Polishes -China Glaze - Ruby Pumps
lulu94 11/9/2012 11:20:00 PM
This is glitter polish done right, at it's best. None of that patchy-application nonsense you'd expect here. This is one of the few polishes, let alone a glitter polish, that I'd be fine with going out in public wearing only one coat - it applies that smoothly and has that much pigmentation to it! After two coats, it's absolutely stunning - a bright, dazzling, sparkly holiday red. Very festive, fun and girly! I love it.
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Scrubs -Alba Botanica - Acne Dote face & body scrub
lulu94 11/9/2012 11:14:00 PM
Ahhh! I love this line! I already had and love the acne dote oil control lotion/moisturizer, so when I saw alba 30% off at fred meyer I decided to try out this scrub from the same line. I'm pleased to report that I love this even more than the lotion and more than my old standby st. ives. This is gentler than St. Ives, with smaller exfoliating particles, but still exfoliates beautifully and leaves my skin baby smooth. Love that it's all natural, and I'm pleasantly surprised by the scent as well - the lotion smells pretty bad to me, and I expected this to have the same "scent", but this one actually smells really nice like a sweet minty citrus smell. No complaints. :) to those complaining that this doesn't leave your face clean - you need an actual cleanser! You shouldn't be seeking an exfoliator that removes makeup, dirt, impurities, or basically washes the whole day away. Cleanse daily and exfoliate a couple times a week and you'll have beautiful skin!
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Gels/Soaps -St. Ives - Oatmeal and Shea Butter Body Wash
lulu94 11/9/2012 7:31:00 PM
This is a really wonderful product for the price (I got it for under $3). It is very creamy, moderately moisturizing and creates a good lather with a pleasant, inoffensive scent that lingers a bit after your shower. Basically, it does the job and the creamy consistency makes it feel more luxurious than some other pricier body washes! I kind of wish the packaging was cuter because I'm just vain like that...But really it's a great product that I'd highly recommend if you are seeking a good quality, budget shower gel.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Elizabeth Arden - Taylor Swift Wonderstruck
lulu94 11/9/2012 6:27:00 PM
I did not purchase this but I have tested it. I found it to be very fruity and generic, not bad (at first) but nothing amazing unfortunately. Also, at least on me, about an hour later all I could smell was fruity alcohol. :( This could just be my chemistry. But very disappointing. Also this only lasted about three hours on me total.
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Fragrances -Burberry - Brit
lulu94 11/6/2012 12:57:00 AM
This is quickly becoming my go-to fragrance. I have the EDP, and it is a warm vanilla, with a dark amber and crisp lime note to it as well. Sounds kind of odd together, but it works. It is more warm/gourmand than it is citrus; it actually smells kind of like viva la juicy to me (another go-to), but the lime keeps it from being "overwhelmingly" sweet and heavy like some gourmands can be, while still remaining a warm, comforting, perfect fall/winter fragrance. This also has lasting power and silage that are out of this world - lasts as long as coco mademoiselle on me (around 10 hrs) and you only need ONE spray. This is something to be appreciated in such a pricey perfume. And because of this, I won't need to repurchase for quite a while...But when I run out, I certainly will!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Liquid -L'Oreal - Lumi Magique Foundation
lulu94 11/4/2012 1:10:00 PM
I was looking for a more moisturizing, medium-coverage foundation to cover redness/minor imperfections (I do not have acne) with NO SHIMMER. This is it! This has better coverage than revlon photo ready but still looks natural and doesn't have that god awful shimmer throughout. They didn't have the lightest cool shade, so I grabbed the lightest neutral shade and it works fine. I do set it with a little bit of powder because I prefer a less "dewy" finish but I definitely don't think this makes you look oily on its own or anything, unless you have really oily skin it may. I got it for $12 so that's a little expensive for drugstore but I love it so no big deal. I also think the packaging is great, love the rose gold touch and yay for it having a pump!
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair Color -John Frieda - Precision Foam Color
lulu94 11/4/2012 1:50:00 AM
I have had my hair colored professionally every 3 months(ish) for about 6 years now. I've been every "natural" color - brunette, black, blonde, red. I have naturally light brown hair. Most recently before using this hair dye, it was highlighted/bleached blonde. I wanted to go darker for winter but I'm trying to save money for a trip so I purchased this as opposed to spending $80 at the salon. I got the color 3N, deep brown-black, thinking that it would fade really fast to a more medium brunette shade. Well, more on that later. I was really nervous about the whole process since I have never used at home hair color. I enlisted the help of my best friend but really after having her do it, it was so simple I think I probably could do it myself. The instructions were very clear, the gloves high quality, and the color itself did not absolutely reek or anything. The foam did not drip. When I rinsed out the foam, my once-blonde hair was totally black. Now, as I've said I've had it black times before so I wasn't too appalled or anything but I wasn't seeing any brown. I washed it the next day, the water rinsed clean and there was very little fade-out, but I did start to see a warmer tone to my hair. I've washed it 4 times now and the color is quite lovely. Still very dark; honestly I'm seeing less fading than I usually do when I get color done at the salon! So that's pretty impressive. My only complaint with this was that my hair did seem to be a little uneven - darker in some areas, lighter at the roots. But, given that I had more bleach in some parts than others in my hair, this could be because of my previous hair coloring not because of the product/application. I'm not sure. In any case, no one else has commented on this, I don't think it's noticeable. I've received several compliments on the color and my hair appears VERY shiny and healthy. I will be at-home coloring with this brand again. It exceeded my expectations and I won't turn my nose up at box color anymore. :)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Moisturizers -Alba Botanica - Natural Acnedote Oil Control Lotion
lulu94 11/2/2012 5:53:00 PM
I'm surprised at the bad reviews for this product. I'm really, really thrilled with it! I bought it at walmart for $11, very reasonable. I have normal/slightly combination skin - as in, as long as I use a 2% salicylic acid cleanser daily, I don't really get breakouts. Maybe one-two zits per month, at most. However, the salicylic acid wash does dry out my skin and cause my nose, mouth and forehead areas to become dry and flaky. Unfortunately most moisturizers I have tried break me out - the only one that has not, until now, was clean & clear dual action. That one worked awesome for my skin. One issue - I prefer to keep products that are absorbed by my skin (lotions, deodorant, etc) all-natural. It just grosses me out to think my skin is drinking up a bunch of chemicals. This is the ONLY natural moisturizer that I have gotten to work for me! Doesn't cause pimples, yet still moisturizes enough. I'm so happy! I think one reason others were disappointed in this was they purchased it for the purpose of oil control. I must mention that I do not have any issues with oiliness- I never need to blot or apply powder, so I did not purchase this moisturizer for that purpose and can't comment on it's effectiveness for that purpose.
