Lip Treatments -Maybelline - Baby Lips in Cherry Me
Tovah 2/9/2013 11:39:00 PM
My son's girlfriend introduced me to this balm while we were on a weekend trip in Las Vegas. The cold desert winter was chapping my lips like crazy and my Clinique Chubby Stick (lip balms have the dumbest names!) was not cutting it. I bought a Baby Lips in Cherry Me and and one in Peach Kiss (two balms for under $6.00!). Peach Kiss is more like a sheer layer of peach-scented frost, but Cherry Me is a lovely, sheer red that looks natural but adds enough color to brighten my face. The moisture level is very good and it lasts a couple of hours before I need to apply it again. It's got a fruity scent, but it's very light. I like the orange case, and I think it looks especially nice contrasted with the red color of the balm. This is similar to Nivea's lip balm in "A Kiss of Cherry" but Maybelline's has more color, more moisture, and a higher level of sunscreen. For the price it can't be beat.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair Styling Tools -Unlisted Brand - Andis 1875W Ionic Hair Dryer with Diffuser
Tovah 2/6/2013 5:55:00 PM
Using this dryer with the diffuser is a bit like standing next to a running turbojet engine while holding an antique phonograph horn over your head. If you straighten your hair, you may appreciate the strength of this one. My problem with it (in addition to the fact that this damages my hearing every time I use it) is that the "low" heat is hotter than any other dryer I've used, and it's easy to burn my non-sensitive scalp. Also, the diffuser can suck in my hair, getting it tangled in the metal that lines the diffuser. On top of that, this feels like it weighs as much as my vacuum cleaner. I hate this thing and I'm very sorry I purchased it.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -Physicians Formula - Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Powder
Tovah 2/6/2013 5:21:00 PM
For as long as I can remember I've been tempted at least once a year by some new product adorably packaged by Physician's Formula, only to wind up tossing it in the trash. In the past every PF product I've tried has either performed horribly, exhibited terrible color-matches, or both. This is different. For one, I was not attracted to Super BB's packaging. In fact, at first I thought it was really tacky and gaudy. Yet, for some reason, this tacky-gaudiness stopped me in my tracks as I was en route to purchase cold medicine for my son, and it inspired me to inspect the products they housed. Two, I couldn't help but notice immediately that the Medium-Deep color of the "BB Beauty Balm Powder" looked a lot like my daydreams of the SPF powder I'd been hopelessly searching for, for years. Then I looked again at that darned packaging and...it looked kinda cute. It reminded me of junior high roller skating parties and The Bee Gees. With a name like Super BB All-in-1 Beauty Balm Powder, surely it was singing, "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do", (or maybe it was "Muskrat Love"...it was loud in there). I don't know why this calls itself a "beauty balm", because it is definitely a powder, with a matte finish, great color, and SPF with Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide. Don't buy this thinking it's a cream to powder or a cream, because it's solid powder. This is not shiny, glittery, shimmery, or cakey. I apply it over bare skin with a powder brush, and the lasting power is impressive - several hours. This also works as a finishing and touch-up powder. I'm thrilled to have a product that has SPF, matches my skin, and doesn't leave me looking as shiny as the disco balls of fond memory. The price is amazingly inexpensive as well. Great buy!
