Makeup Brushes -Makeup Artist's Choice (MUAC) - italian badger flat bronzer brush
sarah2202 4/12/2011 5:17:00 PM
I love this company but I was a little bit disappointed in this product. The website says this is great for applying mineral makeup, which is my makeup of choice. The price is reasonable at $17.50 and I got it for 20% during their most recent sale. The coverage was decent but the thing that would stop me from re-purchasing is that the bristles are a little bit scratchy. It does shed a bit every time I use it - very short strands. I have washed it at least 12 times and it still sheds. The fact that the strands are short is even more annoying b/c it is more likely I will overlook one and walk around with it on my face all day. I am used to using Everyday Minerals' flat top and the Eco Tools bronzer brush, which are super soft and rarely shed. I prefer these two brands of brushes over MUAC's for applying mineral makeup. I have been avoiding my liquid fdtn b/c it is so time consuming to apply with my fingertips. This brush works very well for applying my liquid foundation. It even took less time to apply than my MMU. I will be using this brush for this purpose but I still would not buy again because of the scratchiness.
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Powder -Everyday Minerals - Foundation Matte Formula
sarah2202 4/11/2011 10:56:00 PM
I am still using my EDM order that I received 4 years ago, so this review is for the old matte formula. Out of the 4 formulas, I like this one the least. Even with primer and moisturizer, I find it just doesn't adhere to my skin. My skin is what most people would consider "oily" but it is also dehydrated due to the use of acne products. This ends up providing gross cakey super light coverage. The ironic thing is that after an hour I look super greasy too. I have a lot of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation that I like to conceal and this formula is far too sheer to handle that. The matte formula is terrible for me. I love the intensive formula because it gives me fuller coverage and adheres to my skin very well. My skin looks dewy, not oily afterwards. I will never buy the matte formula again. EDM has gone through some changes since my last order and it seems people are very dissatisfied. When I need MMU again (which probably won't be until 2012 since my last EDM haul was huge), I will be giving Alima a try.
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Eye Makeup Remover -Almay - Non-Oily Eye Makeup Remover Pads
sarah2202 4/8/2011 3:23:00 PM
My HG! I have had these on hand all the time for about 9 years now. I really dislike using regular sized cotton pads on my eyes b/c it's too hard to be precise in my m/u removal. With regular pads, I feel I need to use too much product and it ends up burning my eyes, or I need to use q-tips afterwards. I don't really get how people can live without these thin pads! These pads are thin enough to eliminate the need for a q-tip (unless I am wearing lots of liner on my lower lashline). The remover that they come soaked in is fine and it doesn't sting my eyes at all. But since I rarely wear eye m/u (I've had the same package for over a year) sometimes some extra moisture is needed, so I usually add makeup remover to the pads for some extra power. I basically buy these for the pads (not the remover) I can see how these would be too small for those who wear heavy makeup, but for me they are perfect. On those nights that I do wear heavy eye mu, I just use an extra pad or two, no big deal. Update Dec 16.11: Since I've only been wearing eye mu ~1/mnth this past year, I didn't buy the pads. Whenever I do wear mu, I find removing it such a hassle with those regular cotton pads or a cloth. I find there is always mu left over and there is too much tugging. Going to Wal-Mart to pick up another container of Almay!
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Cleansers -Everyday Minerals - Everyday African Soap
sarah2202 4/1/2011 1:12:00 AM
The brown lather irked me at first but I quickly got over it. The smell is earthy with a hint of tea tree. I found this to be a bit too drying for my sensitive, acne-prone skin, although it was much less drying than other cleansers such as Clinique's mild liquid soap and Clean & Clear acne cleansers. I'm using this as a hand soap now and it works really well for that purpose. It lathers very easily and feel silky, and leaves my hands soft and clean. However it is marketed as a facial soap and I would not buy it again for that purpose. I will probably try African soap from a different brand in the future.
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Cleansers -Unlisted Brand - Tersaseptic
sarah2202 4/1/2011 1:10:00 AM
I used this cleanser on my doctor's recommendation for about 3 years (age 12-15). It removes makeup well and gets your face really clean. I found it wasn't as drying as other cleansers, but it can still be slightly drying. For me, this cleanser is superior to Clinique's mild liquid soap, Purpose, and several Clean & Clear products. The scent is very mild and as someone who is easily bothered by fragrance, this did not bother me at all. A big pump bottle (~500 mL) runs for about $20 including tax. There has been a lot of bad press about triclosan as well including talk about carcinogens. As well, I believe you must leave the cleanser on your face for at least 2 minutes in order for the antibacterial properties to be effective. I have very acne-prone skin and I am afraid of causing the evolution of super-resistant acne bacteria on my skin, so that is another reason why I would not buy again. I stopped buying anti-bacs in general. I have since moved on from liquid face washes, in favour of my huge, cheap, effective bar of sulfur soap. I did buy a back-up of Tersaseptic which will be used as a hand wash.
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Bronzers -Sephora - Highlighting Bronzing Powder
sarah2202 3/27/2011 4:07:00 AM
I like that the product is small (0.1 oz) because I take forever to use up products. It is expensive at ~$20 Canadian. I fell in love with the colour when I tested it on my arm - I thought it might be the thing to give me a sunkissed glow. I apply this with my EcoTools bronzer brush and it looks nice at first on my PPP skin - slight shimmer, nice color. It doesn't last very long though. On my oily skin it just looks dirty and greasy after a couple of hours. As a previous reviewer mentioned, it made my cheeks look huge as well. Not sure how or why but I looked really bloated in the face. Overall, an over-priced product that I wouldn't re-purchase.
