Treatments -Neostrata - Skin Resurfacing Duo (Canada)
chickeeduck 5/12/2010 9:40:00 PM
I purchased this based on the reviews, and will agree with the big impact this has on your face the first time you use it. My face was looking a bit dull and rough...textured almost, so I thought about maybe going for a facial, but I don't have time to make it to the spa. I treated myself to the Duo set that came as a gift with purchase with the Skin Renewal Peel which is great on its own. Anyway, tried it once, and my skin was softer and had a radiance to it. It does leave the skin a bit raw, so a moisturizer is a must right after this. One thing to remember when trying any type of peel is to use a good sunscreen. Sunscreen is important, but if you do a peel, it becomes imperative, as your skin is far more susceptible to UV rays and pigmentation occurs a lot faster. Overall, this is a big thumbs up from me.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Neostrata - Skin Renewal Peel Solution
chickeeduck 5/12/2010 9:34:00 PM
Love Neostrata, and was considering purchasing the peel duo, and got it as a free gift with the purchase of this solution. First off, it does work the first time. I did see a couple of blackheads slide out of my pores. I was so impressed I used it again the next day. My skin looked good, but it was a bit sensitive. I went out on a cold day, and my face was red from the wind. So it does make your skin very sensitive, so you have to make sure you use it sparingly. It says safe enough to use 3-5 times a week. I recommend 3 times, not consecutively, and use it at night. Very nice product.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Polishes -OPI - Aphrodite's Pink Nightie
chickeeduck 5/1/2010 11:56:00 PM
My go to shade. I originally used this on my toes for my wedding, and was on the fence about it. I thought it was too bright, and wanted something a more subtle, but I had other things to do, and was not able to change the colour. I did have a beach wedding and had open toe sandals, and I have to say that on the photos the colour looks sophisticated. I did get a lot of compliments, although my young nieces (5-8) thought it was not pink enough. Suffice to say, the colour goes with just about anything. It is a perfect neutral, and I wear it summer through winter. I have re-purchased and likely will continue to do so.
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Primer/ Corrector -Smashbox - Photo Finish Light
chickeeduck 4/5/2010 9:21:00 PM
I got this as a sample, which lasted for about 5 make up applications. I have tried Christian Dior, Clinique and Revlon primers, and was not necessarily impressed. I put in a 4 for packaging as I got it as a sample but since it is a pump, I can assume there will be product left that is rendered inaccessible as you get down to the end of the bottle. On a daily basis I put on sunscreen spf 50, followed by light moisturizer. First attempt with the primer, I noticed it balled a bit once I put my BB Oil-Free cream foundation with a sponge. Not good. Second time, I used my fingers to apply on the cream foundation with much success. It really did improve the texture of my skin, which has been looking a bit rough and "orange-like". No balling. I attempted this method the next couple of times, and it seemed to work consistently. I do find the product to be quite light, so you don't feel like you have much on, inspite or the layering of products that I go through every morning. Will purchase.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express The Colossal Waterproof
chickeeduck 4/4/2010 5:53:00 PM
Accidentally purchased the waterproof, but figured might as well try it out. Well, wish I had returned it. I use a hair dryer to heat up a metal eyelash curler which helps to set the curl on my straight lashes. I then apply mascara and this sets my lashes. Every now and then I will find a mascara that straightens the curl, so I just re-curl it without the heat, and then I am ready to go. I try not to do this, as sometimes eyelashes will stick to the curler. Well, this is the first mascara that actually straightens my eyelashes, and will not budge to the curler. And waterproof it is not. They smudge sooo easily, easier than any regular mascara I have used, plus it is hard to get off with oily eye make up remover. Remove mascara, wash face, remove mascara again, then in the morning, I still get the racoon eyes. There really is no benefit that outweighs the effort this mascara requires. A big let down for something I really wanted to like.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Lancome - Virtuose - Black Carat
chickeeduck 4/4/2010 5:44:00 PM
Got this as a GWP . It goes on smooth, and thickens my lashes.It did hold my curled lashes and found overall the volume to be nice after one cote. The big minus is it does have a tendency to flake thorough out the day. Can't stand flaky mascara's. I did try using it with mascara base - Shiseido, and did not find much difference in staying power. One thing I did like was the size of it. Maybe because it was a sample size, but it was smaller, which is nice to take along. Okay for a free product, not sure I will buy.
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Treatments (Eye) -L'Oreal - Lash Boosting Serum
chickeeduck 2/20/2010 8:32:00 PM
Me: long, but straight and skimpy lashes. I had been on the fence about purchasing Revitalash, so when I saw the reviews for L'Oreal's lash serum, and the price, I was excited to try it out. The applicator is a not that intutitive. It is a felted curved applicator which assumes you would use as a mascara, but if you are using this product, chances are the lashes are sparse, short or both, so a curved applicator is not necessarily the best solution. Also, instructions on the package say to use the tip to line the eye, but the curved applicator slips and the first couple of times I ended poking my eye ever so slightly with the wand. I found using the outside curve of the applicator to line the eye is a better process, and minimizes slippage and no danger of poking the eye. About the product: I've been using it for about a month, and while I don't have the Bambi lashes I was fantasizing of, there is certainly noticeable volume improvement. I don't think it has added to the length of my lashes, but there is definite lash growth. My lashes were falling at an alarming rate, and this seems to have stopped the loss of lashes. I took a couple of lippies because of the applicator, and because if you put on too much at night, it dries up and looks like seriously gross eye gunk. Overall, a good product. Good value, not a miracle product.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Tools -Sephora - Precision Sponge
chickeeduck 2/20/2010 8:13:00 PM
I was looking for the BeautyBlender pink sponge in Sephora but they did not have it in stock. The SA recommended Sephora's yellow egg shaped-version, the precision sponge. An alternative, virtually the same thing, said the SA. Having done my reading on the BeautyBlender, I asked about expansion when wet, and she shrugged her shoulders and said all sponges expand when wet...and that should have been my clue that she did not know what she was talking about. Anyway, at $12 CAD, it was a much lower cash outlay than the BeautyBlender, so I purchased it. First thing, it is small, about 1.5 inches. The shape is nice, and that is about the only nice thing I can say about it. I let it soak water, but it did not seem to expand. I used it to blend concealer and also creme foundation, and I honestly cannot tell the difference between this sponge and my triangle QUO sponges (10 for $2 CAD).
