Mascara -Kiss Me - Kiss Me Mascara
abcx123 8/13/2008 4:17:00 PM
I got a very small tube of this as a sample from Blinc. Based on the reviews, I wasn't expecting much, but this is the best mascara I have ever used. Although most say this doesn't thicken at all, it lengthens a bit and thickens a lot in just one coat for me. Normally, I would need around five coats of every other mascara just to achieve the same effect of one coat of Kiss Me on my Asian lashes. The only thing I didn't like about this mascara is that out of all the mascaras I've tried, it held the curl the least. The formula is very wet, but doesn't take too long to dry. It is important to apply coats before it dries, because it dries in tubes. The tubes are definately very cool and there is no smudging at all because of them. Removal is also very easy, just slide the tubes off. The price is ridiculous at 30something CAD, but my small sample tube (smaller than my pinky) has lasted a bit more than a month now. If this held a curl better, I'm sure it would be my HG.
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Bronzers -Quo - Baked Bronzer - Sandstorm
abcx123 8/13/2008 4:08:00 PM
The pretty shimmery bronze colour with gold swirls caught my eye. I swiped some on my cheeks, then went home and my cheeks for glowing, so I had to buy it. It was a bit pricey, I got it for $14 but it's originally around $18. It will probably last years, though. It costs around the same as the Physician's Formula strips, but the Quo is way better, IMO. The colour payoff is better and it's not as "sparkly". It's also very buildable and can probably be used as a blush on certain skintones. Only a small bit on product on the brush is needed, and I get a very warm, golden glow on my Asian skin.
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Mascara -Dejavu (Imju) - Fiberwig Lash Knockout
abcx123 8/13/2008 3:58:00 PM
Sephora really overprices this mascara, got this in Asia and it was drugstore price. The first time I used this I was very disappointed because it didn't seem to do anything at all. However, it lengthens like crazy if I apply this before curling my lashes, and then curling after. The fibres really do work. I would say this is one of the best lengthening mascaras I've used. This doesn't thicken even a little bit, so I have to apply a volumizing mascara on top, but I didn't take off a lippie for that because it never claims to thicken. It's buildable in terms of adding length, but adding too many coats gives the spidery effect. I didn't like how the fibres stick together when you're pulling the wand out of the tube, they form a big glop with little fibres sticking out at the end of the wand that can get annoying. But I did find that this is a great mascara for bottom lashes. Sometimes when I'm wearing this, my eye tears up and ruins my makeup. I'm not sure if it's the mascara itself, but I'm guessing it's because the fibre flakes. DIdn't smudge. Also didn't hold a curl, but that's not surprising considering my lashes. It's very easy to wash off. All in all, this is a great mascara if you want super long and natural looking lashes, but not if you want something a little more dramatic.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Misc Beauty Tools -Tweezerman - tweezers
abcx123 3/15/2008 12:42:00 AM
Best tweezers I've ever used (well I've only used three other ones, including the mini tweezers). At first I was skeptical, wondering how a pair of tweezers could be so great, espescially after trying out the mini version of this, which sucked. These grab hairs so easily and pulls them out smoothly. They are very sharp, and can hurt if you poke yourself, but it's worth it for efficient plucking.
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Misc Beauty Tools -Unlisted Brand - Bic Soleil disposable razors
abcx123 3/12/2008 6:04:00 PM
I don't find these razors as bad as everybody claims they are. I've never nicked myself with these and I'm a clumsy person. Gives me a close, smooth shave, but only lasts two days. I used to like these until it gave me a whole bunch of ingrown hairs on my bikini line-not good. Unsure about repurhcase, but I put yes.
