Concealers -Vincent Longo - Cream concealer
chrissycatf 1/13/2008 3:47:00 AM
Initially, I liked this concealer. It covered well enough (not HG material but pretty good) but then I noticed it was drying my eyes out and I started to feel like it was giving me a rash (or at least the beginnings of a rash). I don't know what about it disagrees with my skin, but it's not worth the money. I've tried other products of the same price range or cheaper that were better. Plus, the vanilla scent (I thought I was nuts when I smelled it because who in their right mind would add fragrance to a concealer? ) doesn't sit well with me. I love vanilla but I don't want my makeup to have a scent. Don't add fragrances otherwise you're excluding the segment of the population that has sensitive skin/allergies (me). I can't deal with scented lotions or anything. I leave my fragrance to my perfume and my hair products. Otherwise, keep it neutral smelling or plain. Save your money, this isn't anything miraculous and it's less "creamy" than the name suggest. I felt that it was rather thick. I prefer MAC studio fix to this. I like concealers in pot/tubs (I realize some don't over fear of bacteria build up, but I'm personally very anal about handwashing and I can't see how I could have bacteria when I only ever use a freshly cleaned finger to get concealer outo), but you really need to use your finger to get this warmed up and some people might not like that. I didn't have as good results with a concealer brush. Just not for me.
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Concealers -Lancome - Effacernes
chrissycatf 12/6/2007 4:34:00 PM
I was skeptical about this product as I have always been a stick concealer or pot/tub concealer gal but I must admit I am a huge fan now. I got it in Porcelaine and it was a perfect match. I find that being a fair skinned girl, a lot of concealers don't work for me. They have too much pink or too much orange, but this was just right. It was light and more of a neutral shade which I loved. I also love the feel of it. Admittedly, the staying power isn't excellent, but most other concealers I use and love fade (every concealer I've ever used, even the ones I hated didn't last all day) so I can deal with that. It doesn't crease on me really at all, maybe just the teensiest bit, but that's still better than any other concealer I've used. It doesn't dry out my undereyes and remarkably enough, I haven't had any sensitivity or allergic reaction like some other reviewers despite having fairly sensitive skin and allergies. I still love Bobbi Brown corrector for that total coverage and the dewy look, but this doesn't feel so heavy and I don't feel like it slides around like the BB corrector eventually does. I'd definitely buy again. A tad pricy but I'm wasting money on makeup anyhow so it's all relative, lol. Give it a try. It's not perfect for everyone, but it's worth sampling. Other concealers I like are obviously BB corrector, then I like TheBalm's Time Balm, and I like MAC Studio Fix in the little black tub, I like Dermablend Smooth Indulgence, but the color isn't an ideal match, and I like Sorme for blemishes or undereyes in a pinch. Becca's concealer compact is beyond amazing too (some heavy duty concealer coverage with that little baby). Vincent Longo cream concealer is good but I don't like it much anymore. I also like Cover Girls concealer in the little lipstick twist up packaging.
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Shampoo -Kiss My Face - Frequent Use Whenever Shampoo
chrissycatf 11/14/2007 6:22:00 PM
I am a little surprised at the reviews here. I must admit, I had low expectations of this and the matching conditioner after having several bad run ins with natural/organic haircare lines, but I was blown away by how great it is. The fragrance isn't my absolute favorite, but I like it. It's oddly comforting in a way because as someone else mentioned, it does smell like lime Jello. Though, don't let that put you off. It's a nice clean smell, but it's much lighter on your hair than it is in the bottle. I prefer it to the popular Elucence Moisture Balancing products with that heavy peach scent (it's personal preference I guess, but after awhile that became rather nauseating). True, it has a low lather but I don't mind that it suds less. You have to know what you want in a product and if sls free is of utmost importance, then I'll do you a favor right now - get over the lather! Lol. Not trying to be harsh but you can't have the best of all worlds. This has a lower lather because lather doesn't equal better shampoo. Sls can strip your hair. Honestly, you can clean your hair with no lather at all, but I bet most of you would hate that. So, give this a shot. My hair feels remarkably smooth and soft and I'm just shocked. If it keeps performing so well this will have to be moved into HG status. Thank you Kiss My Face for showing me that a natural shampoo and conditioner that I can buy at my grocery store can perform better than a high priced salon brand.
