Bronzers -Bare Escentuals - Faux Tan all-over face color
lydster65 11/10/2007 7:06:00 PM
I really, really like how this looks on my skin. It gives me a truly sun-kissed look. I like it much better than "Warmth". I got it in a kit, and at first I just put it away without trying it - I really thought it was too dark and there would be no way it would be right for my light skin. When I did try it, I was amazed! It's the most natural looking tan makeup product I have ever tried, and I will buy this again because it looks so nice and healthy on me.
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Palettes -Bare Escentuals - Classic Rock Flaweless Diamond Collection
lydster65 11/10/2007 6:54:00 PM
This is a nice set for anyone who enjoyes BE. The face brush is wonderful - very soft. I really like the mascara that comes with this set - I find that the black is natural looking and not clumpy, and I love the silver sparkle mascara. I will buy more BE mascara now, after trying it in this set. I can say the same for the Buxom lip plump - I use the sparkly clear gloss that comes with this set all the time (it's not so sparkly that you can only wear it at night, in my opinion), and I will try other BE lip plump colours now. The only part of this kit that I am less enthused about is the blush. It is very peachy in colour, and I have to use it very very lightly or else it just looks clownish. It's not really a good colour for me, but I have been mixing it with bare radiance to "cut" the colour back and it works fine like that. Overall, this is a fun kit with nice products that I think most anyone would make use of.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Bare Escentuals - Buxom Lips Lip Gloss in Amber
lydster65 10/21/2007 12:59:00 AM
Yes, I think I would buy this again. I like the texture and the feel on my lips - kind of minty cool, a little tingly but not too much. I don't know if it actually plumps my lips; I don't really think so. But I like the feel of it on my lips. I like the colour too, it's very wearable and natural but still with a nice bit of peachy-nude colour (and a subtle bit of shimmer too). I did get it as a freebie from Sephora, and otherwise I would have never bothered to try it due to the price, but now that i have it, I think I will buy this again.
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Lip Gloss -Philosophy - Cinnamon Buns Lip Shine
lydster65 10/21/2007 12:48:00 AM
I really want to like this - I had hoped that I would love it. But for me, this is a disappointment. I really like the golden shimmer (that's why it gets two lippies). The smell is actually quite gross to me. I don't detect cinnamon in it at all, definitely nothing like Cinnamon Buns shower gel. It's a sort of a fake-maple smell (and I love maple, but not this sick fake scent). The texture is actually alright by me - maybe I could give it three lippies - but the smell almost makes me sick. I don't know if I can actually keep using it or not, it's that bad for me. Certainly, that's going to be a personal thing, and evidently some really like the scent. But I find it very fake and yucky. Sorry, Philosophy - I generally like your stuff!
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Polishes -Sally Hansen - Natural shine
lydster65 10/13/2007 12:40:00 AM
I love to play with nail polish, but after a while my nails need a break (they start to peel). I use this for a week or so, and my nails get right back into shape. It dries quickly, looks subtle and natural and pretty, and doesn't noticeably chip as has been mentioned below. I have it in pink, and it does give a slight colour on me. I put two coats on - it does build up a bit, so the second coat really adds more colour. The one thing that's kind of strange is the packaging - I guess they were trying to distinguish this from nail polish, but I find the "bottle" is a pain. It's opaque so I can't see how much is left, and it would not be hard to spill. But, that's not a big deal really.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Treatments -Sally Hansen - CornSilk Zero Blackhead Pore Cleaner
lydster65 10/13/2007 12:28:00 AM
I actually find this product useful. It doesn't pull blackheads right out, as the Biore strips sometimes do, but it does clear off the surface gunk for me. The effect last at least a day for me - I find my skin a bit smoother and clearer where I've used it. As I recall, it cost around $12 CAD, which seems a bit steep, but then again, I've had this one little bottle for a year, and I use it fairly regularly. I will buy this again, if not for me, then at least for my boyfriend who LOVES it!
