Shampoo -Suave - Suave Professionals Black Raspberry & White Tea
bandabug 11/17/2011 9:44:00 AM
Suave products are usually hit or miss for me -- some I really like and others are awful. This one is a HIT! I bought the black raspberry & white tea shampoo and conditioner and used them today. My hair looks good! For reference, I have blonde, straight, thin + fine hair, cut in a bob type style. My hair looks bouncy, swingy, and the ends curled under nicely with my round brush when styling (all you straight haired ladies know that some shampoos just won't let your hair hold a curl!). It felt very moisturizing as I applied it in the shower (a little conditioner goes a LONG way) and I was afraid my hair would look stringy and weighed down after drying, but I love how it looks! I would definitely rotate with a clarifying shampoo once a week for preventing build-up, though. As for the scent...I'm fine with it. It's a bit strong, but it's not a bad scent -- I'm not super sensitive to fragrances. My advice? Try this one! UPDATE: Upping to 5 lippies from 4. I think this is top-notch for a drugstore shampoo. I'm using it in conjunction with the conditioner and my hair hasn't looked this good in long time! Will definitely repurchase and/or stock up.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Suave - Detangler-Apple Scent
bandabug 7/11/2011 9:35:00 PM
I bought this to use on my daughter's fine, shoulder-length, blonde hair after washing, hoping it would make combing her hair easier, but it's just so-so in my opinion. I love the fresh green apple scent and how soft it makes her hair (once it dries). However, even after using quite of bit of it, I still have difficulty getting the tangles out. The comb definitely did not slide through the way I expected it to. I probably won't repurchase.
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Conditioner -TRESemme - Naturals Nourishing Moisture Conditioner
bandabug 4/4/2011 12:09:00 PM
This conditioner has a split personality. As I was using it in the shower I thought, "Oh...I can already tell I'm going to love it!" It smelled nice, had a good consistency, had great slip and rinsed out well. I combed my hair (no problem), blow-dried it, and thought it looked pretty good! BUT....it dries out my hair (I have normal, straight, fine/thin hair). I gave it three chances but, alas, there was no mistaking an overall drying effect. Looking at the label, I see it has alcohol in it -- Rats! I was really on-board with this product and now I'm not even going to finish up the bottle! I just have NO luck with Tresemme products and will avoid them from now on.
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Lipstick -Boots - No 7 Sheer Temptation Lipstick
bandabug 3/17/2011 6:44:00 PM
What a find! I have to thank all MUAers who posted reviews about this lipstick -- it's great! I echo everything "notalike" wrote and will add that Attract (05) is a very flattering shade for ivory-skinned blondes. It's a beautiful neutral that you can just slick on and go, without worry. It's also a nice, semi-glossy formula that's perfect for my fellow thin-lipped MUA sisters as it gives a bit of a fuller lip effect. Boots is really an impressive retail brand. Will keep this one close at hand always!
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Liquid -Boots - Lifting & Firming Foundation SPF 15 [DISCONTINUED]
bandabug 12/2/2010 10:24:00 AM
Thank you MUAers for this recommendation. I have been using this foundation for several weeks now and I adore it. I purchased the shade "Nude" (I'm fair complected, with a yellow undertone to my skin) and it looks just right. When I say "just right", I mean totally undetectable in all kinds of light. For reference, I used to use Prescriptives in the shade "Real Vellum" and I actually think this is a better match for me (for much less $$). As others have noted, it's not all that dewy -- it's more of a satin finish, but it's not drying and it does not settle into fine lines. I use 3/4 of a pump and it provides just the right amount of light/medium coverage -- you don't need very much, so I anticipate this bottle will last awhile. The glass pump bottle rivals anything you might find in a dept. store. Great stuff!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Prestige - My Longest Lashes
bandabug 9/28/2010 2:38:00 PM
I am very impressed with this mascara! I've been using it for a week now and I like everything about it. It wears well, doesn't transfer on to my brow bone or lower lashline/waterline, it doesn't flake, it separates and lengthens beautifully and it isn't outrageously expensive (about $7.50 at Rite Aid). Not sure if it will dry out quickly, as others have noted, but that wouldn't stop me from buying it again. Love it!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Wet 'n' Wild - Color Icon #252B Nutty
bandabug 5/12/2010 6:35:00 PM
Are you kidding me?!? My new HG shadow costs $1.99??? I can't thank you MUAers enough for steering me toward this spectacular find! I am a fair-skinned gal with very deep-set, vivid blue eyes. I love the way taupe brings out the color of my eyes, but most taupes end up accentuating the brown shadows of my eye sockets, I had a taupe shadow in college that was my HG but was, alas, discontinued years ago. Since then, I've been on a taupe quest. Many fell into the good category. This one is fantastic!
