MakeupAlley Product Reviews by avalon

Product Reviews by avalonCategory:Brand:

Blush -Chantecaille - Joy
rated 3 of 5
avalon 2/28/2009 10:52:00 AM

This is an alright blush. It's nothing special at all, and I can't figure out why the reviews are all so glowing. Still, it's not terrible, and I don't mind using it. It's just not worthy of all the raves, IMO. Joy is simply a medium rose-tinted blush in a very cute compact. The disappointing thing about Joy, IMO, is that goes on slightly chalky, and, for my skin, oxidizes to a peach color. However, most blushes oxidize on me so I don't know if I can really blame Chantecaille for that one. Texture-wise, though, it's not as good as it could be, and for a little tiny blush, it's terribly expensive.

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Lotions/ Creams -Nivea - Nivea Body Firming Treatment Cream with Q10 plus
rated 1 of 5
avalon 11/18/2008 10:40:00 AM

This stuff is the absolute suckage. Thin, runny, doesn't really moisturize, and seemed to cause keratosis pilarsis on my arms and legs. Doesn't firm. The only thing good to say about this product is that it smells nice.

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Scrubs -La Mer - The Refining Facial
rated 5 of 5
avalon 10/24/2008 10:30:00 PM

My skin was behaving pretty well, until I used this product. Now I have huge whiteheads on either side of my nose and random blackheads on my cheeks. Update: I actually love this stuff! My previous, harsh review turned out to be due to another product that I was using with it from another line... I decided to give this scrub another chance after I quit using the other product and I am so glad I did. It really does produce clearer, brighter skin for me and takes YEARS off my appearance when I use it twice a week. The diamond bits do stay on for a while but I can deal with it when it makes my skin look this nice. And no breakouts, once I got rid of the other product.

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Conditioner -Bumble & Bumble - Seaweed Conditioner
rated 5 of 5
avalon 10/20/2008 9:26:00 AM

This is an awesome conditioner for fine hair that needs manageability. Smells great...has a very aquatic smell, hence the name. Never feels heavy and spreads over the hair nicely. I just wish it weren't so expensive!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Lipstick -Chantecaille - Lip Sheer in Venus
rated 3 of 5
avalon 10/19/2008 11:16:00 PM

This is a VERY sheer "baby pink" lipstick, although I hesitate to call it a lipstick...it's THAT sheer. I knew it would be sheer, but still, this is almost like the color you'd get from a Bonne Bell Lipsmacker or something. Looks pretty on if you're doing the no makeup look, but other than that there is absolutely nothing that would warrant the $27 price tag. Also, I noticed you get far less product than with other lipsticks. Kind of a rip off, although there is nothing objectionable about it. I do have kind of pigmented lips, even though I'm a blonde. Still, they're not THAT pigmented and I did expect more "oomph" from this lipstick.

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Mascara -Maybelline - Full 'N Soft Mascara
rated 2 of 5
avalon 9/29/2008 11:13:00 PM

Why buy and wear mascara if it's going to look like this? I think it actually made my lashes look thinner than they are naturally. Provided very little color.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Shampoo -L'Oreal - Vive pro Style and Body-infusing Shampoo
rated 1 of 5
avalon 9/22/2008 3:52:00 PM

I recently tried this shampoo, and it is horrible. Just horrible. Left my hair feeling tangly yet stuck flat to my head. Plus it made it greasy. No volumizing effect at all. Just nasty, sticky, flat hair. The shampoo smells bad too...too fruity and just not that clean smelling. I've had a hard time finding Loreal hair products that suit my hair. I think I won't be buying anymore from this line. Something must be wrong with their line anyway, because they keep changing the formula on everyone.