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Lotions/ Creams -Johnson & Johnson - Soothing Naturals Soothe and Protect Balm
lydster65 10/13/2007 12:15:00 AM
I just discovered this - I happened to see it in the baby aisle. I like anything in a solid stick form (easy to carry!), and when I saw olive oil and vitamin E in the ingredients, I had to try it. Plus, it was only $5.95, and that's in Canada! Well just like everyone else here has described, I use this for everything - lips, cuticles, and I use it on my face in the dry areas (on my cheeks, around the corners of my mouth - weird, it must be an age thing). It's not greasy, but it is buttery as "G-T-T-S-D" below has said. I think it even softens the "11" lines between my brows! Originally I bought this for my gym bag, and today I bought a second one for my purse. Everyone should go out and get this!!
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Lip Gloss -BeneFit Cosmetics - California Kissin'
lydster65 10/12/2007 11:50:00 PM
I believe I would buy this again.. it's the price that could hold me back. In Canada it's $19 (I found it today at Shopper's Drug Mart), which is ridiculous, really. But... I had been wanting to try it, so I went for it (it was payday..). I can't see that my teeth look any whiter, but I do like this lip gloss! It feels cool and minty (and that feeling stays for a while, I find it very nice). The colour (on me anyway) does show a very slight blue, but it's irridescent and looks neat - it's not obvious but it looks like "something" more than just plain lips. I like the sparkles in it as well, they are quite subtle. Overall, I feel like my lips look very pretty with this gloss. It's not sticky, and it has lasted for me all afternoon. Yes, I think I will buy more of this!
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Lip Treatments -Pout - Superbalm
lydster65 9/18/2007 1:53:00 AM
Sadly, I must agree with the majority - there is nothing to this at all. I too seem to be experiencing unusally drier lips since using this. I think it might be because I haven't been using my usual lip balm (Smith's Rosebud Salve) in order to try out the Pout Superbalm. I don't think the Superbalm works very well at all for moisturizing. I do like the scent - faintly honey- smelling. I wish there was a bit more "shimmer" to it - it's got a pretty sparkle in the pot but it doesn't show on my lips at all. So, for $20 CAD, this is a total bust. Too bad, I had high hopes...
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Powder -Bare Escentuals - Bare Minerals ALL
lydster65 8/21/2007 3:29:00 PM
I've only had my "get started" kit for a couple of days, so this is my initial reaction - I will update after a longer period. So far, I'm extremely excited and very pleased with Bare Minerals. Firstly, my makeup really does last pretty much the whole workday - much better than my usual, traditional makeup. It definitely looks natural, and I don't have the usual shine that I would normally get. I'm 41, so my skin is a bit dry but I still get shine - I don't find that my skin feels tight or dry at all. It truly does feel like (and look like) I have no makeup on at all. I am actually rather "freaked out" that this makeup could really be this good all around.. so time will tell. But so far, it just amazes me. By the way, the "get started" kit would be enough stuff for someone to truly have everything they need - "warmth", which comes with the kit, is a nice cheek colour. But I also ordered the "get cheeky" kit at the same time, and I am enjoying having a more pinkish blush as well. I'm going to order "bisque", which is supposed to be more of a concealer, but I do find that I can conceal fairly well with just the foundations that come with "get started".
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Treatments -Fusion Beauty - LiftFusion Micro-Injected M-Tox Transdermal Face Lift 
lydster65 7/22/2007 7:24:00 PM
Yep, this product was a horrible disappointment. I wish I could give it zero lippies. All I can say that is "good" about it, is that it didn't seem to irritate my skin. It truly, truly did NOTHING. I used it faithfully and patted it on according to instructions, and nothing happened - no immediate results, and no cumulative results. Well, lesson learned for me (sort of - I spent MUCH LESS money on a line filler - Boots No 7 - and it does seem to instantly soften my frown lines). Save your $180 CDN. for botox.
