight express from FedEx because I was desperate. It arrived today, so I know it's legit. Biafine smells nicer than Prutect, seems less thick, is more absorbent, and so far is working very well. It has a pleasant tingling sensation that Prutect doesn't have, maybe because of the higher degree of absorbency. Prutect also left a waxy coating on skin that Biafine doesn't, although both contain paraffin. Prutect tends to cause more itching as the waxy coating dries and flakes off after several hours (there is wax all over my sheets, my clothes, and the floor). If your insurance won't cover Prutect (co-pays are usually about $15), Biafine is a great option (and available without an Rx if you know where to look). Most Rx's will tell you to apply it BID (twice a day) in a thin layer over damaged skin.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Hermes - 24 Faubourg
Emily0816 10/17/2012 3:46:00 PM
I think you either love or hate this perfume, because it's strong. It's not an everyday scent, and you'd have to wear it with some confidence. It smells mature but not at all like something your grandmother would wear. It does smell like "perfume" and not something you'd find in nature, i.e., no one will think it might be your shampoo or your body lotion or just your lovely natural scent. My boyfriend usually says "you smell good" when I'm wearing something - this time, he said "I like your perfume." I would wear this as a cold weather fragrance in the evening. I like the spiciness and warmth of it, and the multidimensional notes. The spiciness settles down into a pleasant powdery finish. Be wary of wearing too much. It reminds me of the now-discontinued Gio by Armani.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Revlon - Cream Blush in Rosy Glow
Emily0816 10/16/2012 7:15:00 PM
My HG blush! Fair-skinned girls, give this a try. I've used NARS and Clinique and will never go back to a powder blush. I love the soft matte finish - it looks so natural no one will know you're wearing blush. I've read complaints that this is TOO natural and TOO buildable. If you're looking for a blush that will make people compliment you on your blush, this isn't it. There are no sparkles and it doesn't leave a hard line. If you want to look pretty and be complimented on your skin and cheekbones, this is your blush. It's also a wonderful blush for beginners, as it's very hard to make a mistake. If you're going for a more dramatic evening look, you can always use this as a base and top it with NARS Orgasm.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Coach - Poppy Blossom EDP
Emily0816 10/16/2012 7:09:00 PM
It's rare that I love a floral perfume, as I find most of them too sweet and cloying. This makes me want to lick my wrist! It smells good immediately; you don't have to wait for the top notes to settle down. It smells soft and inviting, like melon mixed with sugar. As it settles down, the melon becomes less sharp and more vanilla-y. It would be a perfect daytime or warm weather fragrance. I can't stop smelling my wrist! I'm prone to headaches and am very picky about perfume, so that's unusual. I've found my new HG warm weather fragrance! EDIT: one complaint, and that is that you have to wear a LOT of it to be noticed. I sprayed it 3 times on my wrist at one-hour intervals (from a sample), then sprayed it on my neck, and accidentally spilled a bit on my pajamas. I was sitting in bed next to my boyfriend, and he couldn't smell a thing until I asked him to review the perfume and held my wrist up to his nose. He said "I like it, it's subtle." You'll smell great when people hug you, but when they're 2 feet away they won't know you're wearing anything at all. That's ideal for some situations, though.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Bulgari - Jasmin Noir
Emily0816 10/15/2012 2:54:00 PM
I'm very picky about perfume; I don't like strong or overpowering "I'm wearing perfume" scents. This is sophisticated but doesn't come on too strong. There's nothing offensive about it, and, unlike most perfumes, the top notes smell good as soon as you spray it on your skin. It doesn't need time to "settle down." It smells inviting without being cloying. I can't really identify the notes in it - definitely floral, but darker (thus the name Jasmine Noir, I suppose). It doesn't smell like a typical floral perfume in that a girl wouldn't wear it while prancing through a meadow. A woman would wear this.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Lancome - Definicils Mascara
Emily0816 9/28/2012 4:50:00 PM
This product does lengthen lashes, but it seems to do so by killing the curl I put in them and straightening them. It often leaves them clumped together so that I have to use a lash comb to separate them. It doesn't flake as much as other mascaras, but makes lashes look stiff. When I try to comb out clumps, I'm sometimes left with spotty application of the product along single lashes, making it obvious that I'm wearing mascara.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -BeneFit Cosmetics - The Porefessional
Emily0816 9/28/2012 2:48:00 PM
This product is just OK. I had to use a lot of it to notice any effect on my pores, and even then there was no "ah ha! they're smaller!" moment. My skin did look and feel smoother after blending it all in, and it has a nice texture. I panicked a little after putting on foundation (LM TM), which usually doesn't show my pores. This time, ironically, it did. I think it was because I put on the amount I normally use w/other primers, which in this case was too much. It was like Benefit created a magnet in each pore that sucked my foundation into it. I scraped off the excess with a fingernail and THEN my pores did look (slightly) smaller. I didn't have the same problem with La Mer TM. I would only use this on your T-zone, as it does a good job of controlling oil but will make normal skin look dry.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Desert Essence - Dessert Essence Blemish Touch Stick
Emily0816 9/26/2012 8:06:00 AM
My new HG! I cannot say enough good things about this miracle worker. It cleared up the small pimples on my face overnight (the ones that may not be noticeable from far away, but you can see about 15 raised spots if you look at your skin at an angle to the light, mostly on forehead). It took about 1 full day to completely clear a noticeable red pimple on my nose. I haven't tried it on any big zits yet. Best of all, it cleared my keratosis pilaris (common skin condition; small red bumps on back of arms) almost completely - overnight! I have mild KP to begin with, but it's noticeable to the eye and to the touch (ew, sandpaper arms) and now the back of my arm is smooth. I'm so happy and hope others find success with this product.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Stila - Kitten
Emily0816 9/25/2012 8:03:00 PM
I love the bright-eyed lift this gives my eyes, even though I'm not one for shimmery, looks-like-makeup makeup. Be warned that when you first apply this it will look very shimmery and some will fall on your cheeks, but with a few swipes of a fanbrush you're on your way. Once the eyeshadow settles in, the shimmer quiets down and the pink tones come through more. I wouldn't go crazy applying this to the whole mobile lid, but love using it on the inner corners of my eyes and mid-to-inner part of lid. Highlighting the inner corners and contouring the outers will make your eyes look more wideset, and this is perfect for that. My only gripe is that the powder is very fragile - the force of the lid closing is enough to dent and flake the product along the sides.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -NARS - Pencil in Black Moon
Emily0816 9/25/2012 7:49:00 PM
This is a good pencil for a very specific look - the smokey eye. It will smudge and run into undereye lines if you don't pre-smudge it, and you'll need to use a fan brush to sweep away any black specks along your cheeks after applying it. Use it before applying any foundation. Frankly, it's a lot of work and not worth the price. The tip is quite hard and drags along your eyelid. This pencil will NOT give you a sharp black line, it WILL give you a nice black shadow of a line that you can smudge out to the outer corners to make your eyes look bigger and more defined. I prefer a subtle eye makeup look, so I've made this work, but would not repurchase. If you use it on your upper waterline, you will soon have it on your lower waterline whether you wanted it there or not. To line my upper waterline, I now use Bobbi Brown gel liner. Still searching for a good lower waterline pencil (message me if you've found one :-)).
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No