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Deodorants -Unlisted Brand - Crystal Roll-On Body Deodorant
sarah2202 3/27/2011 3:57:00 AM
I've tried Lavanilla (somehow made my BO worse) and Jason Naturals (apricot scented), which failed me miserably. I have hyperhidrosis and after years of trying to stop the sweat (with strong antiperspirants such as DrySol), I've decided to embrace the sweat (I even do hot yoga now). This product will not affect how much you sweat. I do still need to control odour, which is where products like this come in. I've purchased this one at least 4 times. I love that it is smaller than other roll-ons which means I can use it up and replace it more frequently = more hygienic. The price is good at around $5 at Shoppers. I do find however that after continuous use, it becomes ineffective against odour for some reason. So I take a break and use plain baking soda. After a couple of weeks I can go back to the Crystal and it works again.
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Lip Gloss -Bonne Bell - Pink Lemonade Lipsmacker
sarah2202 3/26/2011 9:21:00 PM
This smells like real lemonade. It moisturizes my lips well and I love that it comes in a stick form (I am so tired of gross applicators which is partly what brought me back to Lip Smackers in the first place). It's a light pink colour and on my lips I feel it is very natural, just like a balm. 4g for $2.99 at Shoppers - Great price. I love that there are so many different scents to try, the price is great, and the tubes are small enough so that I can use them up relatively quickly and try something new lol. This and Dr. Pepper are my favourites so far. I'm still on the look out for Coca-Cola in Toronto.
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Lip Gloss -Bonne Bell - Dr. Pepper lipsmackers
sarah2202 3/25/2011 2:10:00 AM
I love this smacker! I have dry lips and I love this in the winter especially. It leaves a slight red tint that is very subtle and natural. The scent is great. As someone who tires of scents very quickly, I must say I am still liking this one even though I have almost finished the tube. The packaging is good, standard lip balm stick style. This is the most sanitary option. It's the perfect size (4g I believe) so it won't be one of those products that you get sick of before you finish or that goes rancid before you can finish it. I think I paid $3 plus tax for this which is super cheap.
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Treatments -Unlisted Brand - Zincofax
sarah2202 3/21/2011 10:02:00 PM
Having experienced success with Penaten, I decided to step it up and buy a cream with a higher % of ZnO. I have the extra strength Zincofax version in a 130g tub. I use this as a mask sometimes and I find it to be very soothing for my acne-prone skin. Like the previous reviewer stated, it is decent for low-grade zits but beware of applying it to big angry ones. It can be difficult to remove the cream from the pimple. The irritation may cause the pimple to burst or cause the scab to flake off prematurely, which is counterproductive. I do prefer Penaten (only 15% ZnO I believe) because I find it makes more of a difference in my skin. I'm not sure what exactly it is but I think the ingredients in Penaten agree with my skin more.
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Makeup Brushes -Ecotools - Bamboo Bronzer Brush
sarah2202 3/21/2011 9:12:00 PM
Great quality, super soft brush. I got it in Toronto at The Big Carrot (a fantastic place to find lots of natural beauty products that I wish I discovered sooner!) for about $13 plus tax. I don't find it's dense enough to apply my mineral makeup but it's perfect for bronzer/blush. Even though I love this brush, I still love my Everyday Minerals flat tops more.
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Hair Color -Unlisted Brand - Sun-In - Highlighting Spray
sarah2202 3/19/2011 2:51:00 AM
I have the lemon version. My hair is naturally black (Chinese) and I use this in the summer to give my hair a reddish tint. Since I don't use it very often, I haven't noticed any damage. My procedure is this: Shower, rinse hair with just water. Go to backyard. Put on swim goggles to protect my eyes (I protect my eyes at all costs lol). Spray Sun-In all over hair. Spend at least 10 minutes in the sun. It cost about $5 from Zellers and after using it last summer, I still have 3/4 of the bottle left. I hope it's still effective this year but even if it's not, I don't really care b/c it was super cheap.
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Moisturizers -Clinique - Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel
sarah2202 3/18/2011 5:22:00 PM
Hated this item. It left a tacky residue on my skin and didn't moisturize well. The fragrance was nice but I think it contributed to the breakouts I experienced while using this gel. Overpriced, overhyped crap.
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Gels/Soaps -Philosophy - Peppermint Bark 3 in 1
sarah2202 3/18/2011 3:31:00 AM
I got this in the 120 mL size in the holiday set (8 pieces for $45 = ~$5 per item with tax). I have lots of body washes open so I like this smaller size b/c it won't sit in my cupboard for so long (the 16 oz bottle I had lasted 4 years b/c I alternated so many different ones). Like the other Philosophy 3-in-1s, I only use this as a body wash. I think it's too harsh to use as a shampoo. Love the scent!
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Gels/Soaps -Philosophy - Candy Cane 3-in-1
sarah2202 3/18/2011 3:19:00 AM
As other reviewers have stated, this is definitely a true candy cane scent. I got a 120 mL bottle in the holiday set - I love travel sized products because I get sick of scents very easily. I like the creamy lather. It's a pretty average cleanser but it's not too stripping. I enjoy Philosophy products for the wonderful scents, and this one is one of my favourites.
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