15 out of 16 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
BB Cream -Too Faced - Air Buffed BB Creme SPF 20
Tovah 1/26/2013 5:24:00 PM
I tested this in Linen Glow and Nude Glow. Nude Glow was best on my NC35 skin, and I found it to be a very good match. Its velvety texture blends smoothly over my skin. This "creme" has a soft finish, but it doesn't have the consistency of "cream" at all. In the container this feels like a porous solid, almost wax-sponge-ish; but on skin it sets as powder. It doesn't compress or contract like a sponge but it feels like it releases air when it's touched. This is good for oil-control, and it's especially smooth over pores. It does not have to be set with powder, which is great! Personally, I find the coverage to be quite sheer, even for my skin, and I like sheer foundation. The SPF 20 is a fabulous addition to any makeup, and this gives me hope for a future formula that may offer more coverage. I would use a sponge for application, not the cute little attached brush, if I wanted this to be my sunscreen, but the brush is darling, and very soft. Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide 8.3% Inactive Ingredients: Triethylhexanoin, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Isotridecyl Isononanoate, Dextrin Palmitate, Mica, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Tocopherol, HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Alumina, Butylene Glycol, Water, Silica, Rosa Multiflora Fruit Extract, Averrhoa Carambola Leaf Extract, Rhodomyrtus Tomentosa Fruit Extract
7 out of 10 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Dolce & Gabbana - Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme 2012 Release
Tovah 1/25/2013 11:45:00 PM
Oooo - this is beautiful, Long-lasting with many moods. This is an elegant fragrance that has a subtle playfulness,as though it has a selective secret part saved for special times. It's positive, happy, clean, fruity, and marshmallow-sweet, but it's nothing like a run-of-the-mill B&BW recycled formula body spray. This doesn't portray wanting to be a teenager, it portrays a a multi-faceted, adventurous, fun spirit.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Maybelline - Dream Bouncy Blush - Candy Coral
Tovah 1/25/2013 11:33:00 PM
This blush turned out to be a cheer-me-up-on-a-tough-day surprise for me! Recently I was traveling, and my MAC Pinch O Peach did a nose dive off a sink and spattered all over the bathroom floor in my hotel room. I was running out the door, late, in a rainstorm, and I really, REALLY needed some blush on me. I ran into a nearby CVS and grabbed a little round container of this blush because it was the first thing I saw, and it was on sale. When I got in the car and touched it so I could smear it on my face, my first instinct was to pull-back as though I'd touched something slimy. I'd expected this to be a basic, crumbly powder blush, but this feels so bizarre! It's like a little ball of dough that you can roll up and reshape and then press flat. I just had to play with it a little. Makeup can get pretty dull, so I think it's great that this is so entertaining! Candy coral is a lovely glowing peachy color that really illuminates my face, as long as I put a lot on. It's probably perfect on very fair skin. Later on the plane ride home I tried to apply this blush with a sponge, and it made a mess all over my face. It crumbled and it made my foundation crumble, and I had to reapply everything with my fingers to look presentable again. I don't like sticking my fingers in makeup, especially a blush that seems to absorb whatever is on those fingers, however, one of these days I'll try this formula in a darker color and apply it with a brush. The "bouncy" idea is very cute, but not very practical for my needs. It is an adorable idea for makeup for very young girls.
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Cleansers -Neutrogena - Ultra Gentle Foaming Cleanser
Tovah 1/11/2013 4:04:00 PM
I ran out of my Neutrogena Grapefruit Oil-Free Acne Wash, and, (silly of me), I asked my 18 year old and 13 year old sons to pick up a new bottle for me, since they were going to Target. I even texted a photo of the product to both of them. Of course, they "couldn't find" what I wanted, but they bought Neutrogena Grapefruit Foaming Scrub, Liquid Neutrogena soap, Neutrogena Cleansing Wipes, and Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Foaming Cleanser...assuming there was something in the bunch that would satisfy my mysterious facial needs. (Turns out I like the Grapefruit Scrub quite a lot. I digress.) Being the new owner of a large bottle of Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Foaming Cleanser, I gave it a try. For me, it's absolutely horrible! Awful! It didn't cleanse my face at all...I could still see blush on my cheeks after a wash! But the worst part is the scent. This is the most highly perfumed face wash I've ever used...and I've used Lancome, Noxzema, you-name-it. I cannot STAND the scent of it - it smells like a heavy version of Arm & Hammer laundry detergent, but I doubt it's that gentle. Even though it didn't clean my face, it made it feel stripped. Since I regularly use Grapefruit Acne wash with salicylic acid and my face never feels stripped, it was disconcerting to have an "ultra gentle" wash make me feel like my skin shrunk. Beware - this is no substitute for any version of Cetaphil.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Jimmy Choo - Jimmy Choo
Tovah 1/11/2013 3:41:00 PM