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Hair Removal -eos - Shave Cream Ultra Moisturizing Pomegranate Raspberry 
lulu94 11/1/2012 11:25:00 PM
I can't believe people love this stuff as much as I've heard from so many people... I honestly didn't like it at all. I found the moisturization average; no better nor worse than any other shave gel/cream I've tried. It smells nice, super sweet and yummy. No issues with the packaging, the pump is efficient and didn't get stuck. My problem with it was how much product I had to use to get it to do the job properly. I had to use six, seven pumps on one leg. It was just not cost-effective enough to repurchase especially since it wasn't really any more moisturizing than a foaming gel.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lotions/ Creams -Shea Moisture - Organic Raw Shea Chamomile & Argan Oil Baby Healing Lotion w/Frankincense & Myrrh
lulu94 11/1/2012 11:20:00 PM
I don't have a baby but I love this stuff. Smells yummy, powdery, warm. A little strong for a product intended for infants, but it's good for me! Very moisturizing, sinks in quickly, natural ingredients and available at target/walgreens :)
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Eye Shadow -Urban Decay - Naked 2 Palette
lulu94 11/1/2012 9:58:00 PM
I'm very satisfied and glad I purchased this. I never even looked into the original Naked that much because I'm super cool toned and the original palette was just sooo warm and coppery all around...and that means on me, i'll get a lot of dorito-orange toned eyeshadows. Not cute. But the Naked 2 has several absolutely GORGEOUS shades. I've been using it everyday to create pretty, effortless eyes :) I especially like using verve(lid)/busted(crease), tease/busted, and suspect/snakebite. The two lighter shades mixed makes a great highlight color. Also these are hands down the highest quality shadows I've ever used. They blend absolutely beautifully, even with the included brush - and I would usually chuck out any "included" brush or applicator after first use. The palette itself closes tightly, very secure and travel friendly. This is an all around winner, 100% recommend.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Clinique - Almost Lipstick - Black Honey
lulu94 11/1/2012 9:52:00 PM
I liked this alright. I am very pale, NW15ish with full pigmented lips. This really didn't change the color of my lips all that much at all - so if you are worried it will be too dramatic, don't. even if you have pale lips this is a safe bet. So anyway I was a little disappointed, I love the mid-deep berry/plums. That said, it was pretty, and the texture did feel just like a balm, so. It isn't bad, just nothing to write home about. Oh, also, the cap ALWAYS falls off in my bag/basket. :(
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Parlux - Jessica Simpson Fancy
lulu94 11/1/2012 8:54:00 PM
Mmm. This does remind me of pink sugar, but softer, not quite so INTENSE cotton candy. Although it is longer lasting so that's a plus. It's just a creamy, vanilla-ey, sugar scent and I'm very pleased with it esp. because the lasting power is decent. Nobody really seems to dislike it, as opposed to when i wore pink sugar some loved it and wanted to lick me, others found it to be too much. But this is yummy while remaining inoffensive. :) I don't love the bottle design but it's okay, better than Britney's and Mariah and such, so overall Jessica gets a thumbs up from me on this one.
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Hair -Organix - Vanilla Silk Serum
lulu94 10/25/2012 11:23:00 PM
This smells yummy and does make the hair soft. But I think it's just too much for my fine hair. I need more of a "mist" type of oil/serum I guess. Even used just on the ends, it is a little heavy for finer hair. But I think it would be great if you have super thick or porous ends.
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Fragrances -Kenzo - Amour by Kenzo
lulu94 10/25/2012 10:26:00 PM
Oh, this is so good. I absolutely love this warm, cozy scent for fall. It has terrific lasting power and my mom who normally hates all the fragrances I wear yelled from the bathroom the morning after I got it in the mail, in a very urgent tone, "WHAT DID YOU SPRAY THAT SMELLS LIKE HEAVEN.?!" She always asks to borrow it if I'm doing her hair/makeup before she goes out. However, it's not for everyone, including my boyfriend, who hates it :( which is why I won't repurchase... except perhaps the small $25 vial that looks like a rollerball.. because this is just such a comforting fragrance. It is vanilla-ey, but not in a foody or candy way. It's a mature and different warm scent - I get vanilla, sandalwood, an unusual milky rice note and spice, and it just makes me want to make a hot chocolate and relax by a crackling fire.
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