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Concealers -Cover Girl - CG Smoothers Concealer
chrissycatf 10/18/2007 3:45:00 PM
I've always been meaning to review this little gem of a concealer but I never got around to it. Well, this is my favorite drug store concealer, hands down. I used this when I was younger to cover blemishes and as I got older, my darkening hereditary (and allergy induced) dark undereye circles, and it's just awesome. I don't remember the exact price but it's around $3 and so well worth the money. It goes on smooth on my skin, which is a plus especially when you have skin that tends to get dry. I also have sensitive skin and I've yet to experience any unpleasant side effects from it. Really, for the size, the color range, the convenience of purchasing, and coverage, this is an HG concealer for me. I've tried a lot of them, from TimeBalm from TheBalm, Bobbi Brown corrector, MAC studio fix, Clinique, Maybelline, DuWop, Dermablend, and more, and this still is in the top 3 for me. Sometimes the others are too dry for my undereyes and make my circles more pronounced, or they're too thin and don't cover, or they're greasy and slide off. This with a little pressed powder is excellent. I only wish I could stop trying to find something better because I'd save a heck of a lot of money. I don't have to special order it (like I do so many other brands that aren't in my local stores) and I don't have to drive more than 30 minutes to get to a mall to get it. I go 10 minutes to a convenience/drug store and boom, I've got a great concealer. It's portable and I happen to like the stick form. I'm sure others will argue about the sanitary factor but I get the best results when I smooth this on like lipstick under my eyes (and dot it on blemishes) and then pat it in and set it with a powder. Colors may be iffy for darker complexions (or so I've heard) but give it a shot. If it's a bust, it's only about $3 wasted. I really can't compliment this enough. I actually kind of like the Maybelline stick concealer but this is still better. Try it. It's great for tight budgets and it works better than products that cost 5x as much. I ♥ it. :) UPDATE: This is not doing the trick anymore. I don't know why, but it's looking very obvious lately and I hate that. Plus, the color seems to not be a very good match. It looks fine upon application but in other lighting and as the day progresses, it's a bit orangey looking. Boo! Oh well, I guess it was too good to be true to have an affordable concealer. Back to my high end ones. Lol. It's still decent and worth it in a pinch. Like if I had some place I had to be and I looked like death warmed over with my horrendous dark circles then yeah, I'd definitely use it. But this is just going to be an every so often concealer just to use it up.
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Concealers -TheBalm - Time Balm
chrissycatf 9/29/2007 12:38:00 PM
Okay, I didn't give this a perfect overall rating but it's not because I don't love it. This is an amazing concealer and it covers my undereye circles like few other products I've tried. I have multiple allergies (I'm allergic to almonds, peanuts, wheat, corn, various grasses, various trees, cat, dogs, dust, mold, you name it), I have asthma, and I have hereditary dark circles. My mom and both my sisters have undereye circles. Luckily I don't have bags, if anything, my skin under my eyes is thin and slightly sunken looking. I've had dark circles since I was a little girl, but they were fairly light when I was younger and they've gotten darker as I grew older. No amount of rest or allergy medication has ever given me relief from my dark circles so I've come to the conclusion that unless plastic surgery or dermatology comes out with something great, I'm stuck with them. So, now you have an understanding of how dark my undereye circles are. Well, this stuff is awesome. It goes on smoothly, it doesn't irritate, and if I set it with a little Jane Iredale powder, I'm good to go. However, I have fairly pale skin and when I haven't gotten any color I'm super pale, so I took off a point for the small range of colors. I'm sure there are people on the other end of the spectrum who can't find colors to suit their darker complexions, but I definitely could use a shade or two lighter than the light. That's just me though. I think it'd be great if they developed more colors. The product is amazing and cheap compared to the other concealers I've felt work as well as it, so it's really a bargain, but I can't give it a perfect rating until I get a little broader color palette to choose from. Four shades aren't enough. That being said, if any of those four shades are remotely close to your coloring, try it. It's a bargain for sure.