This review is for the EDP. When I sniffed Jimmy Choo EDP for the first time I expected absolutely nothing. I surprised myself with a "Wow!" reaction. It's nothing at all like what I expected and so much better than I hoped for. On me Jimmy Choo is a chypre and a gourmand, which seems impossible. That's why I am certain that Jimmy Choo is the most multifaceted chameleon-like fragrance I've ever worn. Honestly, depending upon the weather, my body temperature, its mood...it can be perceived as many different fragrances. Even during one wear time it changes throughout the day. Fascinating! A warmer day tends to bring out chypre notes, and cooler days bring out the powdery light caramel notes. This fragrance is quite sensual and I love it. Olivier Polge rocks my world, yet again. I love Jimmy Choo's sculpted, elegant, heavy glass bottle as well. It's obvious why it's so often compared to Flowerbomb's bottle, but, like the fragrance, I like the Jimmy Choo one better.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Foundations -Revlon - Nearly Naked Foundation
Tovah 1/11/2013 3:02:00 PM
As a foundation, this isn't so great. This foundation does not look like skin (my skin anyways), and it's not really all that sheer or lightweight. It's similar to Colorstay, except it doesn't last like Colorstay. Nearly Naked does get more sheer as it sets, which won't work well for anyone who wants coverage from foundation, and it doesn't take the shine from my nose even right after application. Plus, Revlon has yet to "get" the concept of golden/olive undertones, and they're still somewhat weak when it comes to skin darker than NC/NW 30. I'm NC35 and I bought Sun Beige, which is the right shade, but definitely not the right tone. If you can, try before you buy.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Crème -Revlon - ColorStay Whipped Creme Makeup
Tovah 1/7/2013 11:50:00 AM
This is a very nice foundation! It feels so light and creamy. It has coverage that's medium to full, and the sheerest it gets is medium. I usually wear Face & Body foundation because I prefer a sheer, long-wearing base, however, for photos and dressing-up occasions Colorstay Whipped Cream has a great finish. On my oily skin, it's not an all-day wear, but it does last a couple of hours before I start to melt and shine. I wouldn't purchase this again mainly because I can't stand the jar. I use a brush or a sponge for application, but I still feel like I'm putting creepy-crawlies into the makeup every time I use it. (I much prefer my foundations to be in pump or squirt bottles). Also, I bought Warm Gold but I possibly should have gotten Natural Tan or Early Tan (both of which are too "beige" for me in the Colorstay formula...so I may just be out of luck with Whipped Cream Makeup). Be warned, the outside of the jar looks nothing like the product inside.I'm C4/NC35 in MAC and #34 in MUFE Face & Body, and Warm Gold is pretty light for me. The Whipped Creme Makeup doesn't really let my natural coloring show through, so I have to make sure I cover my neck and anything else that shows with foundation so I don't have a mime face. I can pull it off for a flawless evening face, but this would never work for daytime without adding darker foundation. To me, this Whipped makeup doesn't look like skin, and no one would ever mistake it for a "natural" look, but it does have a beautiful finish and if I could find a color match it would look "flawless".
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Paul Mitchell - Curls Ultimate Wave Beachy Texture Cream Gel
Tovah 12/16/2012 11:16:00 PM
This is probably not intended for my coarse, 3b/a, low-porosity curls. Usually any product that promises "beachy" hair means "bristely" hair for me, and this gel follows suit. It dries out my hair like crazy, plus it feels gluey and sticky.. When this is applied in my wet hair, my hair starts frizzing before it gets the chance to curl.
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Styling Products -Paul Mitchell - Curls Twirl Around Crunch Free Curl Definer
Tovah 12/16/2012 11:07:00 PM
This is a softening gel-cream that gives excellent definition to curls and helps prevent frizzing and poofiness. It has decent hold for indoors, but it doesn't stand up to weather. I really like the silky feel and the bounciness this gives my curls, and I think this will work beautifully for fine hair as well. My hair is pretty coarse, so in dry winter weather I prefer the similar Ouidad Curl Quencher Hydrafusion Curl Cream over this, but when the weather is more humid this will probably be my favorite.
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Conditioner -Paul Mitchell - Curls Full Circle Leave-in Treatment
Tovah 12/16/2012 10:59:00 PM
This is very light, but it keeps hair soft. It excellent for removing tangles and it gives my curls excellent definition. It can build-up after several uses, but the initial results are worth it. Very nice - and works synergistically with the Curls Shampoo.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Paul Mitchell - Curls Spring Loaded Detangling Shampoo
Tovah 12/16/2012 10:55:00 PM
Cleanses well but it's not detangling at all, nor is it moisturizing. The tube is too much for the amount of product that needs to be used, and it becomes hard to squeeze out way before the tube is almost empty. This smells nice and it removes dirt and build-up, but I want more for my money.
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Treatments -Ouidad - Biotin Lightweight Reparative Hair Serum
Tovah 12/16/2012 10:38:00 PM
Just about miraculous! Keeps hair from breaking, adds shine, soothes scalp, and promotes elasticity. One bottle lasts at least six months. When applying every night, within six weeks I noticed my hair feeling fuller and looking longer.
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