Brows -E.L.F. - Eyebrow Kit
chayaNY 1/28/2013 7:45:00 PM
Found this at a dollar store. I have thick brows I don't tweeze as I am pleased with that natural look. But I've got one spot missing a brow hair or 2 due to a small scar there. I don't always fill it in as my brows are very dark ash brown and everything is too warm toned and light including this. That said I have found other uses for it. The powder makes a nice, matte crease color. Despite the shades being too light and warm for my brows, surprisingly it works well as a contour color on my fair, olive skin with yellow undetones. It doesn't read warm right under the hollows of my cheekbones, just deepens the shadow already there. I have very dry skin so I can use the cream side too for the same purpose, both look natural used sparingly and blended well. One more trick is one I've used for ages. If you have a blemish (closed, no open skin) to "hide" or want to accentuate a beauty mark or freckles after applying your base mu, try this; apply a pin dot of the cream side then a pin dot of the powder over it. Use a teeny tipped brush. Spritz with water in a spray bottle or mu setting spray of your choice.
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Palettes -Urban Decay - Urban Ammo Eye Palette
chayaNY 1/15/2013 11:47:00 AM
The colors are beautiful! I would have loved this some years back. Got this in a swap and was so excited to try it but I'm now over 40 and if I use eye shadow that's too shimmery/frosty/glittery, Father Time will have an easier chance locating me. I've eluded him farly successfully for years and am trying to keep the chase going. I still gravitate to all things shiny and pretty but being realistic I can't wear these as they don't do me any favors.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Gels/Soaps -Unlisted Brand - Ivory Soap
chayaNY 1/11/2013 11:55:00 PM
Reminds me of my childhood taking baths at my grandmas place with the soap that floats. I don't use this now but my fiance does. I have very dry skin due to a med condition that kills my moisture glands. But if I had even avg dry skin I'd use this. The scent is so clean, pure, and classic. The bar has heft and doesn't melt to a slimy mess in days. Its a good soap to use on a nail brush to clean your nails, again, leaves a very clean feeling. I will admit there is a huge nostalgia factor for me, but that doesn't negate the fact this is a good, long lasting soap for those with oily, normal, combo skin.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Clinique - Redness Solutions Daily Relief Moisture Cream
chayaNY 1/11/2013 7:51:00 PM
I got this as a gift and was so excited because at the time I experienced facial redness daily and was quite upset about it. But it didn't help even a little. It was simply a moisturizer which wasn't great for me. Maybe didn't worsen things but that's not the opoint of it. Got the yellow powder as well and was equally excited. The powder made my skin redder and itchy. I have tried it over and over, same results. The cream was such a let down given the cost so even though it was a gift, being so costly I expected more from it.
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Treatments -Garnier - Sleek and Shine Moroccan Sleek Oil Treatment
chayaNY 1/5/2013 7:58:00 AM
If everyone on MUA jumps off a bridge I will too provided its a fairly low cost bridge that will transform my life. I had big airy drying heaven plans in sight with this baby. Alas twas not to be. I once had thick, shiny lustrous hair but a medical condition that kills my moisture glands put an end to all that. Suffice it to say I steer clear of hungry horses lest they think my head is covered in hay. I find this is no miracle cure for this dry, parched, breaks if you look sideways at it, hair of mine. It cuts frizz and one thing few products allow for is layering without signigicant buildup which you can do with this. Its smoothing and provides shine. However I can literally pour olive oil on my head and later in the day my hair is dry as dust again or at least looks it. I must have offed puppies and kittens (for good measure) in a former lifetime-explains everything. This works much better for me pre heat styling such as curling iron/flat iron. I loathe to do either as my hair and I are barely on speaking terms as it is but sometimes a girl wants to pretend things are fine, hair is shiny and glamorous, again, things are FINE! If I use a bit of whichever heat protectant is letting me down at the moment then a bit of this, its easier to flat iron and looks smoother, almost like hair. I think its a good option in this way as I previously tried many other oils which were all fails in this area yet I persisted because jojoba worked so well (if not for the cystic bacne it causes, not a worthwhile tradeoff). So this is an affordable alternative. So this is a nice light oil that feels less "oily" than various other skin/cooking-food-grade, oils I've tried and is helpful in that I can reapply without needing to wash daily due to dirty looking hair. On the avg dry hair this will likely be everything the reviews say and even walk your dog. I'm probably past help and once the smoke cloud of denial clears I will be a responsible adult and get a pixie cut.