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Conditioner -Nature's Gate - Aloe Vera Treatment Conditioner
chrissycatf 6/30/2007 12:29:00 AM
OMG! What the heck was I thinking using all those artificial shampoos and conditioners for my whole life? I've found my HG hair care line and it's Nature's Gate by a mile! I tried the Henna conditioner, and loved it, so I thought I'd try something new, and I wanted to try the Aloe and Sea Kelp one but could only find this and I have to say, I had my expectations pretty low but this stuff is amazing. Gorgeous smell for a "natural" product (which can kind of be funky, at least that's my experience with different brands) and what an amazing texture. It's this pearlescent, creamy white and you would think it was a little to thin but believe me, appearances are deceiving. This stuff made my hair (which is frizzy and out of control) feel like silk and that was when I air dried it in the summer heat and then blew dry it the next day, again in the summer heat (of New York). Amazing stuff, cheap, what couldn't you love about it? Okay, I find the packaging to be hippyish and that's what made me shy away from it in the past, but whatever, it's too good for me to get hung up on something as trivial as aesthetics. Try it, it's just amazing. **UPDATE: My hair isn't liking this anymore. It's dry and it's getting pouffy. I went out and got the Neutrogena hair mask to try and calm it back down. I think this is getting taken out of rotation for awhile. I don't know what happened, but it's just not working for me anymore. Shame since it's so cheap. I grew up loving Pantene, so if only they could cut out the waxes in their products, I'd return to that. I wish I could just find a great HG conditioner. Oh well. No luck as of now. :(
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Fragrances -Creative Scentualization - Perfect Veil
chrissycatf 6/30/2007 12:23:00 AM
This is my new HG fragrance that I've been wearing since winter and now it's summer so that says something in and of itself. It's so gentle yet it's long lasting and it's definitely not cloying at all. I get nothing but compliments on how great I smell (note, not how great my perfume smells) and that right there is reason enough for me to spend about $80 for me to get this from Luckyscent.com. I'm sure it's not for everyone but really, this perfume is for more people than your average perfume. I would even let my niece wear this and she's only in middle school, because it's not an in your face perfume that smells too "mature" or too heavy and heady, it's just simple, alluring, and delicious. I suppose I could buy the cheap drug store version and add vanilla, but I'm willing to pay extra to have that step done for me (believe me, I'm a perfume-aholic so I spend enough money on tons of perfumes, that this one perfume is a bargain for me). So yeah, it is definitely expensive but I wouldn't swap it for anything in the world, and until I find something better, this is it for me. Oh, and a perk is that my mom actually likes it so I've been able to split bottles with her, and I never thought I'd get her to stop wearing her signature Guerlain Shalimar that she's worn since before I was born. Trust me, try a sample and I bet you'll like it. It's so neutral that you can wear it to work or around kids. The price will deter some, but as I said, I'm willing to spend the money on it because I adore (totally ♥ it and never tire of it, but I also buy perfume like it's going out of style.) Good for those of you who get headaches from strong perfumes (like me) and just want to smell good without necessarily smelling like a perfume factory.
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Conditioner -L'Oreal - Vive Pro Smooth Intense for Fine Hair
chrissycatf 1/26/2007 12:12:00 AM
Excellent product for the price! Nice, light, clean scent. Not overpowering or cloying whatsoever. I am really shocked at how great this is. Granted, it's not as amazing as the more expensive brands I typically buy, but it's definitely one of the top drugstore brands and I would easily buy this again even when I haven't run out of my expensive stuff. It does a great job conditioning without weighing my hair down or making it feel greasy. There's a fine line between moisturizing and slathering your hair in oil and L'Oreal Vive Pro Smooth Intense For Frizzy Hair that is Fine doesn't ever feel oily or greasy. Try it, you might like it. I'm so paranoid about trying new stuff, especially something from the drugstore because I'm afraid I'll undo all the good things I've done to my hair to make it healthy, and I don't have to worry with this. I'm so happy I decided to get this because I was almost tempted to go back to Pantene (thankfully I overcame that urge because while that works great at first, it always leaves my hair with so much yucky buildup).
