Mascara -Tarte - Lash Hugger Mascara
catspek 1/11/2009 7:45:00 PM
I gave this mascara four lippies because it met all my expectations. That doesn't mean it's HG material, but I'm happy with it. Two coats is all you need - no clumps, and it finishes quite feathery. Someone suggested using another mascara under it, but that defeats the purpose of buying a natural mascara. If anything, use this one first, then another on top of it. For nighttime you might want just one coat with something fatter on top, but otherwise it's a great all-around mascara that I will continue to use.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Cetaphil - Gentle Skin Cleanser
catspek 1/11/2009 7:32:00 PM
Why do so many people love it? I don't get it - Cetaphil just doesn't clean your skin and doesn't remove makeup and leaves a residue AND breaks me out every time I've tried it. It should work for me since my skin is fairly sensitive and dry but this cleanser is terrible. The only other cleanser I dislike this much is Mario Badescu Orange cleanser. Ugh for both.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Bare Escentuals - Rare Minerals Purely Nourishing Facial Moisturizer
catspek 1/5/2009 7:23:00 PM
My original review: So far, sooo great. It has a smooth, silky texture that is very hard to find. Absorbs completely after a few minutes and feels more like a light primer than moisturizer. PLUS, no spf in here, which is great. Companies should never put chemical spf in moisturizer because so many people are allergic/sensitive. Pump dispenser is great but ideally it should be a shorter, fatter bottle - so you can open it and get the rest that's hiding at the bottom and along the sides. I haven't been using it for very long but so far I love it. If my skin ends up having a negative reaction over time, I'll definitely come back and update. Update: I eventually stopped using this because I started breaking out a tiny bit, most likely from it (I hadn't changed anything else about my routine, which is very simple). Conclusion: I can still say it's a nice product with a great texture but it doesn't moisturize all that much. That's what I liked about it - that it wasn't greasy or heavy. If you're looking for a nice, simple, light moisturizer, this is good.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Toners -Unlisted Brand - Sea Breeze Astringent-Original Formula
catspek 12/25/2008 2:40:00 PM
This old-school astringent deserves 5 lippies because it does exactly what it's supposed to do: deep clean the skin. Wash your face with any cleanser then swipe Sea Breeze over your skin - $100 bucks says that cotton ball will have dirt on it. It's not gentle, it's not hydrating, it's not fancy, and it doesn't smell soft and lovely. But it IS ultra cleansing, simple, keeps breakouts at bay, and remains a staple of my skincare arsenal for those times when I want squeaky clean skin. There still is nothing else out there (besides pure alcohol) that removes every trace of makeup/dirt from the skin. It's tragic you can no longer buy it at Drugstore.com. Haven't tried the sensitive version yet but guess I will when my original runs out. BTW, don't bother with the "Actives" version, it's AWFUL. Update: Sea Breeze is still the best astringent out there. And for summer it's AWESOME for refreshing your feet on hot days. Swipe it over your feet (tops and soles and around your toes) for such a refreshing effect. Great especially if you're a flip-flop wearer because your feet get pretty dirty (not that you can always see it) when you wear them throughout the day.
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Philosophy - Hope in a Jar - for all skin types
catspek 7/10/2008 12:40:00 AM
There was a time I thought this was the best moisturizer ever made. I used it religiously every a.m. and p.m. and my skin looked amazing for months. Then it turned on me, or my skin turned on it, and I started breaking out badly. I stopped using it (and their face wash, which is very overrated) and my skin came back to normal. I thought maybe it was coincidence or something I ate that perhaps caused an allergic reaction, so I tried it again. Within two days my skin went crazy again so I sadly gave it away to a friend. I gave it 3 lips b/c it did make my skin look beautiful for a while and the texture is divine. But something is weird about it and I'm afraid to use it again. They really have to find a better package, too. A big tub is so yesterday, lets too much oxygen in there. Also, the company was sold and then the price went up $5. Nothing much, of course, but I resented it.
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Scrubs -Dr. Brandt - Microdermabrasion in a Jar
catspek 7/10/2008 12:33:00 AM
Like everyone else here, I'm an exfoliating chick and I've tried at least twenty different high-end products, and at least 20 diff lower ones. This one kicks them all in the arse. You need the tiniest amount and it leaves your skin feeling absolutely amazing. I use the smallest amount VERY gently every single day (yep, every day) and this is the best. I have dry skin prone to redness and this improved it dramatically within a few days. I follow with a quick wash and my skin feels beautiful. Yes, Dr. Brandt himself is over-botoxed and slightly freaky looking, but damned if he didn't come up with the best exfoliator on the market. Only gave it 4 lippies b/c of the price. If it were cheaper, I'd use it all over my body.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Kate Somerville - Total Vitamin
catspek 7/10/2008 12:23:00 AM
I accidentally squirted a sample tube all over the place. Luckily most of it landed on my hands so I rubbed it in and at first I was appalled by the veritable oil slick on my skin. Within a minute it all sank in and left a smooth finish. I decided to layer the Goat Milk lotion over that and holy crap my skin looked and felt incredible. I wouldn't use either on my face because I don't do well with serums and the Goat Milk isn't my cup of tea (I use Purify & Nourish on my face every day and love them) but I'm not kidding - my hands look incredible with that combination. I wouldn't dream of buying them (insanely expensive for the serum) but I'm almost afraid of these sample tubes running out.
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Treatments -Kate Somerville - Exfolikate
catspek 7/10/2008 12:16:00 AM
Excellent product, no doubt, but be careful with it. I've used KIAJ many times and the trick is to use it fairly often (a bit more often than the label recommends), BUT ONLY KEEP IT ON FOR 30 SECONDS MAX. Seriously, that's more than enough. Rub very gently and let the lactic do the rest. You WILL be pink afterward but nothing bad. By morning you'll think you had a facial the day before. However, I gave it 4 lips b/c I think this product is almost too powerful and you can get fantastic results with so many other exfoliators. I love Kate's line, though. It's very high quality stuff.
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Cleansers -Kate Somerville - Gentle Daily Wash
catspek 7/10/2008 12:09:00 AM
This is a lovely, foamy-enough wash for any skin type but it has one major drawback: it doesn't remove makeup very well. That's typical of a gentler wash, somehow the best makeup removing washes are the most stripping (w/ one exception, good 'ol Neutrogena face wash). Kate says it's a "one stop shop" for cleansing but it's not true. It is still a very nice wash that I will enjoy using until it's done. I love her Purify wash and that's coming from someone w/ dry skin prone to redness. I mainly use the gentle wash for simple morning cleansing and for that it works great. I'll use it in the p.m. before the Purify, just to get off MOST of the makeup first. I wouldn't buy it again but it does leave your skin feeling soft, clean and kind of pampered. I love the rest of Kate's line, though.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Kate Somerville - Nourish Daily Moisture
catspek 3/17/2008 4:59:00 PM
This moisturizer is lovely... and deceptive - at first you think it's going to be greasy and somewhat heavy, but let it sink in for 5 mins and your skin feels like rose petals. I'm surprised to read some people find that it doesn't moisturize enough, I've found it sufficiently 'heavy' to fully quench dry skin.
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