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Shampoo -Alberto Vo5 - Extra Body Shampoo
rated 5 of 5
avalon 9/22/2008 3:49:00 PM

This is the best shampoo, and also the best smelling one, IMO. I use to use this back in the 80s and I recently picked up a bottle. I remember how good the smell was back then, fresh and clean in a back-to-nature, kind of herbaly way. I am pleased that the smell is still the same and it really leaves my hair with more body than most shampoos I've ever tried. Not everyone likes the fruity, mango-y fragranced shampoos that are popular right now and this is a fresh, pleasant smelling alternative to that. btw, I also bought the conditioner but haven't used it yet. I'll review that when I do.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Shampoo -Nexxus - Therappe Shampoo
rated 5 of 5
avalon 8/8/2008 2:10:00 PM

I love this shampoo. I love the rich, coconutty smell, I love the natural-mixed-with-state-of-the-art ingredients, I love the feeling that my hair is truly clean, yet doesn't feel dry. Makes my hair feel light as air and silky. You know how some shampoos leave your hair feeling "refreshed"? That's how this one is. It's that great.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Shampoo -Alba Botanica - Honeydew Nourishing Hair Wash
rated 2 of 5
avalon 8/8/2008 2:07:00 PM

I really, really wanted to love this product...it smells wonderful and I love the fact that it's "natural". Alas, it just didn't work for me. The problem was mainly that I just never felt like it cleaned my hair, nor did it moisturize. I pretty much feel like it didn't do anything at all. No softness, no cleaning ability, nada. After using it, I felt like I might as well have just rinsed with water. Boo.

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Lotions/ Creams -Kiss My Face - peaches and creme moisturizer
rated 2 of 5
avalon 1/26/2008 11:33:00 AM

This has got to be the worst smelling lotion on the market. As one reviewer put it, it has the odor of rotting peaches. Sickly sweet, cloying and altogether horrible. The lotion itself is kind of runny too. I will be returning this....

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Conditioner -Nexxus - Humectress Conditioner
rated 1 of 5
avalon 1/16/2008 12:33:00 AM

After using this for a year, I feel like a fool. I'd read about the wonders of Humectress and its magical moisturizing properties. Believing my hair to be in need of serious moisture, I bought a small tube. Oh the memories when I smelled it for the first time in 15 years! This was one of the first conditioners I bought on my own as a teenager. I have always and will always adore the scent...it reminds me of kool aid. Anyway at first I was only using this once every couple of weeks, as a "treat", I believed, to add moisture to my hair. Then, something weird began to happen. My fine, relatively silky hair became coarse, with dry ends and an extremely oily scalp. So, like an idiot, I thought I needed MORE of the Humectress and began using it every couple of days. The damage and dry-yet-oily texture continued. I convinced myself I was in perimenopause and was having serious hormonal issues that were affecting the condition of my hair. I upped the Humectress to every shampoo. By this time, my hair was breaking off three inches from the root, was dry, tangled, just a mess. It couldn't possibly be from the Humectress, could it? For some reason, I just decided to stop using it, to see what would happen. And wouldn't you know, within three washings, my hair was totally back to normal, except for the breakage which will be a painful reminder not to ever use this crap again.

7 out of 10 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

This is the worst conditioner if you have fine hair...it conditions too well, leaving your hair limp and lank. My fine hair got really weighed down by this product. It took every tiny bit of body out of my hair, and what's worse, by the end of the day, it was WET looking. Extremely dry, thick hair might really benefit from this product, but I had a hideous experience with it.

For something so outrageously expensive, this did not perform as well as I had expected. Seemed to make my hair feel kind of heavy and coated, and did not moisturize as far as I could tell. I couldn't get a comb through it afterward! I like that it has no proteins and no cones, but they really need to work on the formula.

This is a great product, not only as a facial moisturizer but as an eye cream, which is the way I first started using this product. After TWO DAYS, I noticed a dramatic change in the eye area...it is brighter and a few little lines that I had are virtually gone! It is really great for sensitive skin and works wonderfully on the whole face and neck. I love that it's a natural product and isn't full of chemicals. The only downside to this product is that it's fairly pricey...$39 for a little tiny amount. I've only had this for a few weeks, but I don't think it will last long, maybe three months at most. Still, it's an excellent product and I can see visible results, which is a rarity for most moisturizers that I have tried.