Sunscreen -DERMAdoctor - Ain't Misbehavin' skin clarifying & mattifying sunscreen spf 30
moblinger 7/8/2008 3:04:00 PM
Oh man, I wanted to love this. I really wanted a great sunscreen for my face. It sounds too good to be true. SPF 30 plus it mattifies your skin? Unfotunately, this is no different than any other sunscreen that you would apply to your body - as far as the 'mattifying' goes, it doesn't. It may contain a few different ingredients than your normal, run-of-the-mill Coppertone, but it is really just an overpriced sunscreen that will leave you greasy and make your makeup slide right off! If I could justify paying $30 for it, I might just save it for the rest of my body, but I am going to do the smart thing and return this crap to Sephora. What a bummer.
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Treatments -Giovanni - Direct Leave in Conditioner
moblinger 5/2/2008 6:37:00 PM
I love this leave-in! I have never used a leave-in conditioner before, but the last time I had my hair cut my stylist asked me what I was using to condition my hair. I knew my hair was pretty dry and straw-like. I told him Pantene, and he was just quiet and didn't say anything. Uh oh, looks like Pantene was the wrong answer! I knew then that I had to boost my hair-moisturization routine and drop the 'cones from my products. So I did some searching for natural hair products and found Giovanni, a brand I'd never heard of. I bought this stuff and it is truly amazing! I wash and condition my hair in the shower (I use Beauty Without Cruelty Daily Benefits now) and then work a tiny dab of this through my long, layered wet hair. It takes out any tangle SO easily, you don't even need a comb. I can blow-dry my hair straight or leave it to air dry and either way, my hair looks shiny and super healthy, and NOT weighed down or greasy. This stuff is the best!
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Conditioner -Beauty Without Cruelty - Daily Benefits Conditioner
moblinger 4/30/2008 3:30:00 PM
I bought this conditioner with the Daily Benefits Shampoo, and I love them both. It works extremely well to detangle and moisturize my long, blonde (dyed) hair. I have fine hair, but tons of it. I can use the Daily Benefits conditioner from my roots to tips without it weighing my hair down - when I rinse it out, my hair is silky, soft, and shiny. The next morning my hair is still fresh and soft after using it. I could probaly just wash my hair every other day, but I love doing my daily shampoo and conditioner routine. One note, it is a little more runny than you'd expect, but don't let it fool you, it works incredibly well! It also has a light herbal fragrance that I really enjoy. I bought mine from Vitacost.com.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Conditioner -Phyto - Phytojoba - Intense Hydrating Mask
moblinger 4/29/2008 3:40:00 PM
I like this hair mask. I notice that when I just put it on in the shower and use it like a regular conditioner, it does not work as well as if I follow the directions and apply it to towel dried hair (after my shower) and rinse out later. Since most mornings I don't have time to jump in and out of the shower to do a conditioning treatment, I will have to save my Phytojoba for weekend use only. Still, it is a great hair treatment when used as suggested. My long, blonde (dyed) hair becomes bouncy, shiny, and manageable. I know $38 is a lot to spend, but we have to treat ourselves sometime, right?
