Lotions/ Creams -Nivea - Nivea Soft Moisturizing Creme
troglodyte 12/22/2011 5:59:00 PM
I tried the classic blue tin and it was way too greasy for my combination skin. This one is better: all-purpose moisturizer for both face and body. Still slightly greasy so I use it on my face only on my dry cheeks and only as a night cream. On my body I use it after showers anywhere I have dryness.
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Moisturizers -Desert Essence - Jojoba Oil - 100% pure
troglodyte 8/1/2011 5:33:00 PM
I'm not sure why this has such a good reputation. It isn't any more special or effective than olive oil or other oils. I used it as a moisturizer only on the dry spots on my cheeks. It tended to sit there and my skin didn't feel any more moisturized. I tried using it as a hair serum/treatment. It didn't change my hair that much and it was tricky to use the right amount or else my hair would get greasy and gross. I prefer a silicone serum or a regular leave-in. I have a big bottle leftover and one use I actually liked was to mix some drops in my hand with a handful of conditioner (Garnier Triple Nutrition) and comb this trough my hair. I felt this was the right dose of oil and added a bit of shine. Edit (2012): Tried again, same results. Made me break out the next day (haven't had acne for months beforehand and this was the only thing I changed in my routine. A week later still battling the effects.) To the trash.
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Eyeliner -Maybelline - Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner
troglodyte 7/14/2011 8:07:00 AM
Excellent eyeliner, very black, easy to apply, doesn't move around once applied and easy to take off. The jar looks small but it lasts a long time.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Skincare - Body -Bio Oil - All Products
troglodyte 7/11/2011 9:27:00 PM
This is clever marketing in effect: position the product as something desperate people will want to try (scarred people, pregnant ladies wanting to avoid stretch marks, etc). This oil doesn't do a thing, and you might as well smear vegetable oil from your kitchen cupboard. Their claims are pure bull. And expensive, too. I suppose some success can be coincidental - meaning that the user's skin would've healed fine without needing the oil, but since it was used it got the credit.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lipstick -Revlon - Matte Lipstick - In the Red
troglodyte 7/11/2011 3:22:00 PM
This is as close to an universal red as you can get. I paid $9CAD for it but it's as good as a twice-the-price MAC lipstick. Matte but not drying, lasts very long without budging. It's very wearable, even as a day look, it's not a loud neon hooker-type color.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Hair Color -L'Oreal - Excellence Creme
troglodyte 7/10/2011 3:14:00 PM
Colored my hair jet black with the 'J' one, not the blue-black one. Although it's hard to mess up black color this has performed beautifully. It's a gorgeous neutral deep black. It doesn't drip so no splotchy stained skin (but you have to wipe any spills FAST on floors/sinks/etc because they stay). It stinks but isn't intolerable. My hair didn't get fried and looks shiny today, even though I skipped the gimmicky pre-color treatment. I had to use 2 boxes to cover my very thick shoulder-length hair. Overall a much better product then Superior Preference.
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Mascara -Maybelline - Volum' Express The Falsies Waterproof Mascara
troglodyte 7/10/2011 3:07:00 PM
Impressive mascara! For $8CAD you get a better product than my former favorite L'Oreal Voluminous (which is a few bucks more expensive). Lengthens my puny lashes very well and makes them somewhat thicker with only one coat. I will not go back to my old brand.
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Styling Products -Garnier - Fructis Style Curl Sculpting Cream-Gel
troglodyte 7/8/2011 6:25:00 PM
The only styling products I use on my very thick shoulder-length fine curly hair is the Garnier Sleek & Shine Serum and this. I use it after washing/conditioning my hair (I keep the products in my shower) - just two quarters worth for my whole head then I let air-dry. It does a great job at both defrizzing and creating well-defined curls. It last all day and the next day I can only wet my hair again without washing it and it's still just as fresh. Cheap, too.
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Styling Products -Garnier - Fructis Sleek and Shine Weightless Anti-Frizz Serum
troglodyte 7/8/2011 6:05:00 PM
The best serum for the value on the market, and i'm excited about the argan oil reformulation (i haven't tried it yet). I use this ever since it was launched and my 3a curls love it. I have very thick shoulder length fine hair and about 2 pumps are enough for my whole head, so the bottle lasts for months, all this for about $5CAD. I have used the Got2Be serum as well (very plasticky feeling and so thick you can't avoid using too much resulting in greased up hair) and the John Frieda (fine product but at almost triple the price) and always come back to this one.
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Fragrances -Yves Rocher - Iris Noir
troglodyte 6/29/2011 7:36:00 PM
Bad staying power (max 2 hours unfortunately), but wow, great scent. That's my "sorceress" scent. Very seductive and dark. Good buy if on sale ($40CAD vs $70CAD).
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Fragrances -Yves Rocher - Voile d'Ambre
troglodyte 6/29/2011 7:23:00 PM
Bought it marked down to $40CAD, if I had bought it full price ($70CAD) I would've been terribly disappointed. This has little lasting power if you like something a little more intense than skinscent-type fragrances. Lasted something like an hour at most. I am also disappointed in the lack of churchy-piquant-power of the so-called amber in this, it smells a bit more generic than that overall. Still a pleasant scent but nothing too impressive. SO liked it. Bottle looks very nice for a YR product, which kind of convinced me to get it.
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Hair Color -L'Oreal - Superior Preference Hair Colour
troglodyte 6/23/2011 7:49:00 AM
This has been so long on the market one wonders why L'Oreal doesn't bother to update this product to 2011 standards... First, that horrible stench. I'm not someone who's super sensitive to odors (certainly not the "ohmygod-this-mascara-smells-so-bad-i-got-a-headache" type) but this kit truly REEKS. I can't close my bathroom door using this like I do when using every other brand. Second, this drips way too much, the dye stays 10 minutes more than I intend to on my head because I keep cleaning up drips and stains every 2 minutes while I'm still putting it on my hair for fear the stains become permanent on floors and sinks. Excellence and Garnier have thicker creamy formulas, why keep this as liquidy as some some cheap 80s dye? Gave two lippies for the color results that are usually accurate, but I can use other brands that are just as accurate without all the annoyance.
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Makeup Brushes -Ecotools - Bamboo Bronzer Brush
troglodyte 6/23/2011 7:19:00 AM
Excellent multipurpose brush, very soft, relatively inexpensive for the quality.
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Bronzers -L'Oreal - Glam Bronze Radiant Bronzing Duo - 350 Glistening Glow
troglodyte 6/22/2011 6:19:00 PM
This is a very nice summer blush/highlighter. I can't really say 'bronzer' because it adds very subtle color to my pale-but-lightly-tanned skin, even though it is marketed as such. It adds a golden sheen (just a bit of shimmer) to your skin, it looks great over a light tan and doesn't look garish. I guess I expected something that added tan-color instead of glow, but at least it doesn't look dirty or muddy on me.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -John Frieda - Frizz-Ease Hair Serum
troglodyte 6/22/2011 6:09:00 PM
It is just as effective as Garnier's Sleek & Shine Serum for 3 times the cost. In fact it's a bit less effective, the product is thicker so it's way too easy to put in too much. Also runs out much faster.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No