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Hair Color -L'Oreal - Excellence Creme
abcx123 3/12/2008 5:53:00 PM
I dyed my hair dark burgundy almost two years ago, and I've never gotten it to completely grow out. It has since faded to a brassy brown and I've dyed it black (my natural Asian colour) twice already, but it keeps fading. I got Excellence in Natural Black, knowing it will turn out jet black and not natural black. My hair is about three or four inches past shoulder-length and since it is already a dark brown black, I decided to use only half the package. I'll need to dye it again in three months or so anyways. I poured half the developer and half the hair colour into a styrofoam bowl and mixed using a plastic spoon (I used approximate values, not exacts-it worked fine). I didn't apply this evenly all over my head-I applied a lot where my hair was brown, and less at the roots. I also didn't make sure that all my hair was properly covered. My hair came out fine because the shade I had previously was already very close to the shade I wanted. Like all L'oreal dyes, the smell is the strongest out of all the other brands I've used, a whiff made me feel light-headed and normally I'm fine. Excellence comes with pre-colour conditioner, meant to protect damaged hair and make the colour apply more evenly. I don't know if it worked. My hair does seem darker on the ends where I applied it, but that may only be because I applied more dye at the ends and not a whole lot at the top. I didn't like the pre-conditioner because it made me hair damp and I couldn't really tell which parts of my hair I already applied the dye to, and which parts just had the conditioner. The conditioner for post-dye treatment was average, about the same as every other conditioner that comes with dye. It says to use half to it after dying your hair and the other half two weeks later, but I don't find it necessary to use THAT much. Generally, these conditioners can last me up to 10 uses. The end result: I was pleasantly suprised. Even though I didn't apply the dye evenly, you couldn't tell (well my ends are darker than my roots, but this is noticeable only by me because I know what to look for). The is also the most natural black I've ever used, but again, that's probably because I didn't apply it evenly. My hair isn't super soft, but it's not any worse than it was before. It was also extremely easy to get the dye off my skin and my bathtub, I usually have trouble with this.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Other -Unlisted Brand - Life Brand - Whitening Wraps Dental Whitening System
abcx123 3/12/2008 2:59:00 PM
This is my first whitening experience so I have nothing to compare it to. My teeth are yellow and I don't smoke or drink, nor do I drink much coffee. I'm only sixteen so my teeth are healthy. I was planning to buy the Crest version, but SDM was sold out since they were on sale. I saw this on sale for 17.99 (reg. 26.99) and it had a bonus of 3x the Shoppers Optimum points. I was skeptical because it is a generic brand, but there is a money back guarentee, so I thought, why not? The box comes with four pouches. There are two pouches of strips for the upper teeth and two for the lower teeth (one pouch for upper teeth and one for lower teeth is a seven day supply, for fourteen days total). The box says that results will be noticable in seven days, with even whiter teeth in fourteen. The strips come in a plastic tray. You peel back the foil of the tray, remove the strip, and apply the sticky gel side to your teeth, folding the tabs over the back of your teeth. The strips are pretty short, not long enough to cover all the teeth visibile when I smile. I am still using these so I will update with results. Day 1: Removed the strips from tray, am suprised to see how short they are (I thought they would cover ALL my teeth but apparently all whitening sets are like this). Applied the strips to my teeth. Am annoyed by saliva buildup, is it safe to swallow? Strips move around due to saliva, extremely annoying. Constantly have to readjust strips now, since they aren't that adhesive anymore. They keep falling off into my mouth. Tabs are beginning to break from constant readjusting. Am not liking this. Day 2: After yesterday, decided to wipe teeth before use. Applied the strips, they stayed on! In fact, they stayed on the whole time. Learned it is okay to swallow saliva, that way the strips will stay sticky. It is also okay if tongue brushes against the strips, they won't fall off. The taste is bearable, it is very slight, but it is not extremely pleasant. So far, no sensitivity (I'm not using Sensodyne). Don't see whitening effect yet. Day 3-6: Teeth are becoming sensitive to cold items. Felt a bit tingly when the strips were on. Can see a very slight difference in whiteness. Updates will be shorter b/c I don't expect major changes. Day 7: More sensitive teeth, not much of a nuisance though. Teeth look a bit whiter, but not enough to be noticable by other people. Thought I might just be imagining the whitening effect, but when I compare them to the side teeth that don't get whitened, they do seem brighter. Day 14: Overall, my teeth aren't any whiter. Returned for full refund.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Tools -Sally Hansen - French Manicure Kit
abcx123 3/11/2008 4:17:00 PM
I'm a beginner at this, so the guides were helpful. The process can take a long time. I didn't experience any gloppiness and the polishes didn't chip much. However, I don't really like Sally Hansen polishes much because everytime I'm in the store, the bottles of SH polishes all look old and expired..I can see the oil separating.