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Moisturizers -Boots - No 7 Time Resisting Day Cream
lydster65 6/28/2007 9:45:00 PM
I've only used this for a little more than a week, so I promise to come back and update after more time has passed. In the meantime, let me say that I really like how this cream feels on my skin. It seems to sink in nicely yet also moisturizes well (no tightness) on my 41 year-old skin. I still get shiny and oily on my chin, but I do find that my shiny-ness has not been as bad since I've started using this product. It has a light scent, and while I normally go for scent-free, this is not bad at all. I have sensitive skin and this does not cause me any redness or burning. It's an SPF 12 - I would prefer SPF 15 at least for my day moisture, although I am tending to wear higher-spf tints on top anyway. I paid $25 CAD for this, and these days that's a good price for a "better" moisturizer, so I'm content with that. I will continue to use this, and as I say I will update - so far so good. (I am rather impressed with many of the Boots skincare products, actually). *UPDATE* It's been a month now that I've been using this - I don't think it's anything special. It hasn't caused me any problems, although I have found that my cheeks feel a little dry sometimes (which may have nothing to do with this cream). I'm going to search on for a new daytime moisturizer - I'd like to find something that does "more" for me.
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Lip Gloss -Burt's Bees - Burts Bees Lip Shimmers
lydster65 4/16/2007 5:51:00 PM
I buy these lip shimmers in Watermelon and Champagne. Watermelon is a fairly close match to my natural lip colour, although a bit deeper - it's a browny-mauvey-pink shade. Champagne is a very pale pink/almost white shimmer that probably should NOT be worn on it's own :), however I use a bit over top of the watermelon shade to brighten it up a bit on the lower lip. I really like the minty-ness and the coolness on my lips. Now here is the other thing I do with these: I use watermelon on my cheeks, and champagne as a highlighter, mostly on my upper cheekbones. On my pale to medium skin, the look is incredible - just natural but better. I love to mountain bike, and I find that these lip shimmers have fantastic staying power on my cheeks and lips, even through a sweaty ride! For camping or gym bag, I get away with these two tubes of colour, plus a concealer (usually that's BeneFit Boiing in medium). I also use a soft lip balm (usually Smith's Rosebud salve) because I do find that occasionally my lips are too dry to use just the Burt's Bees stuff. My skin is 41 years old, so it's a bit dry now on the cheeks, and the lip shimmer colours give my cheeks a healthy, dewy glow. Seriously, give it a try!
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Other -BeneFit Cosmetics - Line in General
lydster65 4/4/2007 12:57:00 PM
Well.. I do love BeneFit in general. What got me into the line was BeneTint - that was probably five years ago, and I still have half the bottle, mainly because I go through stages of using it faithfully and then putting it away. Like everyone else, I have found BeneFit products that I love, and others that I kinda hate. But, in my trials and errors, these are the products that work very well for me and that I will keep buying: Rush Hour, which is a fabulous cream blush and lipstick multi-tasker; IT Stick, which I use as a concealer and highlighter (though, not under my eyes - too cakey for me there); Ooh La Lift, which I use under my eyes and I find is enough of a brightener that I don't use concealer; High Beam, which undeniably gives a lovely all-over glow, or just a nice lift to the cheekbones if you prefer; and Her Glossiness gloss in "didn't hear it from me", which is a nice peachy-neutral gloss (it looks great over Rush Hour on my lips). I also really love Speed Brow, but the tube is so tiny that I'm not sure I will buy it again. What I love best about these products is that they are portable and simple and look really natural. I also find that they do last a long time, so I don't mind spending the money (with the exception of Speed Brow).
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Lipstick -BeneFit Cosmetics - Rush Hour for lips and cheeks
lydster65 4/4/2007 12:40:00 PM
This is now my HG blush. I occasionally use it on my lips as well, but it goes on my cheeks every day. It's creamy and it looks fresh and natural on my skin. I think that just about any skintone could use it, since it's such a neutral colour. It is a deep colour but it blends so well that I think anyone could customize it to suit them just by blending more or less. I love the portability of it. It is perfect for purse, gym bag or travel. I actually bought two before I had even tried it, because I love multiple-use, stick-type products that won't spill and won't take up too much room - I was not disappointed with Rush Hour, and when these two eventually run out, I will get more. (this might mean that they discontinue it, because anything I love usually gets discontinued!)
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