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Shampoo -Beauty Without Cruelty - Daily Benefits
moblinger 4/29/2008 3:31:00 PM
I (like many others buying this shampoo) recently decided to stop using shampoo with SLS and all that other junk my body doesn't need spread onto it. I did some research and found Beaurty Without Cruelty. I could not wait to get the Daily Benefits Shampoo. It does an awesome job of cleaning my long, blonde (dyed) hair that tends to get slightly oily at the roots and dry at the ends. My hair is still clean the next day, and that has never happened with another shampoo! I also use the conditioner, and the combination is awesome. My hair is actually bright, shiny, and gorgeous, just like the bottle promises. My past shampoos have been Pantene and Aveda. This is cheaper than both, and blows them both out of the water!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -Phyto - Phytodefrisant
moblinger 4/15/2008 4:13:00 PM
I discovered this balm after many successful trips to my hair stylist. He would cut my hair and then blow it out, but he never tried to sell me the stuff he was putting in my hair! Finally I asked him what it was that made my hair so smooth and straight and he told my about this Phyto balm. After finding out the price, I couldn't bring myself to buy it at the salon, but when I was unable (yet again) to recreate the awesome blowout without it, I caved and bought some from Sephora. I have long, mid-back length blonde (color-treated) hair that is very fine (but I have TONS of it) and slightly wavy (annoyingly so). The Defrisant straightens my hair with just my blowdryer, and maybe a little brushing. The only thing that I don't like about it is that although my hair is very smooth and straight after blowdrying, it is not at all shiny. I have to use a separate gloss/serum to get a healthy shine. Despite this, it is still a must-have product for me.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Cleansers -Avalon Organics Botanicals - Vitamin C Facial Cleanser
moblinger 3/22/2008 9:27:00 PM
I bought this after I noticed on my bottle of beloved Basis cleanser that it contained sodium lauryl sulfate (a big no no). I was initially just attracted to the orange packaging, but thankfully the product inside is effective. I use a makeup remover to get rid of foundation and mascara, so my cleanser really just has to clean my skin and leave it feeling clean for more than 5 minutes! This cleanser definitely does that. It smells orange-y, as promised, and foams up to a nice lather. My combo/oily skin reacts perfectly to it - not tight or flaky, and no breakouts. I am glad to be using a SLS free face wash that actually works!
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Cleansers -Basis - Basis Cleaner Clean Face Wash
moblinger 3/13/2008 3:21:00 PM
I bought this cleanser when I was going out of town for a long weekend and realized that I had forgotten my face wash (Avon) at home. So I stopped by a grocery store and found Basis. It is always fun to try something new, so I was pretty excited. And for good reason, because this stuff is great! It cleanses thoroughly and has helped to clear my skin. I could honestly do without the fragrance, but the cleanser is great! UPDATE: I still love this product, except for the fact that it contains sodium lauryl sulfate (which I discoverd while sleuthing around my bathroom, haha). It worked well enough for me, but I just don't want to risk using it anymore. Now it's a three lippie...was good, just not for me anymore.
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Cleansers -Cetaphil - Gentle Skin Cleanser
moblinger 2/28/2008 2:05:00 AM
Bleh. I bought into the hype. I held out for years and then grabbed some Cetaphil impulsively at Target one day. I knew it was a non-foaming, gentle cleanser, but I actually expected it to CLEAN. As others have said, it won't remove makeup, and that is a major feature I look for in a cleanser. I felt like I was using my conditioner on my face. I suppose if I didn't wear makeup and my face produced little to no oil it would be fine. Oh well. Not the product for me.
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Lips -mark - Kiss Therapy Lip Balm in Shimmering Shell
moblinger 2/24/2008 4:56:00 PM
I like this stuff. Like other reviewers have said, it looks gorgeous in the tin but that color does not translate to your lips. It goes on almost clear with a shimmery, barely there pink color. I like using it under more intensely colored lip glosses - it adds a little extra dimension to my other products. It is awesome that it has the spf 15! I think if you have really pretty colored lips already, this would probably be all you need. I just have pale lips, so it is not a stand-alone product for me.
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Treatments -E.L.F. - Shine Eraser Blotting Sheets
moblinger 2/22/2008 3:20:00 PM
These are nice, mostly because they are SO cheap. I always feel silly spending $5-$10 on little sheets of paper that I blot my face with and throw away. These do the job fine (I also use more than one sometimes). One thing that is a little annoying about them - they are made of 'green tea linen' and sometimes little spots come off of the sheet and stick to your face, resembling a mascara fleck. It's okay when you watch out for them, but I was walking around with one of these spots on my face for a while one day after a quick mirror-less blot! Still, for $1, I cannot complain!