6 out of 9 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Bronzers -Bonne Bell - Gel Bronze
chayaNY 1/3/2013 1:25:00 PM
I have ultra dry skin so despite yrs of using and loving various powder bronzers I can no longer use them. They "create" extra work for me because they drag on the skin, literally "catch" on certain areas darkening them requiring me to go back over those spots with a light concealer. And then I still felt it looked drying. On to these bronzers, used yrs ago for neck and added oomph over powder bronzer. But now I use this way, apply sunscreen, dampen sponge (I add a drop of jojoba oil to spray bottle of water), then dab this on everywhere BUT atop my cheeks where I have some pink color already. Its so fast, and if I want can then skip foundation as this is sheer but warms my skin up enough to match the color level in my cheeks so I'm all one tone. I can deepen it by layering too. I find it lasting and easy to use provided I use a dampened sponge not my fingers since application is not as even for me, and it stains my fingers as well. Im using golden tan now as I have fair, olive skin that's quite yellow in undertone. The golden tan therefore matches best however the darker tan which has a red undertone, best emulates a touch of sun. Inexpensive given the performance and fact that such a small amount is needed. Works especially well with cream/gel blushes. Have ordered from the BB site as shipping was free when I ordered (over a year ago).
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Alpha Hydrox - 10% Enhanced Cream
chayaNY 1/2/2013 11:26:00 PM
I want to say love it but fear the skin care gods will hear and I'll be jinxed. Never thought my skin could tolerate anything with "acid" in the name. I have a disease that literally kills off my moisture glands. Jealous yet? Wait, you will be, I no longer produce a natural moisture barrier at all. Told ya. Its not as glam as it sounds actually, and I have had such bad reactions to things, you name it, from not only skin care products, but even new eye glasses, that lasted for months. Itching, burning, bumps,misery and redness. I cannot tolerate physical exfoliation, can't even use a washcloth to wipe makeup off, so did no exfoliation. I saw great results using an AHA lotion on my body, hoped I could tolerate it on y face but was really scared to. I envisioned my usual reaction of goldfish puffed eyes and red splotchy face. But I kept hearing this is a holy grail product for over 40 and now that I'm over 40 I felt like for under $10.00 I could always use it on my feet. I did a patch test on my forehead then jaw and no one died. I used sweet almond oil as a "buffer" under and then took the plunge and applied to the rest of my face. This is my idea of walking on the wild side, changing up my skin-care routine. To my amazement my skin did not freak out and instead felt calm, soothed. I know. Its been almost a month now during one of the most stressful times ever and did not have access to my usual skin care items which were like a nice but ineffectual doctor; didn't help with any of my problems but at least caused no further harm. I had gotten to a stage of non-irritation but I didn't care for the look of things. The oil cleansing method (ocm) works so well for me my pores were all clear but now empty, read looked large enough to use as storage units. My cheeks still felt somewhat bumpy and red. But using this it feels calm. It looks calm. It looks clear. It felt itchy around my mouth at first. I was scared wondering "what has my darn vanity gotten me into now?!" But then with more buffer under and a little over, it felt better. In a few days no buffer needed. I can go without makeup and in the very least not scare the horses, (and isn't that the goal really?). When I do wear makeup I need so much less. I had a small vertical scar under one eye which bothered me as the location made it appear like a gasp---wrinkle! Shudders, fans self! But now I can barely see it. My redness is just more a diffused light pink and hardly an issue. My nose pores no longer look like the mission to the moon was faked and actually filmed there. They're not invisible, but they "appear" smaller (and that is the goal really) I use almond oil to remove my mu, follow with gentle cleanser (since I cannot tolerate wiping off w/cotton rounds, washcloth etc). Apply this cream then wait about an hour and apply more oil to my face. That's it but for something else under my eyes. For day I use an spf 30 cream and a powder with spf 30 too. I have spilled this, the one con is its not a cream but a runny lotion with no business being in a wide mouth jar. I'm not worried about it being unsanitary, I wash my hands first, but although inexpensive, its wasteful when this spills out so easily. That's the only con in the weeks I've