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -Lancome - High Resolution Eye with Collaser-48
chickeeduck 2/20/2010 7:59:00 PM
Purchased this together with Renergie Micro-Lift Eye as it is a serum and supposed to have a bigger impact with the cream. The serum is light with very faint fragrance. I did not find lines soften, they did in fact seem to get more defined while using these. I finished the bottle, and continued using Renergie, and actually saw slightly better results without this serum. About the bottle, it dispenses with a pump, which might be sanitary, but leaves a lot of product unusable. I've used emu oil which works better than this, and is a fraction of the cost.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments (Eye) -Lancome - Renergie Microlift Eye R.A.R.E.
chickeeduck 2/20/2010 7:52:00 PM
Nice cream, just not moisturizing enough. I found myself dabbing a bit more, only because it did not feel moisturizing enough. Half way through the day, the skin around my eyes feel dry and make up seems to gather around the fine wrinkles....
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Moisturizers -Estee Lauder - Resilience Lift Face and Throat Creme SPF15
chickeeduck 2/20/2010 7:46:00 PM
I originally purchased this on the jar and really liked the texture and the moisturizing effect on my skin. There is a light cucumber smell to it that fades away quickly. I did find that the jar formulation was a tad bit too greasy on my oily skin, so I purchased the one that comes in a pump, as that one is targeted for combination skin. It was not as greasy, but not as moisturizing either. My pet peeve with the pump was the amount of product left in the bottle that I was not able to get out. Overall a nice cream, and I might purchase the jar formula again, but I don't think it is my HG.
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Lipstick -Bobbi Brown - Roseberry
chickeeduck 2/10/2010 4:06:00 PM
I purchased this upon recommendation of the BB SA upon finding out my favorite lipstick color was discontinued. It is a strong fuschia that is not for the shy. I am still on the fence on this color, as I am not sure how flattering it is to my NC35/40 (BB Natural) skin.The pink is strong, and it seems to last very long. It is heavily pigmented, so it is strong upon first swipe. I sent BB an email and one of their website's make up consultant recommended I try Italian Rose if Roseberry if I thought Roseberry was too strong. Overall it is a good lipstick, with a beautiful color. Update: I have been using it for a while and reluctantly will admit I have learned to love. It is not a natural look, which is what I gravitate towards, and the reason I choose BB, however, I do find it brightens my face and really dresses up my look. It is definitely polished and for those who are not ready to use a brght red lipstick like me, this is a sophisticted colour.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Face -Shiseido - Facial Cotton
chickeeduck 2/10/2010 3:54:00 PM
Believe the hype. Yes, $8 CAD is a lot to pay for cotton, but you do get a quality product. I wear contacts and cannot stand the lint that cheap and even so called luxury cotton pads leave behind, and do not get me started on organic cotton pads. This is soft and holds well together, with none of the fine strands that seem to make the product fall apart when you are using them. I first bought to try and although I loved them, thought it was too expensive, so went back to the "luxury" style cotton pads (that is how they are labelled in the package). There really is no comparison. I am back to Shiseido. I usually stock up on these when SDM has their 20x points days.
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Eye Makeup Remover -Lancome - Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Make-up Remover
chickeeduck 2/10/2010 3:46:00 PM
I must be doing something differently, because I find that there is residue left behind after using Bi-Facil to remove my eye makeup, and washing my face. I firmly but gently sweep my eyelid with a soaked cotton pad, paying extra careful not to pull the skin. I do this a couple of times, then wash my face, then notice the smudges under my eyes, which I used to attribute to the marcara or eyeliner I was using. Frankly I thought it was normal, until I started using Marcelle's eye make up remover which removed it completely with a few gentle swipes. I don't think it is a bad product, but given the price, I think there are better products out there.
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Eye Makeup Remover -Marcelle - Gentle Makeup Remover for Sensitive Eyes
chickeeduck 2/10/2010 3:41:00 PM
I purchased this after I ran out of Lancome's Bi-Facil. I just assumed my makeup was hard to remove. I'd remove my eye make up, wash my face, and then have to use remover again. Well, this does not happen with Marcelle. It does the job, and after I wash my face, I don't have the surprise racoon eyes from a botched eye cleaning job. I am a bit put off by someone's comment on millia, because I did notice white bumps showing up under my eyes, but they have not really exploded into something unsightly. I use this and carefully wash with Cetaphil, to ensure there is no lingering mineral oil left behind. So far I've been using it for about a month, but I will update if there is any reaction or any millia.
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