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Vaseline - Sheer Infusion Body Lotion
bandabug 3/15/2010 1:23:00 PM
Once again, I am underwhelmed by a Vaseline lotion. I bought this because it was on sale and I had a coupon. I've never had much luck with Vaseline lotions in the past, but I had high hopes for this new one. Alas, it was nothing special and provided only light moisturizing. The scent is not bad, but not really appealing either. I need my body lotions to really perform because I live in a cold climate -- maybe a person living in a more humid area would appreciate this product, but I will not repurchase. I'll stick with Jergens!
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Mascara -Rimmel - Volume Flash The Max 
bandabug 1/14/2010 2:20:00 PM
This is a pretty darn good mascara, especially for the price! It creates thick, separated lashes and it did not flake or smudge on me at all. The reason I was only able to give it 4 lippies, however, is because it transferred onto my lower inner eyelid (waterline) too much. By the end of the day, it looked like I had purposely applied black eyeliner there! Also, it's a bit difficult to remove all traces of it with makeup remover. I use jojoba oil to take off eye makeup and have never needed to use more than one cotton round per eye to get rid of mascara....this mascara requires two per eye in order to get it all off. Not really a problem if your goal is a long-wearing formula, but a bit of a hassle for me.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -D:fi - d-struct pliable molding creme
bandabug 1/7/2010 1:25:00 PM
My stylist used this on my hair for the first time today and I liked it so much that I bought some. I have fine, thin hair, cut in a layered bob style and I don't usually use pomade or molding/texturizing pastes. After telling me that she'd had success using it on other fine-haired clients, my stylist used a tiny pea-sized smear and then rubbed her palms together before scrunching it through the crown of my hair. I'm sure I'll have to be careful to avoid using too much...but I was really happy with the result. My hair felt/looked volumized and styled really well without the heavy, sticky feeling that I often experience with volumizing products. Great stuff!
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Blush -Sonia Kashuk - Creme Blush
bandabug 12/11/2009 9:10:00 PM
I'm lovin' this creme blush. It's not greasy or shimmery, it's just plain pretty! I bought it in Petal ( I have fair/med. skin with a yellow undertone) and it is extremely flattering. I just tap my Sonia Kashuk flat topped brush every so gently into the pot and buff it around on the apples of my cheeks -- a little goes a long way and it has great lasting power. I like it better than Stila CC.
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Brows -Revlon - Colorstay Brow Enhancer
bandabug 10/27/2009 4:10:00 PM
I just bought this brow enhancer today in Blonde and I couldn't be happier with it! As many ladies before me have noted, it's SO hard to find a natural-looking blonde brow filler -- all taupes are not created equal! I've also had limited success filling in my sparse, dark blonde brows using powders (can't seem to make a clean, defined line) or pencils (too harsh looking). This wax formula is perfection! It provides the ideal amount of both color and definition. I will definitely buy this product again!
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Conditioner -Aveeno - Nourish + Condition Leave-In Treatment
bandabug 8/21/2009 1:52:00 PM
Like the reviewer below, I waited until I had used this product for a few weeks before I decided to write a review and I, too, think it's wonderful. For context, I have extremely fine and somewhat thin hair. Given this fact, I think it's important to note that I DO NOT use any other conditioner before this leave-in...I only use shampoo. I spray it on my damp hair sparingly (i.e., a total of 6-7 quick pumps), taking care not to spray it too close to my roots, and it detangles my hair beautifully! Plus, the scent is fabulous -- it's hard to describe, but it's certainly not cloying or fruity. I just love it! My hair looks very nice after I blow dry, with no frizzies or flyaways. Another bonus: shorter showers. Since I don't use a conditioner in the shower, I'm in & out pretty quickly, thereby saving time & water.
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Lipstick -L'Oreal - Color Riche Anti-Aging Lipstick in 402 Compelling Coral
bandabug 8/10/2009 7:57:00 AM
What a find! I have med. blonde hair and fair skin with a yellow undertone and, while coral shades can be very flattering on me, I have difficulty finding ones that aren't too peachy/orangey. If I do find a pink-based coral, it's typical loaded with shimmer and too young-looking. This color is perfect!! It applies beautifully. I've taken to lining my lips with clear liner (I have small, thin lips and this helps tremendously in terms of keeping everything in place), then I apply the lipstick and blot twice with a tissue to soften the color a little and, finally, I top it off with some L'Oreal Jelly Balm in "Ripe" (to give a very subtle shine) -- the end result is amazingly pretty! My whole face looks fresher and brighter. I'm 37, and I want to look put together, but not like I'm trying to look 20 years old again. I think Compelling Coral would flatter many ladies out there. Give it a try!
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Styling Products -Got 2 Be - Fat-tastic Mousse
bandabug 7/27/2009 12:49:00 PM
I have to admit this product did not really work for me. While I was initially impressed with the lack of crunchiness and extra volume, I found the smell and the way it coated my hair to be a problem. I agree with mangolola's review, this mousse left my strands feeling a bit coated/dirty-feeling and I couldn't get my ends to curl under properly. My hair wanted to stay stick straight! Perhaps it's better suited to ladies who are trying to control curls? I don't think I'll finish using the can I bought (sigh).
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