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Skincare - Face -Signature Club A - Lemon Zest Meltdown
moblinger 2/18/2008 2:23:00 PM
I am actually reviewing the Mandarin Orange meltdown, but I couldn't add it for some reason. Anyway, I suppose they are all pretty much the same besides the fragrance, right? I had gotten to the point where I was really sick of having to scrub my face to get my makeup off (I wear Revlon Colorstay most of the time). Just washing with a gel cleanser wasn't cutting it. I HATE seeing makeup on my cotton ball when I use astringent. I just felt like there was something better I could be using to ensure that my skin was makeup-free. So I searched the MUA board and found Signature Club A Meltdowns. I received my two 4.5 oz tubs of meltdown for $18.00. This is way more than I would normally spend on anything, but I decided to give it a shot, and I am so glad I did. This meltdown is fabulous! You just scoop some out of the tub, apply to skin and wipe with a warm washcloth. It takes makeup off (mascara, eyeliner, foundation, everything) so well and leaves my face feeling fantastic - soft and clean. It is very gentle too, it doesn't sting my eyes or irritate my skin, plus it smells really good. It is well worth the cost. I feel like I am treating myself and doing something good for my skin. It makes getting ready for bed at night so much less of a hassle. I am in love! UPDATE: It's been a few weeks since I started using the meltdown, and I like it even more. My skin has even started to look healthier and clearer, probably because my cleanser (that I use after the meltdown) is working to actually clean my skin. Love it, love it, love it. I would say that this is a similar concept to Dermalogica's Precleanse - getting rid of the makeup and gunk and THEN actually cleansing your skin. Try the meltdowns, ladies!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - Full 'N Soft Mascara
moblinger 2/9/2008 2:35:00 PM
I've been using this mascara since the commercial with Sarah Michelle Gellar first came out. So I think it's been about 10 years now! I have only strayed from it three times, and I remember each time wondering why I did. Full and Soft is an amazing mascara. The directions state that you should NOT let it dry between coats. This sounds strange, but that is how I apply it and it always looks fantastic. When I have accidentally let a coat dry and then put another one over it, I do get clumps and the result is not as pretty. This is the most perfect mascara. I always have to stock up because sometimes I go to Target and they are all out! Everyone else must love it, too!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Maybelline - Define A Lash
moblinger 1/16/2008 3:12:00 PM
I bought this mascara because it was buy one, get one free and I couldn't find my usual Full and Soft mascara. I was intrigued by the crazy brush, so it seemed like a fun new mascara to try. Okay, the brush is fun and it does come out of the tube clump free. But that is where the greatness of this mascara ends. My lashes look 'stringy' when I use it - really long, but NO volume at all, so my lashline just looks strange. One time I tried applying a coat and letting it dry, combing my lashes, and then applying another coat. It was still terrible. I also must note that I have tried quite a few different mascaras, and almost ANY mascara makes my lashes look good, except this one!
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Mascara -mark - Make It Big Lash Plumping Mascara
moblinger 12/1/2007 1:51:00 PM
I just used Make It Big mascara for the first time and I was so impressed with the results that I had to post my review. I had read the reviews on this mascara and knew about the huge brush in advance, but nothing could have prepared me for the gigantic fluffy mass that emerged from the tube. I stared at it in shock, then brought it towards my lashes. The mascara is a drier formula, which I like. Wet mascara makes my lashes spiky, and I hate that. After about 3 strokes, my lashes were enormous - it looked like I was wearing fake fringe. I am only a little worried that the dry formula might 1) become flaky during the day and end up in black specks on my face and 2) dry out in the tube after less than a month of use. But since I just put it on, I'll have to update on all of this. So far, the result is amazing. Edit: I owned this mascara for a month and it dried out like mad. It was originally dry to begin with, but it turned to putty! It was super flaky and so dry in the tube so I couldn't use it anymore and tossed it.
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