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Liquid -Cover Girl - Clean Makeup Fragrance Free [DISCONTINUED]
abcx123 3/9/2008 5:23:00 PM
I love that this is fragrance-free, because the regular Clean line smells horrible. The colour selection is decent because it is normally hard to match Asian skintones with DS foundation. I used Buff Beige. The reason I don't really like this foundation is because it is thin and althought I don't need heavy coverage, it didn't look like I was wear any foundation at all because it didn't cover anything. It's not greasy and it gives a natural, dewy look.
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Liquid -Cover Girl - Clean Makeup
abcx123 3/9/2008 5:18:00 PM
I accidentally got this instead of the fragrance-free version and it smelled so awful, I thought it had expired. The buff-beige matches my Asian skintone perfectly, but it has little coverage. I couldn't even tell I put it on. The bottle also makes it annoying to get the product out, I'm always afraid of spilling it or too much coming out.
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Conditioner -Clairol - Fruit Fusions Conditioner (Revitalizing for Normal Hair)
abcx123 3/9/2008 5:15:00 PM
I love the Fruit Fusion conditioner for dry/damaged hair and when I couldn't find it, I got this one. It makes my hair feel soft and silky in the shower when it's wet, but once my hair is dry, it feels like I barely used any condition-very dehydrated and dry. My ends feel crunchy.
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Shampoo -Clairol - Herbal Essences Breaks Over
abcx123 3/9/2008 5:10:00 PM
Everything I wanted to say, the reviewer before me said it all. It smells great and I love the funky metallic purple, but it didn't do a thing for my hair. It left it feeling dry and coarse, just like Hello Hydration. I miss the old HE line.
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Shampoo -Clairol - Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Moisturizing Shampoo
abcx123 3/9/2008 5:07:00 PM
I normally love HE products, but Hello Hydration seemed to make my hair even more dry. My hair looks dull and feels coarse after using it.
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Moisturizers -Unlisted Brand - Glycerin
abcx123 3/9/2008 5:03:00 PM
No matter what proportion I used it in or what I mixed it with, it didn't do a thing-no positive or negative effect. Tip: Poke small holes in the protective foil with a toothpick when you first buy it, instead of taking off the foil completely, so that you can control the amount that comes out of the bottle,
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyes -Ardell - LashGrip Adhesive for Strip Lashes
abcx123 3/8/2008 8:49:00 PM
This is the only eyelash glue I've ever used so I don't have any to compare to. The packaging made it annoying, because you have to squeeze the glue out and you end up squeezing out more than you need. I applied the glue with the toothpick, which works pretty well. The glue comes out white and is supposed to dry clear. The package says to wait 30 seconds for the glue to become "tacky". I find that generally, around 20-40 seconds is okay. You have to be pretty careful, because if you accidentally apply the lashes at the wrong place, it is hard to move the glue around. The white glue will smear on your eyelid and the glue becomes less effective, meaning you have to pull the lashes away from your eyelids, possibly fix your eye makeup, peel the glue off your falsies (unless you want a bit of gunk stuck on them), and repeat the process. The glue doesn't work that well in the inner corners, but wrapping your falsies around your finger or bending them into a "U" shape when the glue is wet helps. I had to do a single touchup after applying in the inner corners and I'm not that great at it, so I ended up getting glue onto the falsies (a pain to get off) and having to start over. I press the falsies with my fingers for about 30 seconds while the glue dries. After 30 seconds, the glue isn't dried completely, but it's fine. It also doesn't dry completely clear, so it may be necessary to go over the base of your falsies with liquid eyeliner if you're a beginner and get excess glue around them. After the glue dries, it stays on all night for me.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No