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Primer/ Corrector -LORAC - Oil-Free Neutralizer
chrissycatf 10/8/2006 1:27:00 AM
Okay, so I was sketchy about this at first but I have to say after wearing it a few times, I'm falling in love. Lol. Word of advice, use immediately after moisturizing or you can end up with a chalky kind of look, but with moisturizer it just is amazing. I realize now that I was using foundation to cover redness (darn European fair skin, lol) when I really didn't need it for any other reason. My skin isn't really blotchy, it's just super sensitive and prone to flushing and this is really a life saver. I don't know how it'll work in the hot summer months, but for the crisp coolness of fall, it's my new HG item. A thin layer of this and some concealer on whatever pimples I may have and my ever present since childhood dark circles, and I'm good to go. I know this gets mixed reviews, but I now know that application is really key to anything, particularly the LORAC neutralizer so if you don't like the finish, try it again in a week and maybe use a bit less and for the love of chocolate, please moisturize first. Lol. I'm sold on it and I'm going to buy it again when I run out.
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Cleansers -Kinerase - Gentle Daily Cleanser
chrissycatf 9/28/2006 11:31:00 PM
Guess I'm in the minority here because I love this stuff. I got a sample and now it's my go to cleanser when I want to keep my skin feeling healthy and clean only, not ravaged. I had recently slept in makeup - I know, a big no no - and I paid the price with a bit of a breakout. So, I grabbed my sisters ProActiv. Big mistake! My face actually hurt a bit for the rest of the day. So, that night I grabbed my Kinerase and about a quarter teaspoon of sugar, wet my face, and gently washed my face with the mixture and put on my lotion. I woke up the next day with my skin feeling back to normal. I still had signs of my breakout, but they were fading. I find that if I treat my skin delicately and not like it's acne prone, I get much better results, and I love how mild and soothing, not to mention fragrance free this product is. I know some people think the scent is barely tolerable, but I've smelled way worse, this is like the water version of facial cleansers (you know how like water does have some kind of taste, but it's really mild?) Okay, bad analogy, but still, this is uber gentle. I like it better than Cetaphil.
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Shampoo -Brocato - Cloud 9 Miracle Repair Shampoo
chrissycatf 9/2/2006 1:59:00 AM
Wow! Finally a product that lives up to the hype. I was in the market for a SLS free shampoo because I feel like the SLS and silicones in my regular products have been wreaking havoc on my hair, and Brocato kept coming up so I thought I'd give it a shot, completely expecting it to not work for me, but I was wrong. This shampoo is much milder than my normal SLS based shampoos and it smells heavenly (no pun intended). I'm super sensitive to fragrances and I had previously resigned myself to finding the scent that was least nauseating when shopping for hair care products, but this is just awesome. Some people here have described it as a light, fabric softener type smell and that's so true. It's so mild and just really fresh and clean smelling. Plus, my hair is already starting to perk up again. I'm coupling it with Elucence Moisture Balancing conditioner so hopefully the good effects will continue and grow because right now, this product is my HG shampoo. Amazing quality. Much better than a lot of notable salon brands I've tried. I'm tempted to buy the Brocato conditioner, but maybe I'll wait on that because I just bought two liter size bottles of the shampoo. Try it, it's worth the chance. ***UPDATE*** I found out this does have silicone in it, but I guess that's okay because right now I'm loving it and I don't notice any negative effects on my hair, purely positive. If I end up having issues with the fact that it has 'cones, I'll update again. But I still think it's worth it. It smells so amazing yet it's really light, unlike many drugstore shampoos I've tried.