been using it but it would not deter me from using this. I'd love to decant to a pump bottle but not sure if that would change the efficacy or not. Whatever spills on to the sink I rub onto my elbows, works well there too. A few years ago Nora Ephron wrote a book "I feel Bad About My Neck," I couldn't relate at the time then suddenly I felt a little bad about mine too. Nothing a little scaffolding wouldn't fix. I have used this cream on my neck since I began using it on my face and it shows. I have a really long neck so it was find a fix of some kind or only wear turtelnecks turned all the way up a-la Bazooka Joe;( I find if I use this daily on my neck its too often, can itch but aside from that initially from my face too, I've had no adverse reactions. Forgive my blathering but I've got a vat of ineffectual creams so its nice to find a cheapie that works. Now don't hold me to any of this. Having written this I'm sure I'll awake to boils exactly and ONLY where I've applied this last. I've got the luck of Henry Beamis but i figured if I can get very good results from this given my skin and the vast and varied problems my med condition gives me, maybe others with reactive skin can safely use this too. As always, your mileage may vary and patch test. I will update if I see further improvement or not. Wish me luck!
10 out of 10 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Body -Aura Cacia - Sweet Almond Natural Skin Care Oil
chayaNY 12/30/2012 5:20:00 PM
I like this a lot. I used plain sweet almond oil without added vitamin E for some time. I could not find it locally when I was out so I got this. Its not the same at all so if your skin isn't truly all that dry or you've never tried sweet almond oil alone first, this may be too rich for you. The viscosity of this is much thicker which is the most obvious difference. SAO on its own is a rather thin oil. Thicker than jojoba, thinner than EVOO but vit E changes the composition of the oil too. I felt like SAO isn't enough on its own for my very, very dry skin, I used it under other products. This is thick enough, moisturizing enough on its own. But I like the plain version for removing makeup more because when this gets in my very dry eyes I find it quite irritating. That said I like this a lot. I use this as a buffer under my AHA cream. I use this daily in some capacity and will repurchase when I use it up as it causes me no irritation and adds moisture. I would love the bottle, you squeeze it but would prefer if I could control the amt. Each squeeze let's out the same amt each time, about a tsp, which can be wasteful for some. I make sure to apply the excess to my neck, hands and hair, so as not to waste any. I plan to get a smaller squeeze bottle to decant this into for more control. Its hygenic but again, let's out a bit much for my needs. For very dry skin this SAO with vit E is very good stuff. Its a hybrid not a watered down SAO as stated on the label. I'm not sure why anyone would say this isn't high quality because its not pure SAO. Its clearly labeled as to what it is and we have to be carfeul consumers. The good news is for those who like SAO but at times due to very dry skin, want/need something heftier, this is a great option. One last thing, many oils can be used under makeup (no spf here so save for night). After applying let sink in a bit then rinse your face well. Enough will be retained to wear under base makeup but not be an oily mess. However even with the added vit E there isn't a greasy feel, it absorbs quite well at least on my dry skin.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Body -Unlisted Brand - Fruit of the Earth Aloe Vera Gel
chayaNY 12/29/2012 10:47:00 PM
I use this as a hair gel mainly. I had thick, strong hair but due to illness have been left with dry, fragile hair that breaks if you look at it sideways. I use this as a general hair moisturizer and styling product when I won't be using any heat but letting hair air dry or dry in a bun overnight. Gives some bounce and shine without further drying out this tumbleweed, I mean hair. Also good for bushy brows, this holds them in place a long time with a slight sheen. We want that as young brow hair has such a sheen naturally. I don't use it on my face, tried it, no one died but my face was pink after and not the look I'm going for. I also mix with other hair styling products to extend them so I can use less. Not merely to save them but because they would be too strong and lead to the dreaded crunchy hair syndrome. I took a pump from an empty hand soap and replaced the cap the bottle came with. Fit perfectly and makes it convenient to use with hands wet from the shower.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -L'Oreal - Infallible Gel Lacquer Liner in Navy
chayaNY 12/27/2012 9:43:00 PM