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Fragrances -Narciso Rodriguez - Narciso Rodriguez for her
chrissycatf 8/11/2006 3:32:00 PM
UPDATE: Fyi, Narciso Rodriguez isn't a rip off of Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely perfume because it was made before SJP made her perfume, and once hers came out I was dismayed to smell that it was a rip off/near dupe of the NR perfume. Not that I actually care if one designer rips off another, it is a little annoying but as long as you don't buy it without trying to see it's a rip off, not a big deal, however, to be fair, if anyone was ripped off by anyone it was Narciso Rodriguez by SJP. Just clarifying that. :) Below is my old review. Oh my goodness!!! This perfume, rather the eau de toilette, is absolutely amazing. I am so incredibly picky when it comes to fragrances, but there isn't one thing I dislike about this one. This is what a woman's fragrance is supposed to smell like - sexy, musky, just beautiful and feminine, without being at all cloying or overpowering. It's not too subtle, it's not too bold. It's just right. I don't know how to describe it. But whatever it is, I'm in love. I'm definitely going to pick up a bottle of this soon. Dare I say that I might have actually found my HG fragrance? I think I have.
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Lotions/ Creams -DDF - Glycolic Body Lotion
chrissycatf 5/14/2006 8:49:00 PM
Oh....my....God....!!!! Sorry for being so dramatic but as someone who has suffered from dry skin and sadly, Keratosis Pilaris, I have to say that this lotion works wonders. I've only been using it a short time now but I immediately felt a difference (for the better) after using it on my elbows and a dry patch of skin on my ankle. It is absolutely amazing. Too bad it's so pricy. I'm not too worried about spending extra money on a quality product, but I must admit I would be a million times happier if it was maybe $20 or so. That I could justify, but $40 is pretty steep. Anyhow, if you haven't tried it, get a sample from Sephora like I did (I'm not sure if they'll have any left or not) because it is worth trying. It does it's job and the fragrance is so mild which is always a plus in my book because I have found the more fragrant a product, the more drying it is on my skin.
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Fragrances -Aquolina - Pink Sugar
chrissycatf 2/14/2006 11:50:00 PM
I hate to be in the minority on this one but I can't understand the appeal of this fragrance. I love sweet smelling perfumes but this one just didn't sit well with me. There was an intense licorice smell that I detected whenever I tried to wear the sample I got from Sephora, which might be my body chemistry's fault but I wasn't crazy about the smell in the sample vial. I had heard good things about Pink Sugar and it is always among the top sellers at Sephora.com, so I thought it would be worth my while to try it. Sadly, it wasn't for me. I would recommend that anyone who has never tried this definitely sample it either in the store or try and get a sample vial of it because it is definitely not for everyone. It seemed like something I might have liked when I was in middle school, but it's just a little too sweet for me, maybe not too sweet but certainly sweet in a cloying, unpleasant way. I'm glad I didn't just go ahead and buy it without trying it out first.
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Shampoo -Unlisted Brand - Paves No Sulfates Allowed Repairing Shine Shampoo
chrissycatf 2/18/2005 1:54:00 AM
I don't live near a Walgreens (in the county where I live there are tons of Eckerds, Rite Aids, and CVS's, but sadly, not a single Walgreens), so I asked my dad who works for our local utility company and drives around everywhere as part of his job as a supervisor to pick me up some of the Paves Flawless No Sulfates Allowed shampoo and conditioner because he passed a Walgreens everyday for work. Well, I'm glad he did. I love this stuff. At first it kind of weirded me out because of the scent and the texture, I'm used to those super sudsy shampoos (the very ones that ruin your hair) so the mild lather that this stuff worked up triggered me to think it wasn't actually cleaning my hair. Well, I used it and then the conditioning milk (I wanted the deep cream conditioner but my dad forgot which one I asked for so I got this instead). Appearances are deceiving because when I saw how thin this stuff was, I immediately thought that I'd have to recondition my hair with my Biolage, but luckily, when I finally blow dried my hair, it was soft and healthy feeling. I was shocked. How could this barely lathering shampoo and drippy little conditioner actually work? Well, I have no clue how but they did. The scent is alright, it didn't sit well with me at first, but then I realized it kind of reminded me of lemon drops and I started to like it better. I think next time I buy this I'll match it with the deep conditioner and see how that goes. Oh, before I forget, I had seen this in Teen People magazine awhile back as a good shampoo for people with wavy hair (me), but I'd recommend it for any hair type. Even if you don't use the matching conditioner, I think that you're hair will appreciate the reprieve from the stripping nature of sulfate shampoos.
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