This is a beautiful true navy with good lasting power and a great brush. If you apply a light all over lid shade first it can lighten the liner and you don't want that. You buy this because you want none of that royal blue-ish, cobalt-ish, french blue-ish, gray-ish nonsense you get with other navy liners and eye shadows. I was drawn to this though I rarely wear eye liner anymore. Its the 10th grader in me oohing and aahing over the inky blue goodness I didn't know could exist back then. So imagine the dream liner that never existed back when wearing blue liner was a daily occurance, yet sleek enough, sophisticated enough, to wear now. Bonus that no need to go to the girls room 5 times a day to reapply. A definite blue that reads as "classic" on the lids. Each year on my birthday I'd buy myself a little makeup treat which was always dept store product. Most did not live up the hype. Nice to get a little treat that doesn't break the bank, and does what it says. Luxe type packaging too. Lastly, if the brush was sold alone for this price it would be a steal for spot concealing.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Other -Unlisted Brand - Febreze Room Freshener Products
chayaNY 12/26/2012 1:40:00 PM
Love the Lavender Vanilla & Comfort and limited edition Cinnamon Sugar & Home. We have had lots of cleaning to do after a recent hurricane and these scents truly clear the air as well as smell lovely, authentic, not like cloying scents most companies offer. Febreeze was one of the first mass market home sprays and/or deoderizers to address the issue of removing offensive odors not merely masking them. I have to add the "yellow brick road" comment by the reviewer below me is really distasteful. I've worked with the elderly too. I find in the many reviews I've written that its entirely possible to covey ones thoughts about a product without disparaging others. Not amusing.
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Powder -Physicians Formula - Mineral Wear Talc-Free Mineral Airbrushing Pressed Powder SPF 30
chayaNY 12/15/2012 11:22:00 PM
I've deleted my original review which basically lamented the sad fact I did not look airbrushed after using this. I'm not naïve but I've been a PF for many years and hope springs eternal. Bottom line is it doesn't work as a powder foundation for me. My skin is so dry if my face were rounder it could be called, "the dust bowl," so maybe I'm not a candidate for powder foundation at this point. But it works really nicely as a setting powder. It does have enough creaminess for that and I love, love, love the spf 30! I wear sunscreen but I don't reapply to my face or neck/chest area as the day goes on and don't know anyone who wears makeup that does. I've been using PF Healthy wear bronzer (orangey compact) on my neck chest area for the past 2 summers and will again for its high spf, so now having a touch up powder in the same vein is awesome. It looks very pretty and non cakey OVER other makeup, again not on its own but that's fine with me. I'm going to crush some up for a small portable sifter container to keep in my purse and reapply for added sun protection as the day goes by. Been carrying the compact but its clunky.
6 out of 7 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Primer/ Corrector -BeneFit Cosmetics - Dr Feelgood
chayaNY 12/15/2012 3:10:00 AM
I have really dry skin but I use quite emollient creams and/or sunscreens that I often want to mattify my nose just a bit. Received a mini one of these and was excited as I had not seen any reviews but had heard a YT blogger rave continuously about the product. My verdict is it doesn't do much but what it does do I don't find enhances my looks at all. If I apply too much it seems to disrupt the foundation or concealer I've applied. I've tried over makeup and under with negligible results. Just a big let down. In my experience, a primer such as L'oreal Studio Secrets (looks a pale pastel lavenderish/pink in a small glass jar), works much better to mattify a shiny nose with the added benefit of filling in pores somewhat.
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Shampoo -Batiste - Dry Shampoo - Blush Scent
chayaNY 10/27/2012 11:08:00 PM
The packaging and name makes it seem this will be a sweet scent. Its not that way but a rather strong smell like old fashioned hair products. Its "scent prohibitive" for me, so I can't use it.
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Liquid -Maybelline - Fit Me Foundation
chayaNY 10/27/2012 11:00:00 AM
This seems to be a throwback when a lot of foundations were simply a flesh tones liquid that might ot might not even your skin tone but not muc more. Its thin which is fine but on my dry skin doesn't look good. If you've got normal skin with few imperfections this may work for you.
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